Yesterday Chris Bangle and the BMW Group design team (including MINI) were awarded the prestigious Red Dot award and named the design team of the year for 2007. You can read more below:
>Design is a main factor for economic success, especially in the automobile industry. Its tasks are not simple: capture the spirit of the times without being too accommodating; be innovative while meeting technical requirements such as safety and environmental standards; and satisfy the desire of end users to both identify and distinguish themselves through the vehicle. Thus, the responsibility that automobile design bears for the economic success of a car, brand, or even for entire economies is immense. “In the past years, BMW Group Design under the direction of Chris Bangle has succeeded to sustainably strengthen the brands BMW, Mini, Rolls Royce, and BMW Motorrad,” explains Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design award and president of Icsid, an international umbrella organisation of industrial designers.
>Thanks to Bangle and his team, each brand – BMW, MINI, and Rolls Royce – today has its own, unmistakable profile and authenticity. After a rocky road to success marked by hot debates, the team can now lay claim to having significantly shaped car design of the early 21st century.
[ Chris Bangle and the Design Team BMW Group are design team of the year 2007 ] en.red.dot.org
“the team can now lay claim to having significantly shaped car design of the early 21st century.”
For good or ill, and certainly some of both.
Shouldn’t this article say that the BMW Group design team has won despite being led by Bangle?
>Shouldn’t this article say that the BMW Group design team has won despite being led by Bangle?
How anyone could infer anything but the exact opposite considering all the design awards and sales increases over the past 5-7 years is beyond me.
I second those thoughts Gabe, think the sale results speak pretty clearly.
I like his designs , just keep him away from MINI.
>I like his designs , just keep him away from MINI.
That’s an odd thing to say since he was instrumental in not only shaping the R56 but the R50 and R53 MINIs.
Apparently gratuitous, jarring body creases are the new “square-toed shoes” among the automotive design community. Hip and cool today, laughable tomorrow. The new 3-series convertible is nasty. Lose the unnecessary creases, BMW.
The day I see a crease on a MINI is the day I walk away forever.
I have never read anything that states Chris Bangle’s involvement in the design of the original New MINI.
>I have never read anything that states Chris Bangle’s involvement in the design of the original New MINI.
He was the BMW design director in charge of shaping the project and the parameters before signing off on the final design. Both Frank Stephenson and Gert Hildebrand have gone on record many times saying that he was instrument to the success of the original new MINI.
It would seem quite a few outside the design community clearly fail to realize that these people are professionals that clearly understand different approaches are required for different products and brands.
I have never been a fan of Chris Bangle. I think the man is a little too full of himself and some of his design cues are very polarizing, either you love them or you hate them. The original 2002 BMW 7 Series was heavely critcized and nearly ripped apart by the automotive press. Some of the controversial design cues of the 7 series have been softened or taken away in subsequent facelifts of the model.
The Z4 roadster is another design Bangle I have never been impressed with. The Hardtop fixes a lot of the visual problems the soft top version has, however.
Now, I think the new 335 Coupe is drop dead georgeous. Clearly Bangle is moving away from the hunch back trunk lids and the Pontiasque headlights and weird beltline creases. The 335 coupe is a very clean, sleek and simply VERY BMW design. To me this car goes back to the great BMW design of yesteryear…clean, simple and less is more.
But I detest the rear end treatment of the 3 series sedan and sportswagon. The current 5 series is a mixed bag IMO, but thankfully a new model is coming out in the next couple of years.
I am not saying that Mr. Bangle is incompetent, rather, he came accross as a fairly arrogant designer in early interviews where he claimed that his vision was the only one for BMW and people would, eventually, come to accept and embrace his designs.
I would love to see an actual quote (Link) from either Frank or Gert where threy praise Chris’project collaboration. I do know that Gert was heavely involved in the original New MINI but in publications to that effect never have come accross Chris Bangle himself as being the instrumental piece of the puzzle in the success of the car. I am not saying he was, but I think his hands were kept off completely from the actual model clays.
