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

See Support Group Information

Walter de’Silva, the head of Volkswagen Group Design, has been chosen as the Lifetime Design Achievement Award winner for the 2011 EyesOn Design Automotive Design Show.  The Award will be presented to Mr. de’Silva on Friday evening, June 17th at Vision Honored, the formal awards dinner to be held at the historical Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit.

The award is unique in that only vehicle designers who have previously won the award are allowed to vote.  Previous award winners include such designers as Tom Gale, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Chuck Jordan, Shiro Nakamura, Sergio Pininfarina and Jack Telnack among others.

Mr de’Silva is currently responsible for the design of all Volkswagen Group passenger car brands, including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and VW.

He began his car design career in 1972 at the age of 21, working for FIAT.  He was chosen head of design for Alfa Romeo in 1986.  In his 13 years at Alfa Romeo, he designed the 1991 Proteo concept car, the 1996 Alfa Romeo Nuvola concept car and 1997 Alfa Romeo 156 and the 1997 Alfa Romeo GTV and Spider and others.

In 1999, de’Silva moved to SEAT, the Spanish auto manufacturer which had become a subsidiary of VW Group.  Tasked with injecting more verve and sportiness into the brand, he created the 2000 SEAT Salsa and the 2001 SEAT Tango concept cars, followed by his expressive designs for such cars as the 2002 SEAT Ibizia and Cordoba and the 2004 SEAT Altea and 2005 SEAT Leon.

In March 2002, de’Silva was appointed head of design to the Audi brand group to give that brand a more dramatic look, which included the introduction of the full-height, single-frame grille that now adorns most Audi models.  Influencing the 2004 restyling of the Audi A4, his first full production design for the brand was the 2004 A6, followed by the 2005 Audi Q7, the 2006 Audi TT and his favorite, the 2007 Audi A5.

In February 2007, he became head of VW Group Design and is now responsible for all Volkswagen passenger car brands, including Skoda, SEAT, Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.  His designs include the 2008 VW Golf, the 2010 VW Toureg and the 2010 VW Passat among others.  He is also designing the Porsche Cajun small SUV, due out in 2014.

In addition, de’Silva recently designed a limited edition, titanium-bodied compact camera, the M9 Titanium for Leica.  With its scratch-resistant sapphire crystal image screen, Nappa leather trim and LED-lighted viewfinder, only 500 of the rare cameras are being produced - with a price tag of $31,300 each.

The Lifetime Design Achievement Award will be presented as part of the 2011 EyesOn Design event, held annually on Father’s Day at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan.  The Theme for this year’s automobile design show is “Designing for the Future.”

EyesOn Design is unique among auto shows in celebrating design, not vehicle rarity, restoration or celebrity ownership.  It is a benefit for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO), a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation.  EyesOn Design is a major source of revenue for the DIO’s research, education and support group programs for the visually impaired.

The awards are judged by top design executives from automotive manufacturers and by academics from transportation design programs. Leading the judges were Willie G. Davidson—Harley-Davidson, EVP & Chief Styling Officer; Tom Matano,  Academy of Art University, Executive Director of Industrial Design; and Jack Telnack, Ford Motor Company, Global VP of Design (Retired). Speaking of NAIAS and the OEMs’ commitment to design, Telnack said of this year’s NAIAS and Awards, “The lights are brighter, the cars are brighter.”

The Porsche 918 RSR won the EyesOn Design Award for Best Concept Vehicle. Accepting the award for Porsche was Detlev von Platen, the president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America Inc. “Design is part of our vision. Design is in our DNA,” von Platen said. The other concept vehicle finalists were the Ford Vertrek and the Kia KV7. The award was supported by Dassault Systemes.

The 2011 Audi A6 won the EyesOn Design Award for Best Production Vehicle. Accepting the award for Audi was Achim Badstuebner, head of exterior design for Audi AG. Commenting on the award, he said, “It’s strong feedback that we have done our homework.” Audi has received four EyesOn Design Awards over the past three years. The other finalists were the Audi A6, Bentley Continential GT, BMW 6-Series Convertible, and Hyundai Veloster.

EyesOn Design at the North American International Auto Show is sponsored by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO) as part of the EyesOn Design series of events. The DIO is a not-for-profit that aids the visually impaired and facilitates research related to the eye. Each year, they host the EyesOn Design automotive exhibition at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Michigan that also focuses on design. The show is recognized by its peers as one of the best classic car shows in the country. The DIO enjoys a close relationship with automotive designers through the EyesOn Design events and by understanding the correlation between design and the eye.

The event was sponsored by Dassault Systemes and EyesOn Design in Grosse Pointe. The post-awards event Focus on Design was sponsored by BASF and KPMG

Participants can register for:

5K Fun Run & Fitness Walk Kids Mini-Marathon Marathon & Half Marathon Half-Marathon Competitive Walk or Non-Competitive Walk 5-Person Marathon Relay Teams

Participate in any of the events and collect pledges for the DIO.

To register, go to http://www.freepmarathon.com/
For More Information on Steps go to: www.eyeson.org/index.php/steps-for-sight/

Go to the Eye & The Chip Page

Limited to 500 people, it has become a “must do” evening for the automotive design profession and industry executives who wish to support the mission of the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology—“to move forward the day when blind people recover some level of vision, and function independently.”

