Autoblog

GM designer Lyon bails just days before taking over Opel/Vauxhall

Zach Bowman — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM, Opel, Vauxhall, Design/Style

Dave Lyon won't be taking over as head of design for Opel and Vauxhall after all. The Detroit Free Press reports the designer abruptly left General Motors last week for unknown reasons, just days before he was supposed to step into his new role. The defection is the latest in a string of management upsets at the two marques. Earlier this month, Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke departed to assume other duties within GM, opening the door for Steve Girsky to step into the role for the time being.

Lyon joined GM in 1990 and worked as the executive director of GM Asia Pacific design before transitioning to his post as head of North American interior design. He was instrumental in penning the cabin of the 2013 Cadillac XTS and the Chevrolet Volt. He also helped steer Buick toward greater design consistency with Opel. The new position would have made him vice president of design for GM Europe.

GM designer Lyon bails just days before taking over Opel/Vauxhall originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Volvo designer Horbury headed to China with Geely

Dan Roth — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: China, Volvo, Geely, Design/Style

When you think of designer Peter Horbury, Volvo follows logically. Soon, we'll all have to expand our thinking to leap from mention of Mr. Horbury to Chinese automaker (and Volvo owner) Geely. The well-regarded designer has been linked with Volvo for decades, and now he's reportedly adding styling responsibilities for Geely to his to-do list. He'll pack his bags in Gothenburg, Sweden where he's been vice president of Volvo design, and touch down in China to offer his talents to the Geely Group as it works to grow its brand and eventually offer its vehicles worldwide.

Bringing a steady-handed designer to lead its styling efforts will help Geely stand apart from its sometimes weirdly penned compatriots. Looking at what the British designer accomplished during his tenure at Volvo, going from iconoclastic boxes to a decidedly curvy design revival in Gothenburg, he's already masterminded what Geely needs to accomplish. The best part is that it's not a loss of design continuity for Volvo, as he'll stay on there, but it's a whole new playground for Mr. Horbury to devise a new design language.

This should be interesting.

Volvo designer Horbury headed to China with Geely originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Designers: Future transportation environment will be much more diverse

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:34:00 EST

Filed under: Design/Style

If automotive designers can agree on one thing, it's that the future will be more diverse. Three current designers and one teacher came together to discuss the way forward at the monthly Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit. Cadillac's Clay Dean, Hyundai's Phil Zak and Ford's Scott Strong joined Larry Erickson from the College for Creative Studies at the Detroit Athletic Club.

There will be multiple forces driving this increased diversity, including the emergence of megacities (like Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai and Singapore), changing demographics and new powertrain systems.

The increased urbanization we're seeing in many regions is leading to larger, more crowded cities that make traditional automobiles unsuitable and unsustainable. There simply isn't enough room for large vehicles carrying only one or two occupants on the roads of these metropolises. Dean discussed vehicles such as the General Motors EN-V concepts being shown at the Shanghai expo as one possible answer to the increasing density. Read on after the jump to hear more of what the panelists said.

Continue reading Designers: Future transportation environment will be much more diverse

Designers: Future transportation environment will be much more diverse originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 May 2010 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Coco's Ride: What if Chanel designed automobiles?

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Lifestyle

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Chanel Fiole concept car

Jinyoung Jo is a car designer at Hong-ik University in South Korea, and this is her creation: the Chanel Fiole concept. As with classic Coco Chanel work, the design of the car was centered on simplicity of lines and "the best of black and white." As with most concepts, there was also an emphasis on airflow. The car seats three, two abreast and one staggered in between -- but it's probably best considered a sleek two-seater for runway types.

Have a peek at the Fiole video, which is better than a few commercials we've seen for real cars, and get an in-depth view of it in the high-res gallery of photos below.

