German FAZ: BMW relaunches design007665

The Bavarian automobile manufacturer BMW is restructuring its design department and is also bringing in staff from outside. According to information from the F.A.Z. The change will be announced in the next few days. Accordingly, responsibilities will be divided under the leadership of the previous head of design, Adrian van Hooydonk. From now on, Maximilian Missoni will be responsible for the models of the upper middle class, the luxury class and the relatively new acquisition Alpina. He previously spent six years designing the acclaimed elegant design of the Swedish electric car brand Polestar. Polestar is a spin-off from Volvo, where Missoni was also responsible for the exterior design for several years. The 45-year-old studied in London, then worked in Germany for ten years, before joining Volvo in 2012. He was born in Graz, Austria. His ancestors moved north from Italy in the 19th century to build railways, his father comes from Carinthia. Opinions differ about Mini. In the future, Oliver Heilmer, previously head of design at Mini, will be responsible for the smaller models from the 1 Series to the middle class. The Munich native, who appears extremely unpretentious and friendly in personal contact, has been responsible for the BMW brand since 2017. Of course, opinions differ about Mini’s latest models, and not everyone finds the interpretation completely successful. A change is also planned for the British luxury brand Rolls-Royce, which also belongs to the group. Domagoj Dukec will be responsible for the design. The German-Croatian, born in Frankfurt in 1975, currently heads the design studio of the core brand BMW.More on the topicBMW’s design language needs fresh impulses and a spirit of optimism, according to a usually reliable source. The vacancies should take effect on October 1st. The new management group will one day be the successor to chief designer Adrian van Hooydonk. The Dutchman, born in 1964, has headed BMW design since 2009. He is expected to remain at the helm for some time and then hand over the reins in an orderly process. BMW really has enough hectic these days.
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