I still think that the success of the original New MINI can still be attributed in more than 90% to Frank Stephenson’s talent. Not sure if the car would have come out the way it did had not him being penned on that project.
So I was reading Chris Bangle’s bio and it is interesting that before he became an auto designer he had considered pursuing a career as a Methodist Minister. He was born 14 October 1956 in Ravenna, Ohio. He attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
His first job as auto designer was with Opel where he designed the interior of the Junior concept car. He then became Fiat’s chief of design and was credited by the angular looking Fiat Coupe. He then came over to BMW in 1992 becoming the first ever American to occupy the post of chief of design but he had little experience in designing complete cars. The first protoype model completed under his watch was the 1999 Z9 concept car, forever changing the design language at BMW, which was fairly conservative at the time. In 2004 he became the chief of design for the entire BMW Group, including the Rolls Royce and MINI brands. Dutch designer Adrian Van Hooydonk replaced Bangle in his previously occupied post as chief of BMW design.
However, there is no mention of Bangle’s direct involvement with the original New MINI, prior to his nomination as BMW Group chief designer prior to 2004.
This is what his colleagues say about his designs:
J. Mays from Ford: He dislikes Bangle’s auto designs but does recognize that Bangle has been instrumental in reshaping the modern automoile.
Marc Newson, industrial designer and car enthusiast, describes the Z4 roadster as having been design with a machete.
Patrick LeQuement, chief designer at Renault favors most of Bangle’s work but he is concerned with the use of concave surfaces that take away the muscular an integrated look of a car design.
Martin Smith, head of design for Ford Europe, describes Bangle as an instigator of the trend towards “Surface entertainment” cars.
I don’t focus so much on Bangle’s influence on MINI, it’s obvious that as head of design, nothing went out of the door without his direction, so MINI owes a lot to his sign-off – others could’ve done worse by far. Time has had its effects on BMW styling, as rocks rub against each other, and the end products aren’t quite as defined as the original intent. My main beef has been with syling caprices under Mr. Bangles purview that don’t integrate well overall, and which have been slavishly copied by other less independent designers in other companies who think BMW’s success will rub off on them without actually engineering a superior car underneath the questionable sheet-metal. God help us if BMW goes to fins – every ignorant joe with a set of crayons will be clamoring for design jobs based on their banglish scrawlings of cars with protuberances – this in itself will validate his legacy, if copy-catting in general hasn’t already.
I also never seen any part of the “Bangle influence” in Stephenson’s designs…furthermore it has been documented that he carried the MINI design through on his own warm and convincing management style while based in England to see his design through to production. Bangle is good I think but not for evolutionary design. He is more a radical breakaway designer and MINI was lucky that Stephenson had the power to design the MINI in the way he envision it should be. The new MINI design team after Stephenson leaved to Ferrari only had to concentrate on not messing up a masterpiece.
CAR magazine has a comprehensive review of BMW and Rolls Droptop. Both articles are superb.
I think frank should get his own blog
wow, great debate! lots of good comments…
certainly the z4 took some gettign used to. but i like it now. i like the x3, but hate the 3, 5, and 7 design. the previous 3, 5 and 7 look great compared to current models..
my 2 cents…
This is an interesting group of comments.
You know, these recent interviews on WRR have really helped me realize something. I’m a designer in my professional life. I craft marketing messages, design brand elements, and build UI for web and micro-sites. There are a hundred things that go into even something as simple as “Let’s Motor” – in fact, the more elegant something is, chances are that a TON of work went into it. I know that process well in advertising.
I really have little idea what goes on behind the scenes when cars are getting designed. I’m not going to pretend to. Or at least I’m going to stop.
