CARS OF THE FUTURE DESIGNED HERE TODAY : SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AUTO CULTURE`S DIVERSITY, TREND-SETTING STYLES DRIVE INDUSTRY.Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff WriterIf you want to know about flying, you talk to a pilot. If you want to know about woodworking, you talk to a carpenter. And if you want to know about cars, who better to talk to than the people who love cars best, Southern Californians? That's why so many of the world's automakers - Ford, Volvo, BMW BMW in full Bayerische Motoren Werke AG German automaker. Founded as an aircraft engine manufacturer in 1916, the company assumed the name Bayerische Motoren Werke and became known for its high-speed motorcycles in the 1920s. , Volkswagen - have set up centers for designing and generating ideas for new cars in places like Newbury Park, Valencia, Camarillo and Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. . ``It's kind of a petri dish pe·tri dish n. A shallow circular dish with a loose-fitting cover, used to culture bacteria or other microorganisms. Petri dish a shallow, circular, glass or disposable plastic dish used to grow bacteria on solid media such as agar. of the automobile cosmos. It's reduced down to a relatively small geographic area,'' said Ron Hill Ron Hill, MBE, BSc, PhD (b. September 25, 1938, in Accrington, East Lancashire, England), is the founder of Ronhill and Hilly Clothing Company, makers of performance apparel, and the second man ever to break two hours and ten minutes in the marathon (after Derek Clayton). , who chairs the Art Center College of Design Art Center built its reputation as a vocational school, essentially, preparing returning GIs for work in the commercial arts fields. It has traditionally maintained a strong "real-world" focus, emphasizing craftsmanship, technique, and professionalism while somewhat de-emphasizing theory. transportation design department in Pasadena, where many of the best auto designers are groomed. ``These people are not afraid of trying something new.'' Of the 14 auto design and concept centers in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , four are in the areas surrounding the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. : Designworks/USA in Newbury Park works on BMWs; Audi of America designs Volkswagens in Simi Valley; Volvo designs are being brainstormed in Camarillo; and the 1998 Lincoln Town Car The Lincoln Town Car is a rear wheel drive full-size luxury sedan and serves as the flagship of Ford's Lincoln luxury car division. Often referred to as a traditional American luxury sedan, the Town Car features a V8 engine, rear wheel drive, very generous exterior and interior was designed by Ford employees in Valencia. The industry's most established consulting firm Noun 1. consulting firm - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting company business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a , J.D. Power, is based in Agoura Hills, while the upstart Nextrend is just across the county line in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. . And demonstrating the importance of Southern California in the auto market, Ford Motor Co. announced it is moving the headquarters and design center of its Lincoln-Mercury division to Irvine this year. Company executives said the move from Michigan will reflect the trend-setting culture that prevails in California. ``A primary reason why they're doing it, and this is why other manufacturers are putting their design houses out here, is that Southern California is basically a microcosm of the U.S.,'' said Chris Cedergren, an auto industry consultant who established Nextrend in Thousand Oaks. A lot of major trends start in California because of the great diversity in ethnicity, income, age and viewpoints. Adding to the mix is a competitive business climate that places a premium on creativity. ``Here, things are happening. There is an atmosphere to test new things and to experience new things,'' said Ulla-Britt Frajdin Hellqvist, who took over a month ago as general manager for the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center in Camarillo. For some four decades, California has been fertile ground for new concepts and designs. Customized domestic cars were the rage in the 1950s. Then came the European invasion led by Volkswagen and BMW, followed by the Japanese compact craze and the enduring popularity of small pickups. The advent of the minivan and now the sport-utility vehicle sport-u·til·i·ty vehicle n. Abbr. SUV A four-wheel-drive vehicle with a roomy body, designed for off-road travel. followed as the baby boomers See generation X. became parents. Those wanting a little more fun on the road now are turning to the retro roadsters. ``The biggest thing now is women in sport-utility vehicles. Nobody dreamed of that,'' said Charles Pelly, who founded Designworks/USA and remains president of the Newbury Park company now owned by BMW. ``Another thing that's surprising is the disregard of gas mileage Noun 1. gas mileage - the ratio of the number of miles traveled to the number of gallons of gasoline burned fuel consumption rate, gasoline mileage, mileage ratio - the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient) .'' Hot off the assembly line The new generation of Volvos will reflect the California spirit when next year's models, designed by the Camarillo-based team, make their debut. ``If people say, Are you doing something new? we always say yes,'' said Frajdin Hellqvist, the Volvo general manager. Rare is the claim that a new design came entirely from a single studio. The Volvo center in Camarillo has contributed to many elements of interior and exterior designs since Sylvia Voegele opened it in 1986. ``We had a heck of a lot of the cars we were working on that didn't make it, that didn't get to car shows, that didn't get produced,'' said Voegele, who recently retired and remains a consultant. ``Those are the only achievements that count.'' The first BMW project for Designworks/USA produced newly integrated seat belts for the BMW 850i coupe in 1985. The latest influence from the Designworks team is the 3 series, and the team is now competing with its German counterparts in Munich to develop the next generation of the 7 series. When the Volkswagen Beetle This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. For the one introduced in 1997, see Volkswagen New Beetle. The Volkswagen Type 1, more commonly known as the Beetle recently changed with the times, work on the new design and features was done at the Audi of America Design Center in Simi Valley. The design team gained international acclaim four years ago with the unveiling of the futuristic-looking Beetle. The first model goes on sale this spring, featuring front and side air bags and car alarms as standard equipment, along with optional air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. , heated side mirrors, a rear-window defroster de·frost·er n. 1. A heating device designed to remove frost or prevent its formation. 