I get no feeling that these students have any empathy for cars or their traditions. I wonder why they chose automotive design.
We are kicking off a project at Toyota so I am pretty sure I will be stuck there during the day. Plymouth looks close though. I don't drink beer but I drink lots of Coke.
are you there this week or the week of June1? we can meet in Plymouth if that works for you, it's only about 10 mi from Ann Arbor. Coca Cola works just as well Say hello to Ariel & Adam for me I worked with Ariel for several years doing Cadillacs & Buicks, before he left for Toyota
...or in designer-speak; "this sporting GT is fitted with variable aerodynamic pressure reducing glass side panels to reduce lift at high speeds." [sorry John ] BTW, John's post on the T33 got me thinking about Franco Scaglione and I came across this early Jeremy Clarkson vid that fits very nicely with the Pegaso. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYLDdQMAgs4
I'll be arriving on the 1st and staying till Friday. I don't know too many people at the Ann Arbor studio but I will look for them. (Actually, I may know more people there then I think)
to follow up on Mr. Bangles whereabouts: Chris Bangle Associates Collaborates With Sanlorenzo Yachts « Form Trends
Not a big fan of Bangle, BUT: I really liked his fabric covered BMW... GINA? Think it's just a wonderful looking/functioning car. (Not sure how it would do at 100+ mph. Outside the box (actually a throwback to WW I aircraft)... ha...
There was an inter-war years tradition of fabric covered bodies. Like this Weymann bodied Bentley. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I also like what the Gina was all about, but as you point out not sure of real world capability with lightweight fabric, particularly up here in the 'frozen north' in warmer climates, would seem like a pretty cool idea
John, Can you decipher the positions in GM? What is a Design Champion? How is one in charge of brand portfolios and "global color & trim" or "exterior components and accessories"? To me it sounds like GM still can't figure out a clean version of responsibility of design management. Jeff GM has announced a number of changes to its design management team. Effective from June 1, Bryan Nesbitt will return to North America from China, where has held the role of design vice president, GM China, since March 5, 2014. He will take up the position of executive director, global Buick and global architectures in Warren, MI, and will also be the design champion for Buick in the US and China. Nesbitt's role of design vice president, GM China, based in Shanghai, will be taken by Ken Parkinson, who has held the post of executive director, global Chevrolet Trucks and global architecture since August 1, 2012. The current executive director of global Cadillac and Buick design, Andrew Smith, will assume the position of executive director, global Cadillac. He will continue to be the design champion for the Cadillac brand and will continue to lead the global color and trim team. He will be based in Warren, MI. John Cafaro, the executive director of global Chevrolet cars will assume the position of executive director, global Chevrolet and will be the design champion for Chevrolet. In addition, Cafaro will lead the exterior components and accessories team. He will continue to be based in Warren, MI. The roles and responsibilities of Helen Emsley, Mark Adams, Carlos Barba, Clay Dean, Michael Simcoe, and Teckla Rhoades remain the same.
2 schools that were not part of the Ferrari competition. To get ACCD on board wonder how much cash had to be donated to the school?
Too bad they didn't realize that the manufacturers were parading designers as PR tools to hide the fact that the cars being presented were uninspired. It became "hot" to trot out the designers for the press but it was an act. Of course the corporations are to blame too. Are they pushing to schools to get "gasoline in their veins" people into the design programs? Internally at the corporations are those the ones getting the recognition and the promotions?
They finally did the press release? Global Color & Trim is easy, it's the person responsible for all the color & trim across the entire GM portfolio, including paint colors, fabrics, trim, etc. Exterior Components &Accessories is a relatively new studio that is responsible for: headlamps, wheels, accessories sold by the dealers i.e. spoilers, aftermarket wheels, etc. Think about the number of Brands with 4 wheel designs per vehicle and you get a sense of how many wheels this function has to design, it's almost overwhelming The 'Brand Champion' is a bit more difficult to define, but it entails being responsible for everything Global dealing with the Brand including Exterior, Interior, Dealership appearance, Auto Show Display, charting the Strategic Direction for the Brand, Etc.,Etc.
