Former Porsche designer at Ford

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Designer envisions a new American era for Ford Freeman Thomas leaves Porsche and Chrysler for a new culture Vancouver Sun 08/19/05 by John LeBlanc / CanWest News Service

Kicking off his career in 1983 as a senior designer at Porsche, Freeman Thomas's design album contains hits such as the Audi TT, the Volkswagen Concept 1 (New Beetle), the Noble American Sedan strategy that evolved into the production version of the Chrysler 300C and the Dodge Tomahawk motorcycle.

Thomas recently left Chrysler to join Ford, to lead its advanced design teams in both California and Dearborn, Mich. As is his habit, the 47-year-old California native sketched cars while I spoke exclusively with him about his new responsibilities in shaping the look of future North American Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys.

Q: When presented with the task of developing a brand's design language, what's your approach?

A: I get really deep into the culture. I look at myself as a cultural architect. My main focus now is to create a strategy for Ford of North America as an American brand. When I look at a timeline of American history, I think of incredible trends and movements that America has invented -- all of the cultures that were started by the immigrants coming into New York, coming in from Italy, Germany, Scandinavia and England, creating their neighbourhoods in New York. Eventually, they started to make their trek west, and the cowboy was created. Then you start to think about all of the inventions that happened in California: from surfing, to mountain biking, to skateboarding, all of these cultural things started to happen. So when I start to think of America, I start to look at each one of those happenings individually and as a whole. All of these cultures are a part of Ford and what I'm trying to capture.

Q: You've had a lot of success with your concepts making it to production.

A: One of the things I do early on is partner myself, and my team, with engineering. If we can solve the problems very quickly from an engineering standpoint, which is going to result in great proportions on a vehicle, and a number of derivatives off of the same idea, then we get further ahead.

Q: A past example?

A: Oh yeah, the Audi TT. I did an initial thumbnail sketch of an idea, and then J (J Mays, now Ford's group vice-president and chief creative officer) fell in love with it and asked if I would sit with engineering and see if there is a platform we could do it on. We looked at the new Golf, and if we shortened the wheelbase by 90 mm, and did a couple of things with the platform to accommodate the TT body, then we basically had the right thing. The Golf already had an all-wheel drive system, great engine choices -- it was already there. Of course, everybody said Audi would never build it -- it's too far forward or too extreme for the market -- but we had already crossed the t's and dotted the i's with engineering when we showed the concept.

Q: Is there any particular concept that you regret not making it into production?

A: Way back in the early '90s, J and I started on a project for Audi that was way before the sport utility vehicle craze. It was a seven-passenger vehicle that was kind of a cross-pollination between a Hummer and a Range Rover. It had a W-12 motor in it, and this thing looked the part. We called it the Audi AlpineSeeker. We took it over to Germany, but the problem was how to communicate this vehicle to management. It was so far advanced, so far ahead. It was one of those things where you learn the lesson that you have to have tremendous skill and ability to communicate your idea thoroughly.

Q: With Peter Horbury (Ford Design, North America), Martin Smith (Ford of Europe), Geoff Upex (Land Rover), Gerry McGovern (advanced design, Land Rover), Steve Mattin (Volvo) and the Callum brothers (Ian at Jaguar and Moray at Mazda), and now yourself, you must feel you've joined a design supergroup at Ford.

A: I was in Dearborn recently, and we were all sitting down at a table discussing design strategies. Each of these individuals has created a design movement of their own, a movement that other designers want to follow. But with J, we have this ultimate leader. There's an incredible respect among each other, and a natural chemistry. In the past, we've all been together socially and have been able to discuss and debate design, and have seen the results of each other's products. There's a common respect that comes out of that. It's really only something that happens with high-calibre professionals like journalists, fighter pilots and pro athletes. We're all at an age where we've been through the phase of being the young designer, being the hotshot, and we've transitioned that to being coaches and mentors for teams that want to follow a movement. That's where I feel that I'm at home right now, because I have people surrounding me that are looking for leadership. The fact I get to be part of this is amazing.