Comments on: Mazda designer takes over Ford’s car design division

By: JohnnyBlazE

JohnnyBlazE — Tue, 02 May 2006 11:08:01 +0000

Thing2 – I don’t know – it’s a beautiful piece!

Oh well

By: Thing2

Thing2 — Tue, 02 May 2006 00:51:55 +0000

Why doesn’t Ford give us the Pinninfarina designed Focus Convertible?

By: JohnnyBlazE

JohnnyBlazE — Mon, 01 May 2006 22:10:40 +0000

Ford Europe is leaps ahead in design compared to Ford NA… Mainly because they’ve stolen from the Mazda RX-8, Aston Martins and Jags for their Iosis concept to showcase this, with great response.

Ford america is also recycling – Mustang and GT for example, but these were classics… Ford Europe is taking from other modern designs in its brand portfolio and applying them well… I see a good future for Ford Europe’s design and build quality, and I see America nodding in agreeance, with eventual acceptance that this is the way forward.

I should SO work for Ford.

By: John

John — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:50:11 +0000

http://media.ford.com/mazda/article_display.cfm?article_id=23027

Mazda sold 25,514 vehicles total in March 2006, with 8,087 Mazda3’s and 7,215 Mazda6’s.

the main car brands like Ford can sell 25k cars a month with a single model.

By: Chris G

Chris G — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:43:25 +0000

I’d say Ford had been doing pretty well with design, at least with the Mustang and Fusion, and a facelift has been scheduled for the decidedly bland Five Hundred. If they bring Mazda’s designer into the fold, the cars may become more Japanese-looking. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I think Ford wants to differentiate itself from Mazda a little bit, as well as the Hondas and Toyotas with which it competes.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:38:45 +0000

He got bumped; the guy who did such a great job on the Solstice/Sky got the boot by Lutz – because Lutz felt the pressure from a young bull.

Mazda get’s estatic with this new talent; Schiavone gets a ‘promotion’ … or he could have spent more time with his family.

j i m

By: JD

JD — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:33:34 +0000

I wouldn’t say the Mazda3 and Mazda6 are low-volume. They’re EVERYWHERE.

By: JW

JW — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:23:18 +0000

The Bronco and Model U where ugly, I hope that dude doesnt incorporate any inpsiration from them two cars into Mazda.

By: John

John — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:24:07 +0000

Why waste talent at Mazda? Mazda is a very low volume brand. Put those designs on the mass Fords.

Even if it’s the same design, if a Ford badge is on it, more people will buy it.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:12:08 +0000

Or he has done such a good job in one brand, that they move him to strengthen a weak brand.

By: Garris

Garris — Mon, 01 May 2006 17:50:08 +0000

From what I’ve read (I’m not in the industry, so who knows…) the reason is twofold…

1) These moves are moves up the career ladder towards bigger things, more responsibility, more pay, etc…

2) Most brands/companies keep a chief designer in place for one or two “generations” of a car line, then usually someone else comes in to define the next “evolution” of that look. I think almost all companies (including highly successful ones, like BMW, MB, Toyota, etc) do this.

That said, I don’t know a think about Patrick Schiavone, but I’m not sure anyone having anything to do with Ford Car Design in the last 5 years should be keeping their job to do anything else…

By: stangmatt66

stangmatt66 — Mon, 01 May 2006 17:29:32 +0000

I guess I don’t unserstand why when a designer or other exec does something great for a brand, they move him to another brand. If Callum did an awesome job of giving Mazda it’s zoom-zoom, why not leave him in place to ensure that future Mazda’s will have the same zoom-zoom?