2. A device designed to thaw frozen goods. Noun 1. , and outlets for phones and laptop computers. Top-secret work The designers shaping the styles and concepts for vehicles that will be on the road four and five years away work in plain buildings in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of corporate office parks, with maybe a door sign noting their existence. Visitors must sign forms promising not to share or use any restricted information - though little if any is provided - and most rooms where designers work are off-limits. At Designworks, even visitors from the manufacturer's home office in Munich aren't allowed into the styling studio where designers are working up the next century's models, said Robert Del'Ve, executive director for marketing. ``All that stuff can affect world car sales,'' he said. There is good reason for working in top-secret areas behind concrete walls and dark-paned windows. Auto manufacturers can dominate a niche for several years with a new design that the competition might not even have on the drawing board. Only in the past three years, for instance, have BMW, Mercedes and Porsche come out with roadsters, following in the wake of the shapely shape·ly adj. shape·li·er, shape·li·est 1. Having a distinct shape. 2. Having a pleasing shape. shape Mazda Miata released in 1989. Another notable example was the two-year lead Chrysler owned in the minivan market after designing the first car-based, front-wheel-drive model that marked the emergence of easy-to-drive vans, said David Cole David Cole may refer to:
``The work that goes on inside these firms absolutely is secret,'' Cole said. ``But they like to socialize so·cial·ize v. so·cial·ized, so·cial·iz·ing, so·cial·iz·es v.tr. 1. To place under government or group ownership or control. 2. To make fit for companionship with others; make sociable. and interact. They kind of cluster in one area because they create a sort of community of interest.'' Trend-setting culture Anticipating trends is an expensive trial-and-error process. Many concepts never get beyond one-quarter-scale clay models or a computer graphic image, while others may do poorly at a car show and never go into production. From sketches to sales, the industry average for a car to reach production is four to five years. Pressure on designers is even greater now with car companies constantly squeezing development time. California's dependence on the automobile makes it more than just a critical market. Companies recognize that if a model sells here - with the number and variety of autos available to often-fickle car buyers - it will sell nearly anywhere. ``Here, you live with a car. And you live with a car very differently,'' said Frajdin Hellqvist of Volvo. ``I find that the California customers know their stuff. The car is a very natural part of life from the beginning.'' Some of the future features car buyers are asking for include navigation systems that link cars to satellites to determine best routes to destinations; smart passenger air bags with fail-safe devices; traction control; and so-called run-flat tires, said Chance Parker, product research director for J.D. Power and Associates. ``We live in a society today where people are frankly spoiled by technology, and today's customers expect far more than yesterday's customers,'' Parker explained. When J.D. Power started its initial quality surveys in 1987 of car buyers after three months of ownership, there were 166 problems per 100 vehicles. The number is down to 81 problems per 100 vehicles, Parker said. ``At some point in time, most of the manufacturers are going to be relatively equal in terms of defects,'' Parker said. ``If that's true, then it's going to take something different to set your vehicles apart. ``There's been a renewed emphasis on styling lately. Companies are trying to make their cars stand out in terms of styling.'' Designers enjoy that challenge or they wouldn't be in the business. ``The designers just live cars, and so each one is a listening post. They need to be that way or they'll be out of a job,'' Pelly said. ``It all goes back to lifestyle.'' So influential is the California vision that Designworks opened an office in Munich this fall to boost technology and design exchange, and serve BMW and its other clients. ``You have to have your tentacles out there,'' said Carter, the Designworks executive vice president. Yet California is never far away - the office features a 12-foot palm tree. ``The whole idea is to convey that it's the California spirit,'' Carter said. ``California more or less created the automobile culture in this country. I don't think the '50s will ever go away.'' CAR CULTURE 1) Designworks/USA: Established 1972; 2201 Corporate Center Drive, Newbury Park; Owned by BMW. 2) Volvo Cars
3) Audi of America Inc. Design Center: Established 1990; 82 Cochran St., Simi Valley. 4) Ford Concept Center California: Established 1984; 28258 Avenue Stanford, Valencia. 5) J.D. Power and Associates: Established 1968; 30401 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills. 6) Nextrend: Established 1997; 299 Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Map PHOTO (1--Color--Ran in Bulldog bulldog, breed of thick-set nonsporting dog developed in the British Isles many centuries ago. It stands from 13 to 15 in. (33–38.1 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 40 to 50 lb (18.1–22.7 kg). and Valley Editions only) Art Center College of Design student John Kim works on a BMW car project. (2--Color--Ran in Bulldog and Valley Editions only) Steve Eastwood considers his design amid sketches of cars while working on a BMW plan at the Art College of Design in Pasadena. (3--Color--Ran in Conejo and Simi Editions only) Ray Carter and Charles Pelly of Designworks/USA in Newbury Park show off a signed BMW 328i that they are going to bury in a time capsule. Hans Gutknecht / Daily News MAP: (Color) CAR CULTURE (see text) Traci Wooden / Daily News |
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