MICHELIN Challenge Design, one of the world’s top design competitions, gathered its 2010 jury in July at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., to select the vehicle designs and concepts that are on currently on display at the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The distinguished group of professionals reviewed a record 292 entries from 59 countries.
The MICHELIN Challenge Design 2010 Jury
Back Left to Right: David Marek, John Boesel, Stuart Reed,
Frank Saucedo, Freeman Thomas.
Front Left to Right: Victor Nacif, Nathan Willis,
Burt Rutan, Geza Loczi
This year marked the ninth year for the international competition where individual designers, teams, studios, and companies submitted full-size vehicles, scale models and renderings in support of the central theme: ‘Electrifying! Beautiful, Innovative and Radiant.’
The MICHELIN Challenge Design theme recognized there are a number of innovative technologies emerging within the technical and design communities to support the electrification of vehicles, as well as the renewed importance of an aesthetically and functionally beautiful execution.
Entrants were challenged to create concepts that could dramatically improve energy efficiency, minimize environmental impact and satisfy consumer demand for an attractive and usable vehicle design. Entries explored the future of transportation and illustrated a designer’s vision for a vehicle equipped with an alternative powertrain that integrates one or more electric-driven components, and uses innovative technologies, materials, electronics, size and shapes in new and unprecedented ways.
MICHELIN Challenge Design Jury, in alphabetical order, included:
John Boesel – President and CEO, CALSTART
John is the President and Chief Executive Officer for CALSTART. The public/private nature of CALSTART is reflected in John’s background. Upon graduating from the University of California, Davis, in 1982, John worked in the California legislature as a legislative aide to then Assemblyman Sam Farr (now Congressman Sam Farr). In that position, John drafted and managed energy and environmental legislation. He received his MBA from UC Berkeley in 1989. After graduating from business school he worked as a commercial banker in Wells Fargo’s Corporate Headquarters building in San Francisco.
In 1993, John joined CALSTART as the Vice President of Technology Programs. In 2001, the Board of Directors promoted him to the position of President and CEO. John serves on the Advisory Board for the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center at Stanford University and is also a board member of the Clean Vehicle Foundation. John chaired the Vehicle Efficiency Subcommittee of the Western Governor’s Association Alternative Fuels Committee in 2007/2008.
Geza Loczi – Director of Design at the Volvo Monitoring Concept Center.
Before entering the automotive industry, Loczi studied his craft at the Art Center College of Design. In 1980, Loczi joined Volkswagen as Design Manager, Michigan Studio. This was the beginning of his international experience. Following Volkswagen, Loczi established his own consulting design company, Loczi Design. In 1983, Loczi worked as a consultant to Volvo through Designworks, Chuck Pelly Design, an international design office in California. Loczi then moved to Sweden, with his family, to work with Volvo. Loczi moved back to California with Volvo’s consultants, Designworks, in 1985. In 1986, when Volvo set up their own studio in California, he was appointed Chief Designer, Volvo Monitoring and Concept Centre. Since 1986 Loczi has contributed to products such as the Environmental Concept Car (ECC), P2 cars in production today (S80, V70 and S60), and recently, the Safety Concept Car (SCC) shown recently at the Detroit Motor Show. Loczi also had the privilege of teaching at Art Center College of Design from 1986 to 1996. In 2004, Loczi moved to Sweden for the third time as Interim Design Director of Volvo, Chairman of Design, until the end of 2005. Now back at VMCC in California, Loczi and the studio continue to work toward creating and inventing the future.
David W. Marek – Chief Designer & Sr. Manager,
Automotive Styling Group, Honda R&D-Americas.
Dave grew up in Northern California around custom and rod guys like Don Tognotti and Dick Bertilucci, both who worked with Sam and George Barris before they moved south. He used to love going to Obexers Market in Tahoe to get the latest Tom Daniel creation but had a “problem”– he could never just build them straight out of the box! He always was doing something crazy to them. Dave graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA in 1987 where he earned a BS degree in Industrial Design. He has been an instructor at the college since 1989 and has been instrumental in bringing numerous sponsored projects to the Transportation Department. Dave also serves on the Art Center Alumni Council. Today, Dave makes his living as the Chief Designer and Senior Manager of the Automotive Styling Group at Honda Research and Development–Americas. He’s been with Honda since 1987–during which time he has been involved in numerous projects. He has served as Project leader for such projects as the 1994 Accord Wagon and the 1997 Acura CL. Dave uses his free time to create Automotive Fine Art and graphics for C.A.R.T. championship cars including the Honda team graphics. Examples of Dave’s work can be found in various enthusiast magazines including, Road & Track, Racer, Street Rodder and Car Graphic.
Victor Nacif is the Vice President, Design Business Aspect,
at Nissan Design America, Inc.
