Design Interview: Ikuo Maeda, Mazda

Ikuo Maeda is annoyed. His first race of the 2018 Roadster Party Race, a one-make championship for Mazda MX-5s, didn’t go well; he finished in tenth place, yet last year he ended the season in second.

“This is so bad for me,” he says. Maeda knows what the problem is: he needs more time for physical exercise and for testing the car, so he can get the best from man and machine. “Every time I went to the circuit, most of the people have already been there, testing extensively.”

Maeda doesn’t just design Mazdas; he races them (photo from MZRacing)

The problem with motor racing, it seems, is how much time you need to commit to be the best – and Maeda is not exactly twiddling his thumbs at Mazda; as Managing Executive Officer, in charge of design and brand style, the 58-year old spends his every waking hour pondering how Mazda and its cars can become more desirable.

Mazda is not alone in this mission, either. For instance, in May, at the 2018 Future of the Car Summit, Hakan Samuelsson told Car Design News that design is probably at the root of Volvo’s successful transformation over the past decade. “Ten years ago we’d ask consumers about their priorities and it would be fuel consumption or quality. Today the two top issues are exterior design and interior design,” said Samuelsson.

In other words, leaders such as Maeda are more crucial than ever to a company’s long-term prosperity. But the question had to be asked: If Maeda were to visit next May, would he still be leading Mazda’s design department?

Ikuo Maeda and Kevin Rice discussing the Vision Coupe

But it was tricky to extract an answer from a distracted Maeda during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, Mazda had been invited to display its acclaimed Vision Coupe alongside other concept cars and prototypes from BMW, Ferrari and Genesis. It is one of his favourite events of the year, a place where designers congregate, deals are done and classic cars sparkle like jewels under the midday sun.

Our ‘Concept Car of the Year’ at Villa d’Este

And it’s where you meet legends too. While at Villa d’Este, making small talk over a coffee, Giorgetto Giugiaro spots him and strides over. It’s all smiles, warm embraces and animated conversation.

“He visited my house on several occasions,” recalls Maeda. “I knew when he was coming, because my parents would tell me I had to be on my very best behaviour. My father respected him greatly.”

Magnificent Miura moved Maeda (image from ‘concorsodeleganza_vde’ Instagram)

It soon becomes apparent that Maeda is influenced by the golden era of designers like Giugiaro – the classic sports cars of the ’60s and ’70s. Cars like the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, Jaguar E-Type and Lamborghini Miura earn his praise as he wanders the grounds of Villa d’Este.

He wants, he says, to capture some of their effortless elegance and perfect proportions in the next generation of Mazda models.

Inside Mazda’s European design studio

Mazda employs 280 people across its global design studios – some car companies will have that number of people working exclusively on details, such as switchgear, instruments or headlamps. Does the company’s modest scale help or hinder attracting new talent? Maeda is typically diplomatic, but you sense a memo requesting a new design studio in Japan has been issued to the board.

“It is kind of tough,” says Maeda, “because most of the younger, talented designers need to have a nice-looking studio for work. Our Hiroshima studio, built more than 30 years ago, looks old-fashioned, so in terms of the environment, it’s not qualified [to attract talent]. But at a philosophical level, younger designers are very interested to see what Mazda is doing. They sense our change.”

The quality of Mazda’s design is impressive for a smaller-scale company

“There’s nothing better for attracting young talent than creating good cars,” adds Mazda Europe design director Kevin Rice. “At our European studio, in Germany, for the past four years I’d say, every week we receive applications from designers who want to work for Mazda, in Germany, because they love the cars and the new design rhythm.”

Part of that rhythm comes from the art of clay modelling. Introducing the Kodo theme, and now evolving it, has only been possible because of the craftsmanship within Mazda.

Clay modelling is still alive and well at Mazda

“Since they first started modelling cars, the craftsmen have reached a very high level of skill. Other car companies do not have the skill necessary to create these surfaces,” says Rice.

Will that talent go to waste, though? Although a new Mazda 3 (previewed by the Kai concept car) will be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November, many onlookers agree that the company needs a halo model to sit above the MX-5 sports car – a spiritual successor to the RX-7, the car his father designed, and the RX-8, the car he created.

Maeda senior shows Maeda junior his work: the first RX-7

More than anything, it’s the project that would fulfil Maeda – “This is my life’s work and dream,” he tells us – but the economics mean more of their profitable cars, like the CX-3 and CX-5 crossovers, need to be sold before any sports car could be approved by the board.

Would a partnership with another car company help the economics of such a project? Apparently not. Senior management, mostly made up of people with an engineering background, is determined to produce cars according to Mazda’s principles.

Maeda with the 2015 RX-Vision concept

And while Mazda is focussed on enhancing its brand image, other car makers are rushing into autonomous vehicle technology. It’s an area that seems to contradict Mazda’s stance of driver and machine being in perfect harmony.

With his 10-year turnaround plan behind him, next April, will Maeda stick around long enough to see the next chapter in the development of the car?

“A couple of days drinking Italian red wine, a couple of days training and a couple of days motor racing would be my ideal!” he jokes.

Heroic 787B stares down the virtual-only, Kodo-style LM55 Vision GT

But back in reality, rather than bringing a sports car project to fruition, he’d like to see Mazda return to competition at the Le Mans 24 Hours, which it won in 1991 with the rotary-powered 787B – beating Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche and Peugeot.

But none of this answers the original question: Are there plans in place for succession at the head of Mazda’s design department?

“This is the toughest subject that I have at the moment…” is all he’ll say.

There was never going to be a direct answer, but given his competitive streak, don’t expect the 58-year old to hang up his driving gloves and step away from Mazda just yet.