Chris Bangle Quits BMW

S

Shipkiller

Veteran
Not sure if this is true, because I cannot find anything else on this...

http://jalopnik.com/5145161/chris-bangle-quits-bmw-auto-industry
 
Shipkiller, they are reporting it here now too so it must be true. I'm surprised.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090203.008/bangle-quits-bmw-and-auto-industry-altogether

Here is some news that will be a shocker to the industry: Christopher Bangle has quit as head of design for BMW Group and plans to leave the auto industry altogether.

BMW has announced the news in a press release. Bangle says he will be pursuing other design challenges beyond automobiles.

Bangle's influence on BMW's recent history and his contributions to the premium car maker's success are difficult to overstate. Bangle, only 52, is a legend in automotive design and has been head of BMW Design Development since 1992.

He headed the design evolution of the BMW 3, 5 and 7 series from the 1990s into the 2000s, an era of commercial and critical success for those models.

Bangle's team also designed all the new models introduced under his tenure - which include the Z3, Z4, Z8, X5, X6, the 6 series and the 1 series. Bangle was also instrumental in creating the MINI, a car that BMW revamped and launched as a new brand. MINI has also been a success for the Bavaria automaker.

Bangle did take some heat from critics for what was seen as a poor re-design of the 7 series back in 2002 but his achievements have far outweighed any missteps.

Adrian van Hooydonk, 44, currently the head of design at BMW Automobile, will take Bangle's place as Director of BMW Group Design. He has worked closely alongside Bangle for 17 years.
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pvr said:
Us, the Dutch will take over everything :D
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new Z4 paint scheme:

blue-wooden-shoes-holland.jpg
 
Topshelf said:
Will be interesting to see what direction this leads BMW down. To be honest, I think a change would be good.
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Given that Adrian van Hooydonk was a direct protege of Bangle and was responsible for designing the E85, I have a feeling that things won't change dractically.

Unless of course, if van Hooydonk is "forced" to go a different direction which was basically why Bangle resigned.
 
Indeed, change is a welcome opportunity for fresh air and ideas. Personally, I found Chris Bangles work to be more captivating than polarizing. It was amazing how many critics seemed to hate or berate his designs only then to see how many other automotive manufacturers tried to copy them. When I first saw the Z4, I was admittedly startled. But given the overall homogeny of car design, being "startled" was a good thing.

I'm hopeful that on Adrian's watch BMW will continue to cause ripples with innovative sheet metal. They create cars that are both timely and timeless... a feat not easy to achieve in a business driven by consumer whims.

I will be interesting to see what he does. And I certainly won't worry about his ability to find a job.
 
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