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Chris Bangle - Lifetime Design Achievement Award 2012
A prestigious group of top automotive designers has chosen Chris Bangle as the winner of the 2012 Lifetime Design Achievement Award for his career in vehicle design.
The award, given annually by EyesOn Design, is unique in that only vehicle designers who have previously won the award are allowed to vote.
Bangle, who currently directs his own design studio in Turin, Italy, has had a distinguished career at Opel, Fiat and at BMW from 1992 to 2009.
Born in Ohio and raised in Wisconsin, Bangle earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His first notable work was the modular interior of the Opel Junior show car and the 1993 Fiat Coupe.
He became the first American Chief of Design for BMW Group in October, 1992. There, he designed the Z9 Gran Turismo concept car, the redesigns of the BMW 3 Series and 7 Series as well as both generations of Z4s and X5s, the X6, the Mille Migna concept car and the striking, fabric-bodied GINA concept car among others.
As BMW’s design leader, his team was also responsible for the designs of the MINI, the MINI Clubman and Countryman as well as the Rolls Royce Phantom, the Rolls Royce Ghost and others.
In his time at BMW, his styling themes, in particular the “bustle-back” look of the 7 Series, generated much controversy. Nonetheless, the car became the best-selling 7 Series of all time and during Bangle’s tenure, BMW overtook Mercedes as the global leader in premium car sales. The visual cues of his designs have also influenced the look of several automobiles later developed by other manufacturers.
The 2012 Lifetime Design Achievement Award will be presented to Bangle on June 15, at Vision Honored, at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Vision Honored is a black-tie event for design leaders and the automotive community celebrating the contributions and accomplishments of Mr Bangle.
Ed Welburn, Vice President Global Design, General Motors - Honorary Chairman 2012
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