Chris Bird

from Quattroruote n. 540/ottobre 2000 Following the retirement of Claude Lobo, the father of the “New Edge” style – tense lines alternated with concave and convex forms – in January 1999 a new guy took over Ford design in Europe, at least in terms of the small and medium vehicle. British designer Chris Bird, aged 44 previously worked in Audi-VW where his name was linked with highly successful models such as the “A4”, the “A3” and the initial stages of the “A2”. So now we understand where the lines of the new “Mondeo” come from. It is logical therefore to expect the same kind of changes on the other future models of the range, starting with the new “Fiesta”. So in a few years time will it be goodbye to “New Edge”? Bird defends himself “I’m not here to create revolutions. I think one shouldn’t confuse clients with something completely new. However the innovative style begun with the “Ka” and followed up with the “Focus” has given Ford a competitive edge which should’nt be lost. If anything there is room for some refinement, as the “Mondeo” demonstrates, whose identity remains Ford with a front which has a lot in common with the “Focus”. The direction the refinements that Bird speaks of will take are soon explained. According to the British designer, quality is an increasingly important factor for the customer when deciding to purchase. “And quality is also achieved through design, or rather the design can transmit to the buyer a sense of quality, which over time increases the value of the car. It is the most important lesson that I learned at Audi”.

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