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He ran toy train manufacturer Lionel for about a decade, breathing life into the company and helping introduce a new generation of kids to the hobby he fell in love with as a boy. Kughn, 89, of...
- Early Life
- Lionel Trains
- Other Interests
- Legacy
After being born in Detroit, he moved to Bay Village, Ohio. By the time he was 18, he returned to Detroit, a city and state he loved. He started out working in construction. By 1955, he was working at Taubman Co., where he would start to build his legacy. While working with A. Alfred Taubman, Kughn helped launch the company that would go on to buil...
It was through the prosperity of his company and business investments that he was able to work out a deal to buy the train company, something he always loved. He’d found a Lionel train in the trash as a young boy and managed to repair it with his father’s help. From then on, he always had an appreciation for the company and its products. The compan...
Kughn also was big on classic cars, having once built a Model T out of spare parts he mostly found. At the height of his collection, he had nearly 300 classic automobiles. He had so many cars that he opened the Carail Museum in Detroit, which operated from 1992-2003. In addition to his love of automobiles, he had a love for sports. In 1988, he was ...
Kughn kept supporting Detroit and the surrounding area for most of his life, continuing to open businesses in the city when others were fleeing. He and his wife, Linda Kughn, who died in 2015, lived in Dearborn for more than 30 years. He is survived by his children, Suzanne Kloster, Gary Kughn and Jennifer Munter; stepchildren Cindy Monroe and Kimb...
- Dave Herndon
Jun 8, 2019 · The list of things that Richard P. Kughn did in his life is long and varied, but perhaps none were as memorable worldwide than revamping and breathing life back into Lionel Trains Inc. for...
Jun 14, 2019 · DETROIT - Richard P. Kughn, a well-known Detroit business man, toy train manufacturer and car collector, died June 7 at age 89. Kughn led toy train manufacturer Lionel for 10 years.
The Team at Lionel was saddened to learn of the passing of Richard Kughn. As the former owner and CEO of Lionel from 1986 – 1995, Mr. Kughn is credited with shepherding in some of the biggest advancements in technology that Lionel and the model train industry had ever seen.
Its roots lie in the 1969 purchase of the Lionel product line from the Lionel Corporation by cereal conglomerate General Mills and subsequent purchase in 1986 by businessman Richard P. Kughn forming Lionel Trains, Inc. in 1986.
Jun 9, 2019 · Received late word today from some close friends that Richard Kughn passed away today. He was a giant in our hobby, whom many consider to be the savior of Lionel. I could write pages on what he accomplished, but for me personally he allowed me the honor of telling the story of Madison Hardware.