His areas of responsibility include Process, Modeling, Technical Design, Administration and Human Resources at NDA’s design studio located in San Diego, California. Since joining NDA in June of 2004, Nacif has been engaged in instilling better practices and organized methodology for increased efficiency and effectiveness for better coordination among Nissan Design affiliates worldwide. Nacif participates in Joint Design Policy Group with Renault, helping to develop and implement best practices within the Alliance. Nacif has a truly international background. Prior to joining Nissan, he worked at PSA Peugeot Citroen in France for nine years in various capacities, eventually as the Director of Design from 2000 to 2004. He has lived in the U.S., England, Italy, Germany and Japan while working at Ford Motor Company for 16 years in various design management positions. Nacif was named 2008 Urban Wheels Award Latin-American Executive of the Year.
Stewart Reed – MICHELIN Challenge Design Jury Chairman
For the third consecutive year – was Chairman of the Transportation Design Department at the Art Center College of Design. Stewart Reed Design in Holland, Mich., opened its doors in 1994 to consult with the automotive and consumer manufacturing industries. First among his many designs were the Meyers Manx and Manx SR. Reed’s design career includes nine years at Chrysler’s advanced design department; six years as the chief designer of Toyota’s California advanced design studio; and eight years as vice president of design with Prince Corporation, now part of Johnson Controls.
Burt Rutan – Founder, Scaled Composites, LLC
and an American aerospace engineer
Named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Inc. magazine and described by Newsweek as “the man responsible for more innovations in modern aviation than any living engineer,” Burt Rutan is a bold entrepreneur and designer with the vision and passion for the advancement of technology.
In 2004 Rutan made international headlines as the designer of SpaceShipOne, the world’s first privately-built manned spacecraft to reach space, and as winner of the $10 million X prize, the competition created to spur the development of affordable space tourism. He is currently working to develop and produce commercial spaceships for flying the public. In 15 years, Rutan predicts, “space tourism will be a multibillion-dollar business.”
The exciting development and launch of SpaceShipOne, financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, was featured in two Peabody award-winning Discovery Channel documentaries, including “Black Sky: The Race for Space.” A 60 Minutes profile, “Burt Rutan: An American Original,” aired in November 2004 and has been re-aired twice by CBS.
Rutan designed the legendary Voyager, the first aircraft to circle the world non-stop, without refueling. He also developed the Ultralite, an all-composite 100mpg show car for GM, and the Proteus “affordable U-2” aircraft. His latest projects include the Virgin GlobalFlyer, which broke the Voyager’s record time becoming the first non-stop, solo flight around the world.
The success of Scaled Composites owes itself to Rutan’s philosophy that the best ideas come from the collaborative efforts of small, closely-knit project teams and an environment unlimited by adversity to risk.
Winner of the Presidential Citizen’s Medal, the Charles A. Lindbergh Award, two Collier Trophies and included on Time magazine’s “100 most influential people in the world”, Rutan is the founder and CEO of Scaled Composites, the most aggressive aerospace research company in the world. Based in Mojave, CA, his company has developed and tested a variety of groundbreaking projects, from military aircraft to executive jets, showcasing some of the most innovative and energy-efficient designs ever flown.
Frank Saucedo – Director of Advanced Design at
General Motors in Los Angeles
Oversees a staff of 30 designers, sculptors, analysts and engineers. He joined GM in 1984 as a designer with the company’s European subsidiary Adam Opel AG. He returned to the States and served in the capacity of Assistant and eventually Chief of Design in the company’s Advanced Concepts Center. After a brief tenure at the helm of Volkswagen’s Simi Valley, Calif., design center, he returned to GM in 2002 to lead the L.A.-based team. Since opening, the studio has spearheaded the development of several noteworthy projects, including the Chevrolet Borrego, Chevrolet SS concept and Pontiac Solstice.
Freeman Thomas – Strategic Design Director, Ford Motor Company
Leads the advanced design teams in California and Michigan. In addition to developing product design strategies and concept vehicles for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, his team collaborates with the company’s Advanced Product Creation team to create compelling new production vehicles. Before Ford, Thomas was head of DaimlerChrysler’s Pacifica Advanced Design Center. He also served as vice president of DaimlerChrysler Advanced Product Design Strategy, chief designer at Volkswagen and in design positions with Audi and Porsche. His design career includes the 500-hp Dodge Tomahawk motorcycle, the “Noble American Sedan” strategy that evolved into the production Chrysler 300C, the Audi TT concept and the Volkswagen Concept 1, known today as the New Beetle.
Nathan Wills – Graduating student of
Transportation Design Department, Art Center College of Design
With previous experience in engineering and custom vehicle restoration, Nathan has now turned his goals and interests to sustainable transportation solutions. During his career at Art Center, Nathan has focused on aerodynamic, lightweight, efficient vehicles including the plug-in hybrid vehicle concept he designed for Bright Automotive which will be in production in 2012.
“We were honored to have so many distinguished designers accept the invitation to review this year’s global entries,” said Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing for MICHELIN Automotive Industry Division. “The design community enthusiastically embraced the electrification theme – as was evidenced by our record number of preliminary entries, but also the caliber of jury that requested an opportunity to review their designs.”
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