Bela Barenyi Austro-Hungarian engineer Date of Birth: 01.03.1907 Country: Austria

Biography of Béla Barényi

Béla Barényi was an Austro-Hungarian engineer who is considered the founder of modern passive safety systems for automotive transportation. He was born in Hirtenberg, Vienna, and his father, Jenő Berényi, was a Hungarian military officer and professor at the military academy in Pozsony. Béla's mother, Maria, came from a wealthy family, and her father, Fridolin Keller, owned a notable Austro Daimler car. It was through his grandfather that Béla Barényi first became interested in the automotive industry.

During World War I, Béla lost his father at the age of 10, and soon after, Fridolin Keller's enterprises began to decline. Béla studied mechanics and electrical engineering at a college in Vienna. He later worked for automobile companies such as Austro-Fiat, Steyr, and Adler. In 1939, he joined the firm Daimler-Benz, where he held the position of Head of Preliminary Development from 1939 to 1972.

During his time at Daimler-Benz, Barényi developed numerous concepts that remain important and relevant to this day. He proposed the concept of a deformation zone, a non-deforming passenger cell, a collapsible steering column, and a roof safely separated from the car's occupants, among many other innovations. Barényi believed that a car should consist of three different zones: a safety zone in the middle to protect the occupants, and deformation zones at the front and rear to absorb and dissipate the energy of collisions.

Aside from his contributions to safety, Barényi is also credited with the overall structure of the Volkswagen Beetle. Some versions claim that he developed the car five years before Ferdinand Porsche. His sketches showcased the fundamental principles on which the car was built, including a rear-mounted engine with air cooling, a spatial frame, and an aerodynamic shape. Barényi's alleged involvement in the design led to a legal dispute, which was ultimately resolved in his favor in September 1954.

In 1999, Béla Barényi was named "Engineer of the Century" in the field of automotive engineering, and in 1994, he was honored with a place in the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit. He passed away in Böblingen, Germany.