Jeffrey William Teague (October 3, 1956 – July 29, 2016) was an American

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 ...

er and design consultant for

Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post ...

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles ...

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.Hyundai Motor Group The Hyundai Motor Group (HMG; ; ; stylized as HYUΠDAI) is a South Korean ''chaebol'' (loosely similar to a multinational conglomerate but without a central holding company or ownership structure) headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The HMG ...

and

Kia Motors Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second la ...

— and known widely for his role as principal designer of the 1983-1992

Lincoln Mark VII Mark 7 is the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. This chapter explores Jesus' relationships with both fellow Jews and Gentiles. Jesus speaks with the Pharisees and scribes, and then with his discipl ...

. Teague founded the Transportation Design Department at the

Academy of Art University The Academy of Art University (AAU or ART U), formerly Academy of Art College and Richard Stephens Academy of Art, is a private for-profit art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded as the Academy of Advertising Art by Richard S. ...

(formerly Academy of Art College) in San Francisco. His father was noted industrial and automotive designer,

Dick Teague Richard Arthur Teague (December 26, 1923 – May 5, 1991) was an American industrial designer in the North American automotive industry. He held automotive design positions at General Motors, Packard, and Chrysler before becoming Vice President ...

Background

Teague was born in

Franklin, Michigan Franklin is a village in Southfield Township, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,150 at the 2010 census. The community is known for large, estate-style homes. The downtown was designated as an historic district, t ...

to Marian Rose Teague (born 1927) and Richard A. Teague (1923–1991). His father was a noted industrial and automotive designer whose work as Styling Director and Vice President of Design of

American Motors Corporation American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was t ...

included the

AMC Gremlin The AMC Gremlin (also American Motors Gremlin) is a subcompact automobile introduced in 1970, manufactured and marketed in a single, two-door body style (1970–1978) by American Motors Corporation (AMC), as well as in Mexico (1974–1983) by A ...

, AMX,

Hornet Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to their close relatives yellowjackets. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other vespine wasps by the ...

and Pacer, as well as the

Jeep Cherokee (XJ) The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is a sport utility vehicle manufactured and marketed across a single generation by Jeep in the United States from 1983 through 2001 — and globally through 2014. It was available in two- or four-door, five-passenger, fro ...

. Teague grew up in Franklin, Michigan and graduated from

Birmingham Groves High School Groves High School (Wylie E. Groves High School or Groves) is a public, magnet high school in Beverly Hills, Michigan, United States, in the Birmingham Public School District. Groves' colors are green, white, and yellow and its mascot is Fred ...

in nearby

Birmingham, Michigan Birmingham is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit located along the Woodward Corridor ( M-1). As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103. History The area comprising what is now the ...

in 1975. He graduated from the

Art Center College of Design Art Center College of Design (stylized as ArtCenter College of Design) is a private art college in Pasadena, California. History ArtCenter College of Design was founded in 1930 in downtown Los Angeles as the Art Center School. In 1935, Fr ...

in Pasadena California in 1978.

Career and design work

Teague became a designer with Ford in Dearborn Michigan, a senior designer with

Mitsubishi Motors North America Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. is the U.S. operation of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, overseeing sales and research and development functions. The company manufactures and sells Mitsubishi brand cars and sport utility vehicles through a ne ...

in Cypress California, Chief Designer Volkswagen AG of Germany in Wolfsburg, Germany, and Studio Chief for Volkswagen of America He was subsequently the senior designer at

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai As ...

and

Kia Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...

, Teague worked under

Jack Telnack Jack Telnack (born John J. Telnack in 1937) is the former global Vice President of Design of the Ford Motor Company from 1980 to 1997. He is best known for his work with cars like the 1979 Ford Mustang ( third generation), the 1983 Ford Thunderbir ...

on designs for the ninth generation Ford Thunderbird (1982-1987), the seventh generation Lincoln Continental (1982–1987) and the wagon variants of the first generation

Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...

and

Mercury Sable The Mercury Sable is a range of automobiles manufactured and marketed by the Mercury brand of Ford Motor Company. Introduced on December 26, 1985 as the replacement for the Mercury Marquis, the Sable marked the transition of the mid-size Mercury ...

He was the principal designer for the Lincoln Mark VII (1983-1992). In 1998, Teague started the design program in Automotive and Industrial design at the

(formerly Academy of Art College) in San Francisco. Teague hired and managed the program staff and developed the curriculum and syllabus, later serving on the Board of Directors until his death in 2016. Teague provided design services and consulting services to

Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai As ...

, Subaru, and others, found his firm, Teague Design in 1998. He worked with his high school friend,

C. Mark Jordan C. Mark Jordan is an automotive designer known for his work with General Motors's Opel division and Mazda North America, including his part in the genesis of the first generation Mazda MX-5 Miata, a car that ultimately became the best-selling tw ...

(son of GM designer Chuck Jordan, to form a design company ''JTDNA.'' He designed an updated ''AMX 4'' based on AMC's mid-engine sports car that contributed to his father's design reputation. As of 2006, Teague provided design services for the revival

Duesenberg Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was an American racing and luxury automobile manufacturer founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, by brothers Fred and August Duesenberg in 1920. The company is known for popularizing the straight- ...

line of automobiles. The new design of the ''Duesenberg II Torpedo Coupe'' was delayed. He was Chief Design Director for the

Baldwin, Wisconsin Baldwin is a village in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,957 at the 2010 census, a growth rate of 48% from 2000. The village is adjacent to the Town of Baldwin. History Dana Reed Bailey founded Baldwin in 1871. F ...

=based company and the car was expected to be introduced in 2013. In 2012, the company bought a building in Baldwin to produce its replica cars on a modern Ford chassis, as well as a

motorized tricycle A motorized tricycle, motor trike, or motortrycle is a three-wheeled vehicle based on the same technology as a bicycle or motorcycle, and powered by an electric motor, motorcycle, scooter or car engine. Classification Depending on the design of ...

Death

Jeff Teague died on July 29, 2016 at his home in

Agoura Hills, California Agoura Hills () is a city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. It is in the eastern Conejo Valley between the ...

, at age 59. He was survived by his mother, Marian Rose Teague (born 1927); wife Glenda Gilkey Teague and three children; Rachel Marian, Thea Nicole (Nikki) and Author Jeffrey Harrison Teague (AJ).

References

External links

* Jeff Teague interview by ASME: {{DEFAULTSORT:Teague, Jeff 1956 births 2016 deaths Art Center College of Design alumni American automobile designers Mitsubishi Motors people Ford designers People from Agoura Hills, California