There is plenty of automotive news at the
moment. For example, Wolfgang Bernhard has started his new position as chairman
of VW a bit earlier than originally planned; GM lost $1.1 billion during the
first quarter and its debt has been relegated to "junk" status; major
suppliers Visteon and Delphi are reeling (one is already under investigation
for accounting "errors"); and billionaire financier Kirk Kerkorian
has just appealed a federal judge's recent ruling that investors were not, in fact,
duped in the 1998 merger of DaimlerChrysler.
None of these topics, however, are as intriguing as today's announcement that designer Freeman Thomas has left his position as chief of Chrysler's California design studio to become the director of North American design strategy at Ford Motors.
As anyone in the auto industry will tell you, this competitive marketplace demands superior products today more than ever before. This idea is particularly poignant for the Big Three automakers, which seem to continue to struggle with new design strategies. This has created an environment in which designers and engineers are as coveted as their cost-cutting CEOs and financial officers. While both can significantly influence the future of a car company, one can't help but think of the design side as the "positive" or proactive force, while the CEO/CFO's are the "reactive," or corner-cutting negative force.
The move to Ford will not only reunite Thomas with old Bauhaus design pal J. Mays, with whom Thomas has a significant history, but also with successful designers (and friends) Peter Horbury and Martin Smith. Thomas began his career with Porsche in the early 80s after graduating from the Art Center of Design in Pasadena. His international upbringing (Air Force brat) landed Thomas in such places as Greece, Germany, Norway, Spain, and England in addition to Southern California. Thomas himself credits his international appreciation for the success of his designs. "To be a successful designer, you must understand them," he has said with regard to German consumers.
Thomas is credited with the design of both the AUDI TT and VW Beetle concept car, both of which he worked on while at AUDI with Mays. Additionally, he developed what would become the precursor to the widely popular Chrysler 300. When you consider some of the achievements of his reassembled design team (the current Ford Mustang and redesigned Volvo line, to name a couple), this latest play for design talent just might provide the boost Ford needs.
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