BMW's Bangle says buh-bye

Rare genius? Or village idiot?

That seems to be the yet undefined legacy for BMW Group's suddenly former design head Chris Bangle, left, who is quitting "to pursue his own design-related endeavors beyond the auto industry," his previous employer announced today.

Adrian van Hooydonk, head of design for BMW brand, will succeed Bangle.

After initial stints at Opel and Fiat, Bangle became the first Yank chief of design of BMW in 1992, where he penned the Z9 Gran Turismo concept car, right. Then, after conservative redesigns of the 1999 BMW 3-Series and first BMW X5, Bangle dropped his first bomb on the design world with the 2001 7 Series, below left.

What followed—“flame surfacing,” “Bangle Butt”—they say, will be either Bangle’s legacy or ignominy.

As radical as his designs were to those who were use to a BMW look dating back over three decades, the man’s intellect and depth of thought has rarely been seen in the industry where automotive aesthetic decisions can be made by accountants, company scions—or the worst—customer focus groups.

At an AutoWeek design conference I attended in the early Naughties, Bangle opened the kimono and led the audience through an internal presentation that he ostensibly would have used to sell the BMW board of directors and executives on why a sharp turn left in design was needed to keep the business healthy and the copycats at bay.

As someone who once paid the bills selling right-brain creative concepts to left-brain engineering types, I always had a great deal of respect for Bangle as an uncompromisingly successful internal corporate salesman. Especially within a Teutonic company as tightly handcuffed to its own history as BMW.

To the beancounters at BMW, the proof in the pudding came in 2006 when BMW past Mercedes-Benz in worldwide luxury car sales.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But some thought Bangle’s designs were like a sharp poke in the retina with a  sharp stick.

So the verdict still stands—Chris Bangle: Creative god? Or design hack?

[Source: Automotive News]

Comments

[Randy]

Bangle? Creative? Yes, Creative God? No.

I knew they were in trouble when I couldn't tell the difference between (the previous generation) Honda Civic and the 3-Series Sedan at a distance. Especially from the side.

For the kind of coin they ask for their cars, they had to be more distinctive than that.

Might explain why MB is doing so well. That new c-class is pretty classy.

[marc]

Auto/ Designer accuses BMW: they copied me. The Public Prosecutor’s office in Rome is investigating
28-02-2009 11:52
"The 'Gina' concept car covering was patent protected "
Rome, 28 Feb. (Apcom) - The 'Gina' BMW is a prize-winning concept car, but the idea of using a fabric covering for the bodywork is now said to have been copied from an Italian. This is the subject of the lawsuit initiated by fashion designer Giuseppe Bianco, owner of a number of young fashion labels, and filed with the Rome Public Prosecutor a few days ago. Public Prosecutor Marcello Monteleone is believed to be assessing the case presented by lawyer Carlo Cirillo, which contains allegations of counterfeiting under articles 473 and 474 of the penal code and under the provisions of the so-called ‘industrial property code’, as defined in the law of 10 February 2005, number 30, article 127.
Specifically, according to the lawsuit, Bianco designed an exclusive procedure in 2005 by which any covering material, from leather to fabric to more technical materials, could be applied to the external body of cars and other motor vehicles, "making the covering impermeable and resistant to atmospheric agents". After registration of the patent, exhibition at the 2006 Bologna Motor show, and coverage on the Tg5 Italian TV channel, Bianco was confident, happy in the knowledge that he had invented something innovative. Then, in the middle of 2008 he discovered that BMW had presented a concept car with a fabric body: the Gina, acronym for 'Geometry and functions in 'n' adaptions'. So Bianco felt that there was nothing for it but to assert his rights.
The battle between this small inventor from Italy and the German colossus began last August, when lawyer Carlo Cirillo informed the legal offices of BMW that his client was the "owner of the rights following the filing of a formal application to register the patent for a fabric covering for motor vehicles" and warning the German company to "cease any activity in conflict with this". After further contacts between lawyer Carlo Cirillo and the legal consultants from BMW’s patents office, and despite all the documentation presented in support of Bianco’s case, the Gina was exhibited at the museum in Munich and from 11 to 15 February of last year at the Salon Concept Car Hotel National des Invalides Plauce Vebaun, in Paris.
As reported in the newspapers, at that event in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the Gina won the award of 'Grand prix du plus beau concept car de l'annèe 2008'. But Bianco was not willing to let matters lie. He made a video with his accusations and posted it on Youtube. The process involved in this work on the car and the application of the materials, as shown on the carbodydesign website, source BMW press office, is exactly the same as the one he designed. In his lawsuit, the designer also refers to a visit by a BMW manager to his stand at the Motorshow. Lawyers Carlo Cirillo and Pamela Baglivo, who presented his case with the collaboration of lawyer Micol Cupo Pagano, explain: "Our client hopes that this will throw light on the matter.”
Lawyer Carlo Cirillo adds: "It is clear that if the judicial authorities recognize this as a violation of Mr. Bianco’s patent rights, we are looking at damage on a huge scale, taking into consideration the enormous publicity potential of the internet coverage used in handling this issue. So I hope that this will bring protection to the offended party, the small businessman, against a multinational company with great economic resources.”