« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles  (Read 6441 times)

Offline Autos_Editor

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 8326
  • Carma: +91/-560
  • member
    • View Profile
Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« on: March 07, 2016, 07:00:02 am »

We get Ralph to talk about his career, his place in the company and the cars he loves and drives.
Read More...
Logged

Offline Weels

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 6377
  • Carma: +253/-259
  • Gender: Male
  • This is my happy face
    • View Profile
  • Cars: The 5's: 2023 Mazda CX-5, 2016 Mazda MX-5
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2016, 09:31:09 am »
Great interview Leslie -- Ralph really seems an interesting and down to earth guy.
I wouldn't mind hanging around at a church that owned a '69 Alfa! 

I assume he had a hand in design of the Giulia... my god what a sexy machine... :drool:

Logged


Offline tooscoops

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 9526
  • Carma: +325/-227
  • Gender: Male
  • "stealership" employee
    • View Profile
  • Cars: '75 AMC Pacer, '70 Morgan 4/4, '21 Pacifica Hybrid, '21 Wrangler Rubicon
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2016, 11:20:06 am »
always had a lot of respect for ralph... nice to see car guys actually moving up within the companies.
Logged
i used to be addicted to soap, but i'm clean now

Offline Rupert

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 3346
  • Carma: +49/-160
  • member
    • View Profile
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2016, 12:12:44 pm »
   I think that the 300 mentioned is a striking design but can't help thinking that the vehicles it removed were a more advanced concept...LHS, Intrepid. More room inside and FWD. The 300 is a 4 seater, is it not, with a large central tunnel that takes up space. For a while nothing replaced the cancelled vehicles, which were also of nice visual appeal. Maybe they would have sold more of these than the 300 line.
Logged

Offline neil

  • Drunk on Fuel
  • ****
  • Posts: 2912
  • Carma: +20/-68
    • View Profile
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2016, 04:06:34 pm »
Quote from: Rupert on March 07, 2016, 12:12:44 pm
   I think that the 300 mentioned is a striking design but can't help thinking that the vehicles it removed were a more advanced concept...LHS, Intrepid. More room inside and FWD. The 300 is a 4 seater, is it not, with a large central tunnel that takes up space. For a while nothing replaced the cancelled vehicles, which were also of nice visual appeal. Maybe they would have sold more of these than the 300 line.

300 is iconic for me for just the opposite reason.   RWD and V8 power.....  because they can, and it worked.
Logged

Offline Scarecrow

  • Auto Obsessed
  • ***
  • Posts: 928
  • Carma: +41/-17
  • Gender: Male
  • Cars on the brain
    • View Profile
  • Cars: Mazda6, Mazda MX-5 Miata (sold), Shelby 427S/C Cobra, Triumph Tiger 750
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2016, 06:41:00 pm »
I met Ralph a couple weeks ago at the Canada-U.S. auto dinner, where he was the keynote speaker.  Very nice guy.  Someone asked him what his all-time favourite car to drive is.  He started to say the all-new Giulia, but then he confessed the real truth: his Dodge Viper.

I told him I owned a 427 Cobra.  He called it a "real hairy-chested man's car".  I smiled.
Logged
"Anyone who drives faster than you is a Maniac,
and anyone who drives slower is an Idiot." - George Carlin

Offline safristi

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 46229
  • Carma: +471/-416
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Cars: since the beginning of Saf timeLOTUS ELAN,STANDARD... 10, MG midget, MGB (2),Mazda Millennia,Hyundai Veloster and 1997 Ford Ranger 2014 Subaru Forester XT
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2016, 08:39:28 am »
Can Hairy chested women drive it ???     asking for a werewolfen
Logged
Time is to stop everything happening at once

Offline Rupert

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 3346
  • Carma: +49/-160
  • member
    • View Profile
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2016, 10:00:09 am »
Actually, if they had kept the dies and manufacturing paraphernalia for the LHS and Intrepid FWD line and just re-introduced them now...they would be an instant hit IMO. They were just that good in looks as well as design. The cab forward guy went off to make olive oil I suppose.
SRT muscle might impress some but the majority buy 'practical' because they need it. I suppose we still have the Caravan which is still impressive and still tops all others, including the latest Chrysler iteration, and hopefully the 200 will take off. Make this 200 a Dodge Dart with the 3.2L Pentastar  in it and ordinaire valve train. CVVT.
Replace the current Dodge Dart with a Duster version of the 200 ergo new Dart....All FWD.

