is a former Japanese
car designer
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 ...
and company executive. Nakamura served as Senior Vice President of
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. From 2006, Nakamura had been Nissan's
Chief Creative Officer
A chief creative officer (CCO) is the highest ranking position of the creative team within a company. Depending on the type of company, this position may be responsible for the overall look and feel of marketing, media, and branding associated w ...
.
He was Chief Creative Officer of
Nissan,
Infiniti
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
and
Datsun
Datsun (, ) was an automobile brand owned by Nissan. Datsun's original production run began in 1931. From 1958 to 1986, only vehicles exported by Nissan were identified as Datsun. Nissan phased out the Datsun brand in March 1986, but relaunch ...
.
Nakamura retired in 2017. Known as a hands-on creative, he goes by the nickname "Fingers".
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]
Biography
Early life
Nakamura was born in October 1950 in Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
, Japan.[
]
Education and academic achievements
Nakamura holds a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in industrial design from the Musashino Art University in Tokyo, Japan, along with a Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
with distinction in Transportation Design 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.[
]
Career
When Carlos Ghosn
Carlos Ghosn (; ; ar, كارلوس غصن; , born 9 March 1954) is a businessman who holds Brazilian and French nationality. Ghosn was the CEO of Michelin North America, chairman and CEO of Renault, chairman of AvtoVAZ, chairman and CEO of N ...
took charge of Nissan in 1999, he brought in Nakamura from Isuzu to lead the design part of Nissan's revival. According to the Forum for Corporate Communications in Tokyo, Nakamura "immediately exerted leadership in driving the design team to create distinctive and innovative designs based on Japanese traditional aesthetics and contemporary culture". Iconic cars, such as the Nissan Cube
The Nissan Cube is a mini MPV produced by carmaker Nissan between 1998 to 2019. Initially sold only in Japan, the Cube was sold in North American markets from 2009 to 2014, and in European markets from 2009 to 2011. In Japan, it was exclusive ...
, Fairlady Z, GT-R, Murano, Qashqai, Juke
Juke may refer to:
* Juke (football move), a deceptive move in American football
* "Juke" (song), a harmonica instrumental recorded by Little Walter Jacobs
* Juke joint, an informal establishment featuring blues music, dancing, and alcoholic ...
and LEAF
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
as well as Infiniti M
The Infiniti M is a line of mid-size luxury (executive) cars from the Infiniti luxury division of Nissan. From 2013 (model year 2014) on it has been marketed as the Infiniti Q70, reflecting the company's new naming scheme.
The first iteration wa ...
, FX and Essence
Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...
were created under Nakamura's guidance.
At Isuzu, Nakamura held various senior level positions, and was responsible for the design of models such as Isuzu VehiCROSS and Gemini. Nakamura started as a studio draftsman in 1974. In 1985, Nakamura joined General Motors and worked at the Advanced Design Studio in Michigan.
Recognitions
Nakamura has received many awards for his work, among them the 2010 EyesOn Design EyesOn Design are a series of events including an annual car show and a fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. It has become a national event focused on the emotion and character of automotive design.
History
The Eyes on Design Sh ...
Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2003, he was introduced into the Automotive News All Stars, Design. Nakamura was named by ''FastCompany Magazine'' the world's 4th most creative person of 2010, behind Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
, Eddy Cue, and Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a p ...
. He was the only car designer on that list.[
In 2015, Nakamura was declared the winner of the "Grand Prix du Design" at the International Automobile Festival in Paris.]
Other Interests
Nakamura plays the cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
.[
]
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakamura, Shiro
1950 births
Living people
Nissan