WSJ article on Ralph Gilles, future Ram designer
#1
11-14-2006, 08:44 AM
WSJ article on Ralph Gilles, future Ram designer
Update:
Detroit News has repeated the WSJ article
and put it online at:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...611140347/1148
at the bottom of page B1, and continuing on page B4
of Monday's Wall Street Journal
there is a fairly long article titled:
"Top Auto Designer's Latest Challenge: Perfecting the Pickup
about Chrysler's Ralph Gilles (pronounced Jeels)
who previously designed the Chrysler 300
and has been given the assignment to design
the future Ram pickup.
same quotes:
"Last year Mr Gilles went down to Texas for three days to immerse himself in America's largest pickup truck market, which included a night at Billy Bob's Texas at Fort Worth."
"Because of his quick ascent at Chrysler, Mr. Gilles, a Canadian native of Haitian descent, has become a role model for aspiring car designers and for young Haitians. He has been asked to be head of the Haitian Day parade in Miami.."
"For the future Ram, Mr. Gilles is focusing on giving the truck a more aerodynamic design, which will improve fuel economy and will be tested in Chrysler's $37 million wind tunnel. He says the design team spent three months working on the side-view mirror on the Chrysler 300 to maximize aerodynamics.......The future Dodge Ram will still look bold and aggressive, but Mr. Gilles also notes that pickup trucks, like cars, are becoming more like homes, with contractors needing space for files and room for a laptop computer. That means that designers will spend a lot of time focusing on a refined interior with technological features, like an iPod adapter."
His other big project is monitoring consumer reaction to the new Jeep Compass and Patriot SUVs.
There is also a graphic of the typical Ram owner:
Gender 90% male
Age 50
Median Household income $62,000
Married 70%
College educated 21%
Detroit News has repeated the WSJ article
and put it online at:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...611140347/1148
at the bottom of page B1, and continuing on page B4
of Monday's Wall Street Journal
there is a fairly long article titled:
"Top Auto Designer's Latest Challenge: Perfecting the Pickup
about Chrysler's Ralph Gilles (pronounced Jeels)
who previously designed the Chrysler 300
and has been given the assignment to design
the future Ram pickup.
same quotes:
"Last year Mr Gilles went down to Texas for three days to immerse himself in America's largest pickup truck market, which included a night at Billy Bob's Texas at Fort Worth."
"Because of his quick ascent at Chrysler, Mr. Gilles, a Canadian native of Haitian descent, has become a role model for aspiring car designers and for young Haitians. He has been asked to be head of the Haitian Day parade in Miami.."
"For the future Ram, Mr. Gilles is focusing on giving the truck a more aerodynamic design, which will improve fuel economy and will be tested in Chrysler's $37 million wind tunnel. He says the design team spent three months working on the side-view mirror on the Chrysler 300 to maximize aerodynamics.......The future Dodge Ram will still look bold and aggressive, but Mr. Gilles also notes that pickup trucks, like cars, are becoming more like homes, with contractors needing space for files and room for a laptop computer. That means that designers will spend a lot of time focusing on a refined interior with technological features, like an iPod adapter."
His other big project is monitoring consumer reaction to the new Jeep Compass and Patriot SUVs.
There is also a graphic of the typical Ram owner:
Gender 90% male
Age 50
Median Household income $62,000
Married 70%
College educated 21%
#2
02-16-2007, 02:40 PM
Champion
RE: WSJ article on Ralph Gilles, future Ram designer
I Don't really like that idea at all. I like my big unaerodynamic gas hog of a truck. They're gonna ruin it = (