Hopefully not everyone drools for burnt rubber.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2016, 10:04:00 am by Rupert »
Logged

Offline Scarecrow

  • Auto Obsessed
  • ***
  • Posts: 928
  • Carma: +41/-17
  • Gender: Male
  • Cars on the brain
    • View Profile
  • Cars: Mazda6, Mazda MX-5 Miata (sold), Shelby 427S/C Cobra, Triumph Tiger 750
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2016, 10:08:00 am »
Quote from: safristi on March 13, 2016, 08:39:28 am
Can Hairy chested women drive it ???     asking for a werewolfen

I wonder which is worse...?

Logged

Offline mixmanmash

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 5240
  • Carma: +103/-326
  • member
    • View Profile
  • Cars: 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring; 1993 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo; 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo; 2009 Nissan Rogue S AWD (wife's); 2002 Mazda Protege ES-GT (retired)
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2016, 06:01:22 pm »
Quote from: Rupert on March 13, 2016, 10:00:09 am
Actually, if they had kept the dies and manufacturing paraphernalia for the LHS and Intrepid FWD line and just re-introduced them now...they would be an instant hit IMO. They were just that good in looks as well as design. The cab forward guy went off to make olive oil I suppose.
SRT muscle might impress some but the majority buy 'practical' because they need it. I suppose we still have the Caravan which is still impressive and still tops all others, including the latest Chrysler iteration, and hopefully the 200 will take off. Make this 200 a Dodge Dart with the 3.2L Pentastar  in it and ordinaire valve train. CVVT.
Replace the current Dodge Dart with a Duster version of the 200 ergo new Dart....All FWD.

Hopefully not everyone drools for burnt rubber.

I doubt that.  They were good in their time.  However, the base 2.7L was an oil consuming turd.  The 3.2L was the engine to have.  The 3.5L had its share of issues.  The design was basically a copy of what Renault had done on the Medallion back in the late 80s (longitudinal mount FWD).  In fact, the imported them and later sold them as Eagle Medallions.  Same thing with the Eagle Premier which was the basis for the LH platform.

Looks wise, they looked like a blob to me.  Jelly beanish.

The 200 and Dart are dead.  FCA announced their death already.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2016, 06:04:20 pm by mixmanmash »
Logged

Offline EV-Light

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 8141
  • Carma: +125/-1490
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2016, 10:53:34 pm »
Quote from: Weels on March 07, 2016, 09:31:09 am
Great interview Leslie -- Ralph really seems an interesting and down to earth guy.
I wouldn't mind hanging around at a church that owned a '69 Alfa! 

I assume he had a hand in design of the Giulia... my god what a sexy machine... :drool:

nope...and I am absolutely happy he didn't, every single vehicle FCA has put out under him is....boring.

the Giulia was designed by Marco Tencone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Tencone
Logged

Offline neil

  • Drunk on Fuel
  • ****
  • Posts: 2912
  • Carma: +20/-68
    • View Profile
Re: Interview: Fiat Chrysler's Global Design Chief Ralph Gilles
« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2016, 11:55:30 am »
Quote from: mixmanmash on March 13, 2016, 06:01:22 pm
Quote from: Rupert on March 13, 2016, 10:00:09 am
Actually, if they had kept the dies and manufacturing paraphernalia for the LHS and Intrepid FWD line and just re-introduced them now...they would be an instant hit IMO. They were just that good in looks as well as design. The cab forward guy went off to make olive oil I suppose.
SRT muscle might impress some but the majority buy 'practical' because they need it. I suppose we still have the Caravan which is still impressive and still tops all others, including the latest Chrysler iteration, and hopefully the 200 will take off. Make this 200 a Dodge Dart with the 3.2L Pentastar  in it and ordinaire valve train. CVVT.
Replace the current Dodge Dart with a Duster version of the 200 ergo new Dart....All FWD.

Hopefully not everyone drools for burnt rubber.

I doubt that.  They were good in their time.  However, the base 2.7L was an oil consuming turd.  The 3.2L was the engine to have.  The 3.5L had its share of issues.  The design was basically a copy of what Renault had done on the Medallion back in the late 80s (longitudinal mount FWD).  In fact, the imported them and later sold them as Eagle Medallions.  Same thing with the Eagle Premier which was the basis for the LH platform.

Looks wise, they looked like a blob to me.  Jelly beanish.

The 200 and Dart are dead.  FCA announced their death already.

200 Dart aren't dead yet, they just won't live past this cycle.   FCA needs the plant space for trucks and Jeeps, no point keeping multiple billion dollar assets tied up producing low/no margin economy sedans.   I wouldn't be surprised to see Magna or someone pick up the licencing and tooling and sell the cars back to FCA.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »