After 23 years of overseeing the Chrysler Corporation, Vice
President of Design Trevor Creed retired from the company where he was so well
known for both the popular and unpopular models.Having been involved with models like the
Chrysler 300, the Dodge Viper, and the new Dodge Challenger, Creed had a hand
in many of the most popular recent vehicles, although his name was often
attached to the disappointed of some Mopar die-hard who wanted the Dodge
Charger to come as a coupe.
None-the-less, Creed’s time as VP of Design was a successful
one, but his position is being taken over by former Jeep/Truck and Advance
Interior Design Vice President, Ralph Gilles. The influx of alternative powered vehicles, especially electric hybrids
has caused a tremendous amount of interest and with General Motors currently
leading the US domestic market in their work with the Chevy Volt, Gilles will
likely be expected to turn out more ‘distinctly Dodge’ models along with some
electric powered models.
Gilles began his reign as one of the most influential
individuals in the company on September 1, 2008, and his new position leaves him
responsible for all of the functions performed by the Product Design Office.
Along with the announcement of Creed’s retirement and Gilles
promotion to the now-vacant spot, Andreas Schell was appointed Vice President
of Electrical and the Electronics Engineering Core. Schell has been involved
with Chrysler management since joining the Daimler-Benz staff in 1996.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
