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Martin Smith (designer)
Martin Smith is a retired automobile designer, noted for extensive stints at Audi, Opel and Ford of Europe. Background Born in 1949 in Broomhill, Sheffield, England, Smith attended King Edward VII School. A car fanatic since he was a boy, he wrote letters to Mini designer Alec Issigonis asking how to become a car designer and received kindly and encouraging replies.'Audi's Modest Mr Smith', Quality Cars pp22-24, ''The Sunday Times'', Spring 1988 He studied Engineering at the University of Liverpool before graduating with a master's degree in vehicle design from the Royal College of Art in London. Career Audi Having begun his career at Porsche in 1973 which also included a short stint working on commercial vehicles for Ogle Design in Letchworth, Smith moved to Audi in 1977, then briefly to BMW only to return to Audi where he would remain for the majority of the 1980s and 1990s. At Audi he transformed the mundane Audi Coupe into the legendary Audi Quattro and subsequently b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Automotive Design
Automotive design is the process of developing the appearance (and to some extent the ergonomics) of motor vehicles - including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. The functional design and development of a modern motor vehicle is typically done by a large team from many different disciplines also included within automotive engineering, however, design roles are not associated with requirements for professional- or chartered-engineer qualifications. Automotive design in this context focuses primarily on developing the visual appearance or aesthetics of vehicles, while also becoming involved in the creation of product concepts. Automotive design as a professional vocation is practiced by designers who may have an art background and a degree in industrial design or in transportation design. For the terminology used in the field, see the glossary of automotive design. Design elements The task of the design team is usually split into three mai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
J Mays
J Mays is an American industrial designer who served as Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company, and is now Chief Design Officer at Whirlpool. His name is simply "J", named after his grandfather, S J Mays. Background Born in rural Oklahoma, Mays started working at his family's auto parts store at an early age. While attending Maysville High School in Maysville, Oklahoma, Mays enrolled in an occupational drafting program at Mid-America Technology Center in Wayne, with aspirations of architecture. After high school, he studied commercial art at the University of Oklahoma before briefly switching to journalism. In 1976, he transferred to the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in transportation design. Career Volkswagen Group and BMW Mays began his career as an exterior designer at AUDI AG, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group, in Ingolstadt, Germany. While ther ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Signum
The Opel Signum is a large front-engine, front-wheel drive, five-passenger, five-door hatchback manufactured and marketed by the German car manufacturer Opel from 2003 to 2008, exclusively over a single generation, derived from the Opel Vectra. Marketed almost exclusively in Europe, a rebadged Signum was marketed in the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Signum. The Signum used the long wheelbase version of the GM Epsilon platform also used by the Opel Vectra Caravan. As a very large hatchback with a nearly vertical tailgate, its dimensions placed it between traditional large family cars and executive cars. In most markets, it was also priced accordingly (more expensive than the Opel Vectra, but less than e.g. Audi A6). The Opel Signum was intended to capture a new market segment. General Motors, Opel's then parent, executed a similar concept in North America of a large hatchback with the related 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, also derived from the Epsilon platform. Afte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Vectra
The Opel Vectra is a mid-size car ( large family car) that was engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel from 1988 until 2010. Available in saloon, hatchback and estate body styles, the Vectra was also sold by the Vauxhall marque in the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Cavalier from 1988 to 1995 and then as the Vauxhall Vectra from 1995 to 2008, and it was also sold by Holden in Australia as the Holden Vectra, by Chevrolet in Latin America as the Chevrolet Vectra. The Vectra was introduced in October 1988 as a replacement for the Opel Ascona, and was itself replaced in November 2008 by the new Opel Insignia, the nameplate spanning three generations and almost twenty one years. Vectra A (1988–1995) The first generation Vectra, known as the Vectra A, was introduced in October 1988 for the 1989 model year, as a four door notchback saloon, replacing the Opel Ascona C. A five-door hatchback version arrived in March 1989, and a coupé based on the Vec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Zafira
The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment. The Zafira was also marketed under the Vauxhall marque in the United Kingdom until June 2018, the Holden marque in Australia until June 2005, and under a number of other market-specific brands and names. The name "Zafira" derives from the Arabic word meaning ''to succeed.'' Since 2011, it received an additional moniker as the Zafira Tourer. __TOC__ Zafira A (1999) The first generation Zafira was internally designated as the ''Zafira A''. Co-developed with Porsche, it debuted in concept form at the 1997 Frankfurt Auto Show and entered series production in January 1999, with sales beginning in April of that year.''Automobil Revue 2002'', p. 454 The Zafira shared the T platform with the 1998 Astra G, sharing much commonality with that car. The Zafira seated seve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Tigra TwinTop