The venue for Vision Honored changes from year to year.  Arriving guests are greeted with a spectacular display of vehicles representing designs of past, present and future. The evening begins with hors d’oeuvres and beverages.  Followed by a brief audio presentation paying tribute to the honored Lifetime Design Achievement Award recipient. Guests then enjoy a magnificent dinner, followed by a celebration of desserts & music.

Vision Honored is, and always will be, specifically designed to be a “fun” evening. It has always exceeded that assignment! The event has allowed the design world to enjoy a variety of venues around the metropolitan Detroit area including:

International Center Chrysler Tech Center Masco Corporation ITT Automotive Cadillac World Headquarters Detroit Institute of Arts Ross Roy Group LDM Tech Magna International Detroit Opera House DaimlerChrysler Headquarters GM Vehicle Engineering Center GM Heritage Center Roostertail

It would be singularly inappropriate for an eye institute to make a decision relative to the specialty of vehicle design. What do we know about design? Actually, very little!
And so the recipient of the Lifetime Design Achievement Award is chosen each year by those who have previously won the award. They decide who is to join this most prestigious list. 

Some ask, why a black tie event? Look at the list of previous winners. They represent the most significant palette of auto designers who have ever lived.  If we are honoring one of the design professions greatest contributors why would we not dress up for the occasion?

Edsel & Eleanor Ford House – Activities Center LDM Technologies Design Center – Auburn Hills Becker Group-Megatech Engineering Center – Warren UT Automotive Idea Center – Dearborn DaimlerChrysler Design Center – Auburn Hills 3M Automotive Innovation Center – Livonia Lear DCX Design Dome The Underground World Corp. STOLA Nissan Design Toyota Calty Design Research Lear Corporation Walter P Chrysler Museum A Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education (College for Creative Studies)

Attendance has varied over the years from 300 to 700.
Eve has evolved into a chic designers night tailored for the design community celebrating the past, present and future of automotive design greatness. This is one social opportunity that automotive and design enthusiasts try not to miss.

With a festive spirit and the anticipation of good times ahead, Eve of Eyes serves as the inaugural event for the exciting Eyes on Design weekend. 

Eve of Eyes is an informal reception which celebrates the design profession by bringing together automotive designers, top level decision-makers, enthusiastic car lovers, collectors and those who just like cars.  The event is open to the public and allows people, regardless of their background, to enjoy a rare opportunity to interact with designers who create the shapes and make the cars that all of us enjoy everyday. 

The reception serves as a celebration for designers – young and old – who share their insights, design tips and memories surrounded by the vehicles they helped create. From the young designer just starting a career at a world-class design center to the accomplished and season veteran, Eve of Eyes is the place to be. 

Keith Cooley, Former CEO, Focus Hope and Next Energy, Inc and former Director of the Michigan State Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth

Paul Edwards, MD, Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Henry Ford Medical Group

Marcus Shelley, Financial Executive, ASC Incorporated and former chairman, EyesOn Design

See All DIO Board of Directors

First Prize $10,000 Second Prize $500 Third prize $300

Your $100 raffle ticket serves as one admission to EyesOn Design.  Drawing will take place on June 19, 2011 at 3:30 pm at the EyesOn Design Automotive Exhibition at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. Proceeds benefit the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. Please call the DIO 313-824-4710 to order tickets.

See Current Raffle Information

See the EyesOn Design Car Show page.

Click here to view our posters

EyesOn Design Award for Design Excellence - Concept Vehicles:
GMC Granite Concept

EyesOn Design Award for Design Excellence - Production Vehicles:
2011 Audi A8

The Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology announced that Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Nissan Motor Company Ltd, has been elected as the Lifetime Design Achievement Award winner for the EyesOn Design Automotive Exhibit, 2010.

The award itself is unique in that only those designers who have previously won the award are allowed to vote. As a young man, and to this day, Mr. Nakamura has listed as favorite cars the Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed 1964 Alpha Romeo Canguro and Sergio Pininfarina’s 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB Berlinetta. Both of these design heroes are on the DIO’s panel of previous winners who elected Mr. Nakamura to this high honor.

Mr. Nakamura, almost always listed in the press as “the Dapper Mr. Nakamura,” is a fascinating man. An accomplished musician, who at one time sat in at a Ginza jazz club as a bass player, also counts Miles Davis among his heroes. Not to be musically narrow-minded, he also plays classical music with his cello. Think Bach!

But the design legends who added to their very select list with his election to the Lifetime Design Achievement Award may not even have known of his musical prowess. They voted him in for his design successes. Among the many are the Nissan 370Z, Murano, cube, GT-R and Infiniti G37, FX and Essence Concept.

Born in Osaka, Japan in October 1950, Mr. Nakamura graduated from Tokyo’s Musashino Art University with a Bachelor of Art degree in Product Design and immediately joined Isuzu. Several years later he came to the United States and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Transportation from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, Calif. Then, after stays at Isuzu in Europe and General Motors in Detroit, he was wooed by Carlos Ghosn in 1999 to join Nissan. In 2000, he was named head of global design for Nissan and Infiniti, and he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Design in April 2001. In 2006, he was named Chief Creative Officer and has been responsible for brand management, as well.

Mr. Nakamura is well-known to the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology since he has, on multiple occasions, served on the EyesOn Design panel of OEM global design leaders who judge concept and production vehicles introduced in Detroit each January at the North American International Auto Show.

The Lifetime Design Achievement Award will be presented in June 2010 at the EyesOn Design event, held annually on Father’s Day at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Mich.