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A trusted team: Christopher Bangle hands over his post as Head of Design at the BMW Group to Adrian van Hooydonk.

"A clear and aesthetic route into the future" / Adrian van Hooydonk to continue to build on the BMW Group's design philosophy.

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Munich. Christopher E. Bangle, the BMW Group's Head of Design, has
worked closely with Adrian van Hooydonk in BMW Group design development
for nearly17 years. Now he is handing over his post to van Hooydonk,
who is currently Head of BMW Automobile Design. "Christopher
Bangle has had a lasting impact on the identity of BMW Group's brands.
His contribution to the company's success has been decisive, and
together with his teams he has mapped out a clear and aesthetic route
into the future," said Dr Klaus Draeger, BMW AG's Board Member for
Development. Dr Draeger went on to explain that the BMW Group was
currently "in an excellent position", thanks to a broad
portfolio of automobiles and several new vehicle concepts due for
market launch in the coming months and years. The BMW AG Management
Board, he added, is looking forward to working with van Hooydonk as
Head of BMW Group Design - a man who shares Bangle's fascination for
technology and aesthetics, tradition and innovation. Dr Draeger
affirmed that van Hooydonk would be in a position to continue to build
on a design philosophy, which extends across the BMW Group's brands.
Bangle's plan to pursue his own design-related endeavours beyond the
auto industry marks the start of a new phase in his life while
maintaining strong ties with the BMW Group. Over the years numerous
designs for new vehicles and vehicle concepts have been developed under
Christopher Bangle's leadership. As well as continuing the BMW 3, 5 and
7 Series, he and his teams were responsible for a range of other
models, including the BMW Z3, BMW Z4, BMW X5, BMW Z8, BMW X3, the new
BMW 6 Series, the BMW X6 and the BMW 1 Series. Other developments under
the auspices of Christopher Bangle include the new MINI and Rolls-Royce
models and a number of innovative motorcycle concepts. During his
tenure, Christopher Bangle was also instrumental in making the
company's consultancy subsidiary, BMW Group DesignworksUSA, what it is
today: a global design agency in North America, Munich and Singapore
for leading international brands and companies in a wide variety of
industries. Thanks to their outstanding design quality numerous
products from all three of the BMW Group's automobile brands have won a
host of renowned awards from around the world. Bangle has always had a
special aptitude for working with his teams to strengthen the
identities and unmistakable images of the BMW Group's brands and to
inspire design innovations, said Dr Draeger, Board Member for
Development. Over the years he has received a dozen patents for his
technical applications and design. These, along with the one hundred
additional patents awarded to the BMW Group Design under Bangle's
auspices, are a testimony to his creative and innovative power. Born
in the USA, Christopher Bangle, aged 52, has been Head of BMW Group
Design Development since October 1992. After studying at the University
of Wisconsin and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, he began
his working life in Rüsselsheim, where he worked for Adam Opel AG.
In 1985 he joined FIAT, where he became Director of the FIAT Centro
Stile in 1992. Shortly afterwards he left the Italian automaker to come
to Munich. Throughout his career with the BMW Group Bangle's right-hand
man has been Adrian van Hooydonk, who is now set to become his
successor. He described van Hooydonk as "truly a top professional
in our business," adding, "I am sure that the many strong
design strategies he has helped us create for the BMW Group will
continue to develop and evolve." Adrian van Hooydonk, aged 44,
will take over as Director of BMW Group Design with immediate effect.
In his new position he will be responsible for design development for
the BMW, Rolls-Royce and MINI brands. Born in the Netherlands, van
Hooydonk studied at Delft Polytechnic University in Holland and later at
the Art Center Europ in Vevey, Switzerland, until 1992. From there he
came to Munich, where he joined BMW as a designer. In the year 2000 he
went to California to work for the BMW Group subsidiary Designworks
USA. He was Director of the internationally renowned design agency from
2001 to 2004. Then, under Bangle as the BMW Group's Head of Design, he
became Head of the Brand Design Studio for BMW Automobiles. The BMW 6
Series and 7 Series lines clearly bear the hallmark of van Hooydonk's
design influence, as do the Z9 Concept Car, the BMW Concept CS (unveiled
in 2007) and the M1 Hommage Study. In 1997 van Hooydonk created the ACV
30 Show Car for MINI and more recently he and his team have developed
the designs for the new BMW 7 Series and Z4 as well as for the Concept
Progessive Activity Sedan, which celebrates its premiere at the Geneva
Auto Show in early March 2009. "I am honoured and extremely
excited to take on this new responsibility", says van Hooydonk.
"BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce produce the best cars and motorcycles
in their segment, and I am really looking forward to being able to
contribute to the future development of these brands." Speaking of
his hopes for the years to come, van Hooydonk added: "I have no
doubt that there are challenges ahead, but BMW's depth in engineering
and the passion of its talented design team are as strong as ever.
Together I am sure we will be able to create some very sophisticated
and extremely attractive concepts."

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