On Thursday, December 4, 2008, as Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally and the heads of GM and Chrysler were on Capitol Hill being grilled by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs over the proposed bridge loan, Ford announced it was revamping its global performance vehicle strategy by appointing Jost Capito to the newly-created position of Director, Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development.

Based at Ford HQs in Dearborn, Capito, 50, will report to Hermann Salenbauch, Director Advanced Product Creation and Performance Vehicles, and Brian Wolfe, Director of Ford Racing Technology. In his new role, Jost leads global development of Ford’s performance vehicles. Here, the Special Vehicle Team (SVT) and TeamRS in Europe both answer to Capito, focusing on global performance vehicle development, consistent vehicle attributes and DNA in future Ford performance models. Capito assumes this new position in January.

SVT, led by Jamal Hameedi, Chief Nameplate Engineer, and Kerry Baldori, Chief Functional Engineer, remain part of Capito’s team, as does Dirk Densing, who leads Ford of Europe’s performance vehicle operations in Cologne, Germany. In addition, Capito is responsible for global motorsport business strategy and aligning Ford’s motorsport plans and programs. He leads development of motorsport opportunities for Ford’s future global car products, advising and working closely with the company’s regional motorsports directors.

Joining Ford of Europe in October, 2001 as Director of Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE), from ’03-‘07, Jost guided Ford’s European motorsport and performance vehicle programs, overseeing its World Rally Championship efforts and capturing Manufacturers’ Championship titles with the BP Ford World Rally team in ‘06 and ‘07. In November, 2007, Capito was appointed Vehicle Line Director for Ford of Europe’s Performance Vehicles, leading development of the Fiesta ST and Focus ST as well as the WRC-inspired Focus RS road car which debuts in Europe in early 2009.

Capito, former chief operating officer of the Sauber Petronas F1 team, was lured away from motorsports to lead Ford’s renewed performance push and to rejuvenate SVE. But Capito’s background extended far beyond Formula One, with extensive performance car credentials. After graduating Munich University with an Engineering Design and Development degree, Capito began his career with BMW Motorsport in ’84, where he worked on development of the M3 engine and the M5, serving as the motorsport conduit to BMW’s main product engineering. “In that role, I had to do everything,” Capito said, experience which would later serve him well.

Moving to Porsche in ’89, he created the Porsche Supercup, an event series that still supports many F1 races. Playing a pivotal role in the series, the engineering of vehicles, and the business of making performance derivatives viable for the company, Capito said, “I was involved in every aspect. We controlled every facet of the program, and ran it as a business.” Jost enjoyed a broad-ranging role at Porsche that encompassed not only engineering but many other aspects of the performance car and motorsport business.

Jost, a familiar face in F1 who was recruited by Martin Leach, Ford of Europe’s VP of Product Development, gave up a life any enthusiast would envy to lead a team dedicated to bringing performance back to Ford’s product range. “I am far more interested in making cars for customers than I am building race cars,” Capito stated. “I believe making contemporary performance street cars is a bigger challenge and the personal rewards are greater too, because you are creating something enthusiasts love to drive and want to own.”

“Performance vehicles and motorsport have been important to Ford since the company was founded more than a century ago. With Jost’s immense experience in both areas, performance vehicles and motorsport, we expect that tradition to continue and be strengthened within our One Ford strategy,” said Hermann Salenbauch, Director of Advanced Product Creation and Performance Vehicles, Ford Motor Company.

Jost Capito is the hope for higher performance from a broad range of Ford vehicles on the street, and on track wins.

Sport Technologies (ST) is Ford’s brand philosophy for performance models in Europe that appeal to enthusiasts, and the Focus ST500 bears Capito’s imprint.

The Focus RS, debuting early in ’09, sets the tone here for what Jost has done in Europe. Without compromising the base vehicle, the Focus RS improves upon every aspect.

European Fords like the RS may soon appear in U.S. showrooms if Capito has his way.

The RS’s rally roots are undeniable, prompting comparisons to the WRX and the Evo.

Ford’s participation at LeMans was another example of multitasking by Jost.

Story by Jason R. Sakurai
Photos Courtesy of Ford Motor Co.