Peter Schreyer

by Gauk
Sun, Nov 6, 2016 10:19 PM

Peter Schreyer (born 1953) is a German automobile designer for Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, widely known for his design contributions to the Audi TT.

In 2006, Car Design News called the Audi TT one of "the most influential automotive design in recent time".

He has been the Chief Design Officer at Kia Motors since 2006 and on 28 December 2012, was named one of three presidents of the company. He is currently (2016) the chief designer at Hyundai-Kia and works with Luc Donckerwolke, former design director of Volkswagen Group's Bentley, Lamborghini and Audi from 2016.

Life and early career

Schreyer was born in 1953 in Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, West Germany and began studying in 1975 at the Munich University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule München - Industrie Design). He worked with Audi first as a student in 1978, graduating in 1979 with his Industrial Design degree. Subsequently, Schreyer won the Audi Scholarship to study at the Royal College of Art, London from 1979-1980 as a transportation design student.

In 1980, Schreyer began working with Audi in exterior, interior and conceptual design. In 1991, he moved to the company's design studio in California. He returned to the Audi Design Concept Studio in 1992, and the following year moved to Volkswagen's exterior design department.

Schreyer is known for wearing all black clothing, black eyeglasses designed by Philippe Starck, and for his "competitive, inventive and analytic" nature.

Kia and the Tiger Nose

Peter Schreyer, discussing his design influences in 2009: "I try to look at architecture and art and music, things like this. I like things that are not average, and people who follow their own vision."

Beginning in 2005, Kia focused on the European market, identifying design as its core future growth engine — leading to the 2006 hiring of Schreyer as chief design officer. Schreyer has been central to a complete restyling of Kia's lineup, overseeing design activities at Kia's design centers in Frankfurt, Irvine, Tokyo and the Namyang Design Center in Korea.

Schreyer indicated in a 2007 interview that Kia had a "neutral image" prior to his arrival.

“

In the past, the Kia cars were very neutral. When you saw one on the road, you didn't really know if it was Korean or Japanese…I think it's very important that you are able to recognise a Kia at first sight.

”

The Kee concept vehicle, shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, introduced a new corporate grille to create a recognizable 'face' for the brand. Known as the Tiger Nose, Schreyer indicated he wanted "a powerful visual signal, a seal, an identifier. The front of a car needs this recognition, this expression. A car needs a face and I think the new Kia face is strong and distinctive. Visibility is vital and that face should immediately allow you to identify a Kia even from a distance". Commenting on the new signature grille in 2009, Schreyer said "Tigers are powerful, yet kind of friendly". The nose is "three-dimensional - like a face, not just a surface with a mouth drawn on it. From now on, we'll have it on all our cars".

Awards

1995 Schreyer founded and juried the "Internationaler Audi design Förderpreis".
2003 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany.
2007 honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London,[17] following Sergio Pininfarina and Giorgetto Giugiaro as only the third automotive designer to receive the honor.
2013 Das Goldene Lenkrad - Goldene Ehrenlenkrad award (Auto Bild & Bild-am-Sonntag).
2014 Grand Prix du Design, 29th Festival Automobile International de Paris.
2014 EyesOn Design Lifetime Design Achievement award.