Gallery: Chanel Fiole Concept

[Source: Cardesign.ru]

Coco's Ride: What if Chanel designed automobiles? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Industry crunch hitting design students hard

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Another casualty in the collateral damage of auto industry woes: Graduating car designers are no longer finding jobs. The LA Times reports that in years past, manufacturer representatives would attend the Pasadena's Art Center College of Design's senior showcase and welcome a few visionaries into the hallowed world of car design. Now, manufacturer representation is down to one or two (if any), and those who show don't always end up hiring. For students who weren't chosen by manufacturers, the fallback was often working for a supplier, but these days, prospects there are just as bleak.

The fallback plan now for studious car design aspirants tends to be interiors or the world outside of car design. Those who can find any place at all in the car world will settle for penning A/C vents for now, and those who can't are looking at consumer appliances like cellular telephones. Although we have no doubt that current designers can deliver worthy goods when given the freedom to do so, as car enthusiasts, we look forward to when the gates open up again for the greatest minds of the collegiate generation.

[Source: LA Times]

Industry crunch hitting design students hard originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Land Rover designer quits, says no more

Chris Tutor — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Land Rover

Geoff Upex worked with Land Rover for 23 years to help create and re-create the company's iconic boxy Range Rover line and in August, he relinquished the helm to Gerry McGovern. This week, Upex took his retirement on step further, saying that after his last day on Dec. 25, never again will he design another car. Not for Land Rover, not for Ford. Not for any automaker ever again.

It seems a tragedy that someone would completely give up something they devoted so much of their life to. We encourage Mr. Upex to continue creating stylish, attractive automobiles. If not for Land Rover, then maybe help a young, headstrong automaker in need of your sense of elegant restraint.

One charity case we think greatly deserving of your help, Mr. Upex (and we think we have a lot of support on this), is our style-challenged, hyper creative (and apparently nausea immune) Chinese friends at DongFeng. Please, Mr. Upex, for the sake of humanity, at least introduce DongFeng's designers to modern eraser technology. Please?

Land Rover designer quits, says no more originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Atari chooses gamer-designed concept for Test Drive Unlimited

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 07:04:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Supercars

Atari's newest title, Test Drive Unlimited, will allow gamers to choose from some of the most sought after rides of the last decade. Included in the 90 licensed cars and bikes available for virtual flogging will be David Sichtermann's four-wheeled, mighty-morphin' one-seater. Judging by the above illustration, the prototype will have the ability to change its wheel placement depending on the desired driving style, moving further out for back-road bombin and tucking for high-speed cruising.

Over 100 designs were submitted to the Atari website and voted on over the course of a month and a half. To reward Mr. Sichtermann's creativity and fortitude he will be receiving a $2,500 cash prize, which he intends on putting towards his art school tuition.

Check out the stellar runner-ups after the jump, any one of which would look right at home on your XBox 360.

[Source: Atari]

Continue reading Atari chooses gamer-designed concept for Test Drive Unlimited

Atari chooses gamer-designed concept for Test Drive Unlimited originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jul 2006 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GM seeks next great car designer in Detroit high schools

John Neff — Wed, 24 May 2006 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., GM

In March General Motors partnered with the College for Creative Studies and began visiting 15 Detroit area public high schools to seek out and encourage the next generation of car designers coming up the ranks. Seasoned car designers from GM's Design Center and students from CSS provided instruction to the students who were charged with designing a vehicle for the 17-25 year-old crowd. The 50 lucky students chosen for the program, which is called "You Make a Difference," were invited to also participate in Advanced Sketching Clinics during the summer and six will receive a $5,000 scholarship towards freshman tuition at CSS. Last night the students' work was displayed at an evening reception held at CSS. We'll be scouring the net for some pics of the students' work in the coming days.

If GM and the College for Creative Studies had walked into my high school I probably would have vacated my bowels in excitement as, like many young auto enthusiasts, car design was at the top of my list for future careers. Unfortunately I (arguably) learned how to construct complete sentences while speaking colorfully about cars... sigh.

[Source: GM]

GM seeks next great car designer in Detroit high schools originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 May 2006 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments