Name: Marek Reichman
Age: 39
Job: Design director, Aston Martin, England
Key cars: Aston Martin Rapide, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Range Rover, Lincoln MkX and Navicross
4Car - What's the most significant design element of your latest concept?
Reichman - "I like the overall balance and elegance of the Aston Martin Rapide. I like the harmony of line, getting the cabin to sit perfectly between the wheels and the shoulder line."
4Car - Design influences?
Reichman - "The movies of Quentin Tarantino; architects Norman Foster and Mario Botta; plus the Porsche 993 and Mercedes CLS."
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| Aston Martin Rapide |
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4Car - What attracted you to car design as a career?
Reichman - "I started sketching cars - although they didn't really look like cars - when I was seven or eight. My older brother is an industrial designer and I used to hang around with his mates - who were all young designers and they had such a laugh. They were creative but had logic to their creativity. From about age 10 I wanted to be a designer, I didn't make the link with car design I just used to draw them, but at that age you don't think anyone designs cars - they just happen. As I grew, I realised you could do both, although I took a BA in industrial design before doing an MA in vehicle design at the RCA. I wanted to understand design as well as car design, because there is a slight difference."
4Car - What's the next big car design trend/challenge?
Reichman - "Legislation. We're now moving into the pedestrian impact area. But cars have got to get sexy and exciting and (for me) they've got to get lower and stir the emotions more. We've got to think more with our hearts: 'Does it look right?' 'Yes. Right, we're doing it', and then figure out the business case; not 'Oh I don't think we can do that, let's talk about the money.' A bit more gut reaction. Everyone's talking about design being the differentiator so let design do its job."
4Car - What other car firm/design team do you think would be interesting to work for?
Reichman - "I admire Shiro Nakamura and what he does at Nissan and J Mays at Ford. Both had the vision to put a studio in London. It's just the right place to put a car designer, as there are so many influences from outside the automotive world there. I worked in Dearborn, Michigan and I used to wear a suit and trainers, and half the execs in Dearborn looked at me and thought: 'Who the hell is this guy?' Now they're all doing it. You have to get people out there to see where the world is changing. We're too insular in car companies sometimes."
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| Rolls-Royce Phantom |
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4Car - What car did you wish you'd designed?
Reichman - "The original Lamborghini Miura - when you're next to that car there's something so beautiful about it. It's so low and unexpected with the eyelash lamps. There's some quirky, cheeky things that you had to be brave to do - even back then. One of my favourite scenes in the whole world is the guy driving through the Alps at the start of
The Italian Job - the sound, the interior, the really fine gearshift lever with a tiny little knob on. It's a brilliant balance of art and engineering."
4Car - What car are you glad you didn't?
Reichman - "I'm going to have to say the Pontiac Aztek."
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| Pontiac Aztek |
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4Car - What shoes are you wearing?
Reichman - "Prada (the stitching on the Rapide concept is influenced by the centre stitches on my shoes)."
4Car - What watch?
Reichman - "Legend Chronograph"
