Piech has been described as being socially awkward and having an abrasive personality; some automotive journalists who have encountered Piech described him as being uncomfortable to be around. "Automotive News" once noted, "Many of his CEO peers said they could not hold a normal conversation with him. Discussions could be punctuated with long stretches of unexplained silence." Piech himself has acknowledged that he occasionally struggles to relate to other people and understand their feelings. As Piech rose to the top of Volkswagen in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then-CEO Carl Hahn took notice of Piech's poor social skills and tried to position him as a technocrat kept behind closed doors. Hahn was particularly bothered by how Piech behaved during a meeting with the Emperor of Japan; while the Emperor was showing his collection of vintage swords, Piech examined one and told the Emperor that it was a fake. Subsequently, Hahn presented the Audi Avus quattro concept car himself at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show and didn't allow Piech to take part, which infuriated Piech due to his extensive personal involvement in the Avus quattro's creation.