Mazda names Laurens Van den Acker new design chief
Mazda
has a new styling chief. Dutchman Laurens Van den Acker will be putting the rather cumbersome appliqué
"General Manager of the Design Division of Mazda Motor Corporation" on his office door, replacing Moray
Callum (design head since 2001) who has been appointed to Ford's automotive design director post.
Van den Acker comes to Mazda from parent company Ford, where he was the automaker's Dearborn-resident Chief Designer, Strategic Design. The gifted multilingual designer has had a hand in a number of Blue Oval concepts from the last few years, including the Bronco, 427, 24/7 and Model U. Production-wise, some of his influence can be seen on the Escape and Mercury Mariner.
In light of Callum's move, Patrick Schiavone will be Ford's Design director for trucks.
The promotions are effective immediately.
[Sources: Mazdanews.com; Ford; Mazda]
(Tip nod: Igor)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RossL 11:25AM (5/02/2006)
I didn't realize the Escape had a designer.
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Bobby 11:56AM (5/02/2006)
Mazda....Please, Please, don't change the styling direction you were starting to go in.
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Raj 12:02PM (5/02/2006)
I think this is a very good news. I like Mazda styling way more than the current Ford styling (Fusion is good, but not great - Minus Mustang and F150, everything else is supremely boring AFA Ford goes). Hope this guy will come up with refreshingly modern car designs for Ford ... and than I will certainly consider buying a Ford.
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salguod 5:17PM (5/02/2006)
As the owner of a Mazda3 hatch, having the new chief be the guy involved with the Escape is not encouraging. I don't see how the Escape could get more bland and uninspired. Hopefully he's the guy who did the Mariner which makes pretty good use of a bland base to get an OK car.
Those concepts that he designed are nothing to get excited about either. Sigh.
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