This was not an easy decision at the time as Tesla was in the red and the company only had one vehicle available for the market, the Roadster, which was based on the Lotus design. It became his mission is to build the world’s leading automotive design studio.Īlthough Tesla was far from the traditional motor industry capitals, Franz felt the urge to take up this new challenge. Tesla will capture this through good design and engineering.” Franz said. There is a new hunger in the air for automotive design and looking to where automobiles are going in the future. “Tesla is changing the paradigm we’re going to turn the world on its ear and create high demand through design. The decision to make the move to Tesla was largely impacted by the EV company’s commitment to an eco-friendly approach and how completely committed Musk and Tesla were to change the transportation landscape. He took a leap of faith when Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, headhunted Franz and recruited him to work as chief designer for Tesla. It was later that year when Franz was feeling frustrated with the traditional automotive industry and was also looking for a new direction. In addition to this, more of his designs along with the Mazda Furai concept car, were presented at the same motor show in 2008. In this position, he oversaw the design of several concept vehicles, including the design of the Mazda Kabura, which made its debut at the America International Auto Show in 2006. In 2005 he then moved to Mazda North America operations and assumed the position of chief of design. The project that he was involved in at the time was for two roadster designs being the convertible Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice motor vehicles. He remained at VW for 8 years working on various projects and then in 2000, he made the move to General Motors as a design manager. He also had a part in the Microbus project. The beetle is an icon in vehicle history, which always relates to years gone by, fun and having a great time.Įarly in the start of his career, he was involved with Volkswagen, with the design of the New Beetle concept car, then known as Concept One. Everyone you know, at some stage in their life has had some interaction with one, be it the classic or modern versions. An example he used regarding design and functionality and the influence it had on the world, was the iconic VW beetle. He also emphasized that the process of designing vehicles at Tesla was a continuous learning curve from previous models for the next generation. He feels that if it is not functional then is it really design? At Tesla, they put functionality and form on par with one another in the vehicle’s design process as producing a beautifully looking car should also incorporate practical functionality. He still heavily considers form and functionality as very important factors when designing anything. His design approach was also influenced by the time he spent in Switzerland, at the ArtCenter College’s sister campus, where he was introduced to more European approaches involving practicality and sensibility to vehicle design. He graduated from the ArtCenter College of Design in the early 1990s, which is considered the pinnacle of transport design programs worldwide. With the hype around the Tesla brand, little is known about the man himself. Vicki who previously worked as a designer for Audi and Mercedes Benz, decided to follow her passion to start her own successful fashion accessories business. Not only was Franz born into a creative family, but he went on to marry designer, Vikki with whom he has two children. He always had a love for cars, and this gave him an avenue to combine the two things he loved – designing and creating unique motor vehicles. Coming from a family involved with design was a big influence in his younger years as his father was an industrial product and graphic designer and this is where Franz learned about the beauty of design. ![]() He was born in Simsbury, Connecticut on May 10, 1968. Franz von Holzhausen, an American born motor vehicle designer, is largely responsible for this. Tesla is known for its slick beautifully designed vehicles, some with an almost space-age appearance.
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