I know what I like, and my education and experience as a designer informs that, but I could hardly start telling Gert and crew what to do. We’re all entitled to our opinions and MotoringFile is certainly the place to discuss them. I just have a problem with how ever since Gert and Kay talked to WRR at MINI United, some of the commentary has gotten directed at actual people on the design team at MINI and that’s over the line in my opinion. I may hate the center stack in the R56, but I know full well Gert and his team and even the infamous Chris Bangle know a hell of a lot more about car design than I do. What’s more they’ve spent hundreds of hours dissecting every aesthetic aspect of the MINI. Don’t get me wrong, I love that we all put our $0.02 in. But I think we could all learn a little from Gert. He is humble enough to admit, very on the spot, that he and his team aren’t perfect. Let’s have the same humble respect for those experts. Let’s be passionate about our cars. Let’s say what’s on our minds. Let’s love the brand.
Yeah, let’s motor.
NS in MN
Post of the month right there.
It’s easy to critic something when you don’t know anything about the field. It’s easy to simplify design into something black and white and then call it “good” or “bad”. It’s also very easy to look like an ass while doing all of the above.
bingo
Blind love can never be a good thing either. Part of that implies give credit when credit is due and also to hand out criticism when it is deserved as well. If we all profess “love” to MINI as a brand, we also need to take off the rosy colored glasses from time to time and know when to call the shots. Remember that the success of MINI relies on feedback from their ardent customers. At the end of the day, we all pay Gert’s and Chris’ paycheck…
-Nigel
>Blind love can never be a good thing either. Part of that implies give credit when credit is due and also to hand out criticism when it is deserved as well
I don’t think anyone where is doing that. Personally last Saturday night I spent the better part of an hour arguing (in a good natured way) with Gert about the success of the factory body kit on the R56.
<blockquote>Post of the month right there.</blockquote>
Ha ha! Thanks Gabe!
When it comes to the design of the R56 there has been a whole lot more blind contempt than blind love going on… Its telling when the criticisms become obsessively repetitive and oft linked to changes from the prior model.
Gabe, I really appreciate you giving me such good insight into Gert Hildebrand. All I can say is that the man has an incredible responsability in keeping the design language of MINI intact. Hope I get to meet him over a nice German beer someday.
(Have you heard anything about the next MTTS?)
-Nigel
Gabe, so what did Gert say about the factory aero kit? That was one of the areas I was waiting to hear him questioned on that did not happen in the interview.
>Gabe, so what did Gert say about the factory aero kit? That was one of the areas I was waiting to hear him questioned on that did not happen in the interview.
He seemingly understands the issues people have with it and it would seem the kit wasn’t exactly what he wanted either.
What a joke. The only thing and I do mean the only thing I hate about MINI is the fact that it is owned by BMW. Chris Bangle is not a great designer- And in fact will not be remembered in the long tale. The current BMW’s exude a distasteful hardness, coldness that is leaving a very bad taste in many customers mouth. Why do you think Audi is gaining so much ground? Its quite obvious- they are working to make people feel comfortable in their automobiles. Not more alienated. And they are building some kick AZZ cars but thats another story. I so wont to love the MINI and I once did but I feel the coldness forming.
Haha, the Bangle haters always amuse me. I’ll admit the 7 series, which was the first of the real flame surface designs, doesn’t really do too much for me. And I can’t say I really dig the 6 series at all. Bleh.
That said, both of those cars still look fresh and modern, even if I personally don’t necessarily like them. In regard to the 5 series, I have no doubt in my mind that in time the exterior design will be regarded as one of the finest mid size saloon designs of all time. Z4 is another winner. And anyone who fails to appreciate the gorgeous lines of the 3 series coupe is just being silly.
To achieve the most spectacular results you need to take risks. And that is one thing Bangle and his team can definitely say they have done. And more power to them.
I wonder if all these “critics” were around in the 1950s what sort of ill-informed comments would have been made in light of the 300SL Gullwing from Mercedes.
The only positive about the rubbish that gets said about Bangle is that at least people are talking about design in a much more mainstream way.
I bet I’m the only one here that can appreciate the London 2012 logo too. 😛