The name Peter Cyrell is not unfamiliar to many people. It is a designer, and finally achieved the position of president of Hyundai Motor Group, and did it for 15 years, his biggest success was to create Kia's "tiger whistle front face" and has been used to this day, the K series model created under his leadership even shook Hyundai's status, he is also the first foreign president in the history of Hyundai Motor Group, and now at the age of 68, he has stepped down as president of Hyundai Group. His time is over!
Participated in volkswagen's fourth-generation golf design
Peter Shireel was born in Germany in 1953. He studied industrial design at the University of Munich and automotive design at the Royal Academy of Arts (RCA). In 1980, he began working officially as an automotive designer at Audi.
He has worked in several design departments at Audi, including exterior, interior and concept design. He was particularly prominent in his work at the California Design Center (1991-1992) and The Concept Design Studio (1992-1993).
He has been responsible for Audi design since 1994, and has participated in the research and development of many models, including the first-generation Audi TT, Audi A2, and he also led the design of A3, A6 and other Major Audi models.
Since 2002, he has been responsible for the design of several Volkswagen Group brands. Among Volkswagens, the design of the fourth-generation Golf and the new Beetle is the most famous. In particular, the 4th generation of golf is evaluated as a model that establishes the design identity of the Volkswagen brand. The subsequent release of the golf-exclusive model also inherited the fourth generation of models.
Note: Kue concept car
He joined Kia in 2006 and made Kia an international brand
Before Peter Cyrell joined Kia, Kia was an Asian brand that couldn't be international. And has always lived in the shadow of modernity. But when Peter Cyrell joined, he reinvigorated the Kia brand through design.
In 2006, Peter Shireer joined Kia as Chief Design Officer of Kia Motors, and Peter Shireel, who has been with the Volkswagen Group for 26 years, has a new challenge.
After joining Kia, Peter Cyrell quickly came up with a concept car, the Kue, which would later be Kia's new Sportage. The concept car received a lot of attention after it was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. The car was also successfully mass-produced, becoming Kia's most successful model at that time.
Photo note: Kee concept car
In the same year, Kia first introduced the concept of "Tiger Howl Front Face" through the sports concept car Kee, and since then the Tiger Whistle Front Face has become the iconic design of the Kia family.
Illustration: K5 sketch
In 2009 and 2010, Kia launched the K7 and K5, respectively, marking the beginning of the K series. With the goal of "harmony between light and line", the K7 injected a youthful atmosphere into the medium and large car market with strong conservative colors at that time. Subsequently, the K5 was dubbed the "World Class Korean Car" and was well received for its unique sporty design.
Volkswagen regrets it
Based on these achievements, Peter Cyrell was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Royal College of Art (RCA). RCA's honorary doctorate is the third car designer after Sergio Pininfarina and Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Ferdinand Pierch, then chairman of the Volkswagen Group, said in his memoirs: "I have never regretted anything in my life, but I regret not stopping Peter Cyrell from going to Kia. ”
Peter Cirrell was the first car designer to join emerging Asian countries from well-known European car manufacturers, and after helping Kia achieve great success, he also made Chinese independent brand manufacturers very envious. So that later until now, Chinese independent brands have also begun to look for famous European designers to join. Opened a new era of the rise of Chinese auto brand design!
From designers to professional managers
Peter Cyrell was promoted to head of design for Hyundai and Kia Motors in 2013. Responsible for the design of two car brands. This reflects the importance that hyundai motor group attaches to him, as well as the recognition of his ability.
While serving as design director for both brands, he focused on maximizing synergies.
Peter Cyrell also changed modern car design. A typical example is the use of hexagonal mid-nets, he was also involved in Hyundai's 6th generation Azun and 3rd generation i30, as well as the EQ900, which announced the launch of the Genisesy brand, as well as the early models of the G80 and G70.
Later, as he grew older, he focused more on recruiting and developing talent as managers rather than designers. Through the connections of Peter Cyrell, former Lamborghini designer Luke Donkvork. Gregory Guillaume, Vice President of Design for Kia Europe, has also joined Hyundai Group.
As a result, Peter Cyrell played an important role in strengthening the position of the company's in-house designer. However, since he was appointed president of design management at Hyundai Motor Group in 2018, his actions have been significantly reduced. The proportion of media interviews and major new car launches has also declined.
Photo note: Hyundai Motor and Genises Design Vice President Lee Sang-yeol
After the Peter Cyrell era!
Peter Cyrell, who worked for the Hyundai Motor Group for 15 years, retired from his position as president and became a "design consultant" for the Hyundai Motor Group. It will continue to serve as a "consultant" related to the design of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. Of course, the industry sees it as a de facto retirement.
In a recent interview, he also expressed a desire to pursue artistic activities rather than industrial design in retirement. Not to mention that he is now a 70-year-old man.
Current vice president of design for Hyundai Motor and Genesis, Sang-yeol Lee, and Kia Design executive director Karim Habib are likely to succeed Peter Cyrell.
In fact, the concerns of those entering the post-Peter Cyrell era are expected to deepen. This is because the era of electrification requires a greater transformation. In addition, Hyundai Motor Group's business areas, such as robotics, urban air mobility (UAM) and destination-based transportation (PBV), are not limited to cars anymore. So Peter Cyrell's successors have a long way to go!