The Car Connection has an informative profile on Frank Stephenson, designer of the current MINI. Mr. Stephenson is currently the head of Ferrari/Maserati design and fresh off the introduction of the Ferrari F430 that he helped shape. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Stephenson's arrival in Modena, the center of the Italian sports car world, was greeted by more than a little surprise and skepticism. It took the 45-year-old designer from one automotive extreme to another. In his previous job Stephenson had worked on a variety of projects, including the BMW X5. But he earned his spurs for penning the shape of the reborn MINI Cooper.

Perhaps it was a matter of serendipity that Stephenson was born the same day the original Mini was launched, October 3, 1959. But there seemed to be an instant connection when he was assigned to the project by the British brand's German parent, BMW. Stephenson set out to do a car he insists was “definitely not” retro. He drafted a series of sketches showing how the MINI might have evolved over the years, “and the 1999 sketch was the kick-off.”

The new MINI has proven to be one of the most unexpected hits of the last decade, resonating not only with consumers, but with the rest of the auto industry. “The phone was ringing off the hook,” he recalls, adding that “One of the calls was from the 'godfathers' in Italy, with the offer I couldn't refuse.”

If the transition from MINI to Maserati seems a stretch, Stephenson's career as a whole might be described as unlikely. He was, after all, born in Casablanca, not exactly one of the centers of the automotive world. His father was a Norwegian expatriate Boeing employee, his mother a Spaniard. Until he was seven, Stephenson spoke only French and Arabic.

Every designer seems to have a moment when the truth and beauty of the automobile suddenly connects deep into the soul, and Stephenson is no exception. At 11, he recalls “freezing,” when he saw a Dino 246 driving down one of Casablanca's narrow, dusty streets. “I didn't know, at that point, that design was a profession, but I realized that inanimate objects could be beautiful. And I just began drawing cars.”

Definitely a worthwhile read [The Car Connection]