Ford’s design chief believes the design of the firm’s cars has become a lot more “creative” after it sold off many of its Premier Automotive Group (PAG) brands.
J Mays, Ford’s group vice president for design and its chief creative officer, said the sale of former PAG brands Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Aston Martin had improved Ford’s designs and allowed it to pursue its ‘kinetic’ design language.
Referring to having to oversee the designs of several different marques, Mays said: “It was like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. I would get to one end and the other end would already start rusting, so I’d run back and start going again.
“I was an inch deep and a mile wide. I would go from one review to the next, and then start the whole thing over again.”
Since dismantling PAG, Ford has pursued a global vehicle strategy, something Mays believes has been beneficial to the Ford’s designs.
“There’s a huge array of creativity afforded to our design team,” he said. “Kinetic design applies to both exteriors and interiors, but there’s a framework that keeps them inside of the brand parameters.”
Join the debate
Add your comment
Re: Ford design is more "creative"
J Mays always did talk out of his ar*e (which is unfair to ar*es). He dumbed down New Edge design, which produced the first Focus and Ka. He was resposible for the bland Mondeo Mark 2 and previous Fiesta. And if he couldn't cope with overseeing so many marques, why wasn't someone else given the job?!
As for increased "creativity", I would say the jury is still out. But with the new Ka, 'refreshed' Galaxy and the next Focus/C-Max, it looks as though 'kinetic' design might be dumbing down as well.
Re: Ford design is more "creative"
Exec speak. I guess it sounds better than 'we couldn't cope.'
Re: Ford design is more "creative"