Audi has appointed Massimo Fracella as its new head of design. Fracella will take over Audi’s design leadership from the former head of design, Mark Lichte, starting June 1. The new design chief is a graduate of IAAD (Istituto d`Arte Applicata & Design) in Torino, Italy, and began his career at the Italian automotive design company Stile Bertone. He subsequently worked at Ford and Kia, and in 2011, he joined Jaguar Land Rover as the chief designer, where he oversaw the design of both Jaguar and Land Rover.
Massimo Fracella expressed, “Joining Audi is personally very significant for me,” and stated, “I am honored to work alongside the talented design team at Audi as the Chief Creative Officer.” He continued, “Design has an emotional power that inspires, connects new things, and facilitates change,” adding that he aims to make the Audi brand feel alive, like a heart, through design while further developing and enhancing creativity.
Fracella’s design philosophy is centered around simplicity. He noted, “I prefer designs that exclude superfluities and do not excessively chase trends,” emphasizing that he will focus on timeless designs through an elegant design language.
Audi, under Fracella’s leadership, is set to define the next generation of design for its models, with significant changes expected in both design and functionality across all vehicles. Recently, Audi restructured its design department to allow direct reporting to the chairman of the management board.
Regarding the goal of this restructuring, Audi CEO Gernot Dueser stated, “Design has always been the core and DNA of the Audi brand,” adding that as technological innovations progress, it is crucial to visually and tangibly implement ‘advancement through technology’ in the interior and exterior designs of production models. He emphasized that, “Massimo Fracella, as the new design chief, will imprint the brand’s identity onto Audi vehicles with a clear and sophisticated design language,” and that Fracella’s design philosophy, which aims for clarity, elegance, and perfect proportions, aligns closely with Audi’s brand image.
Mark Lichte, who oversaw Audi’s design from 2014 until now, was born in 1969 in Arnsberg, Germany, and led the exterior design studio after moving from Volkswagen to Audi. During Lichte’s tenure, Audi showcased the next generation of design for its best-selling products and launched its first electric car series, the Audi e-tron, e-tron GT, and Q4 e-tron model lineup.
Dueser also acknowledged, “Mark Lichte led the evolution of Audi’s design to align with the era of electric mobility,” expressing gratitude for Lichte’s creativity and pioneering vision that shaped Audi’s design over the past decade.
By Sang-jin Lee daedusj@autodiary.kr