The Opel Tigra name has been applied to two different cars engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel, both based on different iterations of the Corsa supermini, the first built in Spain, the second in France. The first Tigra was a small 2+2 coupé, produced from 1994 to 2000. The later compact hard topped convertible roadster model was introduced in May 2004. The Tigra was sold in the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Tigra, in Australia as the Holden Tigra, and was sold in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico as the Chevrolet Tigra. Tigra A (1994–2000) The first Tigra was based on the coupé concept car of the same name that was shown at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show, alongside an open top Tigra Roadster concept and the Scamp off roader/pickup. The première of the concept Tigra in the United Kingdom was in October 1993, at the London Motorfair. The Tigra was built on the platform of the second generation Opel Corsa. The production vehicle was introduced in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vauxhall VX220
The Opel Speedster is a mid-engined, targa-topped, two-seat sports car sold by German automaker Opel and introduced in July 2000. It was built in both RHD and LHD versions at the Lotus Cars plant in Hethel, Norfolk, England. It was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999 and went into full production the following year. It was sold by Vauxhall as the VX220 in the United Kingdom and shared much in common with the Lotus Elise, although Opel claimed few parts were interchangeable. Design and development Due to changes in European crash safety regulations for the 2000 model year, Lotus needed to replace the original Elise. In October 1999, a deal was made between Lotus and General Motors in order for the former to gain sufficient funds to develop a new Elise. As part of the deal, Lotus agreed to develop and produce the Opel Speedster and Vauxhall VX220 on its new Series 2 Elise chassis. The first Speedster concept car was shown at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Insignia
The Opel Insignia is a large family car (D-segment in Europe) developed and produced by the German car manufacturer Opel since 2008. Taking its name from a 2003 concept car, the model line serves as the flagship Opel car line, slotted above the Astra and Corsa in size. The Insignia serves as the successor for both the Signum and Vectra model lines, replacing both vehicles under a single nameplate. Currently in its second generation, the model line is offered in four-door sedan/saloon body styles, five-door liftback, and as a five-door station wagon/estate. Sold worldwide, the Insignia is marketed under multiple nameplates. Under Opel tradition, the model line is marketed by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, taking on the Vauxhall Insignia name. Both generations of the model line have been marketed in Latin America and North America as the Buick Regal (sales of the Regal continue in China). GM Australia marketed the second-generation Insignia as the Holden Commodore through ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Trixx
The Opel Trixx (stylised as TRIXX) is a concept city car created by German car manufacturer Opel. It was unveiled at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. The brief was set out by Opel CEO Carl-Peter Forster to the Opel and Saab design studios, and was led by executive director of design Martin Smith and chief designer Stefan Arndt. The car was built at Carrozzeria Coggiola in Italy. This concept influenced future small-car designs for Opel, such as the 2007 Opel Agila. The three-metre long car features an asymmetrical door layout, with sliding doors and a sliding roof hatch for large cargo. A cycle rack is concealed in the pull-out rear bumper feature. The Trixx is powered by a 1.3-litre diesel engine with common rail direct injection. This gives the car a claimed top speed of 70 mph (112.6 km/h). The Trixx featured the Flex 3 layout. This offers seating for three adults and one child on a folding seat, or a single-seater format with a large, 1,010-litre luggage area. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Astra
The Opel Astra is a compact car/ small family car ( C-segment) developed and produced by the German automaker Opel since 1991, currently at its sixth generation. It was first launched in September 1991 as a direct replacement to the Opel Kadett. , the car slots between the smaller Corsa supermini and the larger Insignia large family car. Initially, the Astra was available in hatchback, saloon, and estate (station wagon; known as the Astra Caravan, later the Sports Tourer) forms. A panel van (sedan delivery; Astravan) and a convertible (Astra Cabrio) also appeared in the early 1990s. These body styles were later followed by a coupé (the Astra GTC) in 2004, and the sporty Astra OPC appeared in 2005. The Twin Top retractable hardtop convertible replaced the soft top convertible in 2006, while the Caravan was renamed to Astra Sports Tourer since 2009. The Astra is branded the Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom. It was rebadged and sold as the Saturn Astra in North Am ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opel Speedster
The Opel Speedster is a mid-engined, targa-topped, two-seat sports car sold by German automaker Opel and introduced in July 2000. It was built in both RHD and LHD versions at the Lotus Cars plant in Hethel, Norfolk, England. It was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999 and went into full production the following year. It was sold by Vauxhall as the VX220 in the United Kingdom and shared much in common with the Lotus Elise, although Opel claimed few parts were interchangeable. Design and development Due to changes in European crash safety regulations for the 2000 model year, Lotus needed to replace the original Elise. In October 1999, a deal was made between Lotus and General Motors in order for the former to gain sufficient funds to develop a new Elise. As part of the deal, Lotus agreed to develop and produce the Opel Speedster and Vauxhall VX220 on its new Series 2 Elise chassis. The first Speedster concept car was shown at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. Whilst ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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