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Gilles to move Chrysler design from ‘edge’ to ‘organic’

08/20/2008, 12:31 PM

By Drew Johnson

Ralph Gilles just took over the design responsibilities at Chrysler, but the young designer already has some big plans for the Michigan automaker. Instead of focusing on edgy designs, Gilles says he will move Chrysler more to an ‘organic’ design theme.

“It’s definitely time for a new aesthetic at Chrysler,” Gilles told Automotive News. “We’re done with the ‘Edge’ look.”

That means the ‘edge’ look seen on the Dodge Nitro is out and the organic lines seen on the Dodge Zeo and Chrysler ecoVoyager are in. The move is probably a good one for Chrysler’s as its sales are tanking and flowing lines – such as those seen on the Mercedes CLS and BMW X6 – and starting to dominate the industry.

Gilles ultimate goal is to make Chrysler’s cars “sexy again.”

But his focus won’t be exclusively on exterior design. Gilles is spearheading an effort to “get this monkey off [Chrysler's] backs on interiors,” which will first be seen in Gilles latest creation – the interior of the 2009 Dodge Ram.

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08/20, 12:40 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

Hmm… so the next 300 will look less boxy and more like a pickle? Judging from the minivans and SUVs that still seem so popular… square is the new round.

08/20, 12:44 PM

posted by:

400horseSS

I dont want to cut my arm on a fender when I walk past it.

08/20, 12:48 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

Can they at least bring back Neon? It may have been an average car… but it worked… and ditch the CVT transmissions PLEASE! Those things are such a PITA.

08/20, 12:48 PM

posted by:

bolex

hmmm, when Chrysler designs were good in the 90’s they actually had a more organic look to them, thats when Gale was in charge. here’s to hoping Gale’s actually involved coz ever since they hired him as an advisor i havent heard much.

08/20, 12:49 PM

posted by:

fuk-u-asshole

big mistake. edgy square designs such as LR discovery,300c,RR phantom age better and are timeless. As for “organic” flowing lines the date quickly. ecovoyager and zeo were horrible concepts. chrylser can do great design and the current 300c will be a future classic

08/20, 12:51 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

Organic theme sounds good. Now if they could just get the current ones to decompose.

08/20, 12:55 PM

posted by:

neptronix

organic design? like everyone else? you mean that aerodynamic stuff? that’s crazy talk!!

No, some cars should be boxy..
but not your entire friggin’ line of cars.
c’mon.. dodge nitro.. what the hell is that?

i second the neon comeback. why don’t they have a decent econobox sedan like everyone else? are the retarded? the return of the neon would be great. Aside from the engine that had epic problems, that was a fairly decent car. I don’t think it would compromise chrysler’s 60’s gas guzzler image they love to keep either.

08/20, 12:57 PM

posted by:

mayer_ray_nagin

I don’t want a car that looks like my organ.

08/20, 12:59 PM

posted by:

jumpoffit

build my dodge demon and copperhead already

08/20, 1:00 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

…too bad mayer_ray, that would put them at the head of the class.

08/20, 1:10 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

Just don’t buy a Vulva… I mean Volvo.

08/20, 1:11 PM

posted by:

Blakkarr

It would be nice if Chrysler did do work that was lovely again. The first gen VIPER, the LH cars, the NEON, to name their best examples. Chrysler was more willing to be more sculpture then. Hopefully they will return to it.

Boxy went out in the 1980s. The 1990s was a mixed bag of “jelly bean” and “melted plastic” but still holds up today for the most part. MAZDA doing their best styling work then.

But more importantly, Chrysler needs to focus on making timely, higher quality, product. To go from passable to exceptional should be the goal.

08/20, 1:19 PM

posted by:

RaineMan

I guess I’m the only one who finds the “boxy” 80’s cars to be attractive? At least vehicles looked different then. The only thing that makes a Camry different from an Accord different from a Malibu is the front and rear ends. In the middle it’s all the same. All the new little cars (Fit, Yaris, Aveo, etc) look like space pods.

08/20, 1:31 PM

posted by:

brassmonkey

Like Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop told the construction crew to stop building. The house was to have “No right angles! Hey, they wanna live in a donut, let ‘em!”

08/20, 2:42 PM

posted by:

ktulu

Gilles is black

08/20, 2:58 PM

posted by:

howsmydriving

What does this bode for the Hornet?

08/20, 3:06 PM

posted by:

mayer_ray_nagin

While it is true, Johnny, that a car shaped like my organ would be at the head of its class, how would my organ look on the side of the road with a flat?

08/20, 3:06 PM

posted by:

inline6

Are you kidding RaineMan?
The cars of the ’80s all looked the same! Look at an ‘87 Cressida and an ‘87 Maxima. They’re practically twins! Every car back then had either rectangular composite headlights or quad rectangular sealed beams, flanking a horizontal grille. Every car had red/amber/white horizontal taillights, too.

08/20, 3:22 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

mayer_ray: then you’d know how a man with one ball feels when he rolls over in his sleep.

08/20, 3:25 PM

posted by:

chryslercurse

DOES THIS MEAN THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK GETTO ??

08/20, 3:53 PM

posted by:

bolex

what does “Ghetto” have to with organic styling? you telling me a 350Z is ghetto? for reference why this is a good idea, the 300C was based on the Chronos concept which had more organic lines than the 300C.

http://www.shorey.net/Auto/American/Chrysler/Concept%20Cars%20-%20Chrysler%20Chronos.jpg

sweet.

08/20, 3:56 PM

posted by:

bolex

howsmydriving-”What does this bode for the Hornet?” uh oh i hope they stick with that boxy design coz otherwise it’ll look like the fiat500…

08/20, 4:00 PM

posted by:

crackerhemi

They are trying to attract the people that buy organic food. They think if they coin this with the term organic design, they will be able to trick some of them.

08/20, 6:38 PM

posted by:

zoomzoomer

ChryCo’s corporate lineup in the 1990s was cohesive and the styling was bold and forward without being too spacey.. but this decade, the boxy 300 and Magnum looked to take the marques in a completely different direction.. but Daimler was too timid to follow through with the subsequent models, producing such substandard efforts as the Caliber and Sebring. I’m all for a new direction for Chrysler.. as long as it isn’t Toyota and Honda clones.. and Gilles actually commits to it. At this point, Chryslers need to be readily recognizable, and not because they’re repulsive!

08/20, 7:35 PM

posted by:

DeansterTJ

Crackerhemi, funny. I nearly pissed myself laughing

08/20, 7:47 PM

posted by:

bigp

if it will help sell cars

08/20, 9:41 PM

posted by:

olds307

1986 Taurus?

08/20, 10:34 PM

posted by:

400horseSS

Really Deanster I thought it was kinda corny.

 
 
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