Watch: GAC global design teams collaborating in a virtual world

Watch this episode to discover how they worked on the GAC ENO.146 concept, working remotely from their offices in Guangzhou, Shanghai and LA, and to get an exclusive preview of a car being released later this summer.

Livestream Episode 5 Guest Panellists:

Zhang Fan
Vice President, Head of Design
GAC R&D Center

As Head of Design for GAC R&D Center, Zhang Fan supervises the design for all the models of GAC Group’s own brands. Since he joined GAC in 2011, Zhang Fan has successfully established an international design team with strong expertise and capabilities across three cities in two countries (Guangzhou, Shanghai, Los Angeles) within just a few years. During his tenure, Zhang Fan has led the design team to complete a series of best-selling models like GAC GS8 and GS4, as well as various concept cars such as Witstar, EnSpirit, EnVerge, and ENO.146. The design works have made a profound impact in the car design industry domestically and internationally, which has significantly improved the influence of Chinese original car design.

Zhang Fan worked for Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen as the very first Chinese designer there from 2003 to 2011, during which he led the design of A-Class Concept (2011), which became the landmark for the next generation Mercedes-Benz design language.

Pontus Fontaeus
Executive Design Director
GAC Advanced Design Los Angeles

Pontus Fontaeus is an internationally recognized Swedish Car Designer who graduated from Art Center College of Design in Switzerland 1993. He has nearly 30 years of design experience. Pontus has worked for Volvo, Kia Europe Advanced Design, and Ferrari. Before joining GAC, Pontus was the Design Director for Faraday Future. Pontus has led various projects: V40, S60/V60 V70/S80, and the S80 Refresh Facelift for Volvo, Cee’d, Procee’d, Excee’d and the Kee for Kia, FF and F12 Berlinetta for Ferrari, FFZERO1 and FF91 for Faraday Future.

David Hilton
Director
GAC Advanced Design Shanghai & Design Strategy

Now at GAC since November 2018, David works on globally co-creating new visions, identities, and methodologies for the brand. The most recent co-accomplishment being the internationally created, world aero record-breaking, GAC EN0.146.

David started his career at Ford in 1991, working on several ‘car of the year’ projects globally. After Ford, he successfully ran a design consultancy (MotorCityEurope) until 2012. After MCE, he became Head of Exteriors at Bentley, designing the GT3 and Bentayga. After Bentley, he started at NIO as Senior Design Director creating the world record-breaking NIO EP9, while co-creating the NIO identity.

Host:

Abel Sampson
Publisher
CDN

Abel is the Publisher of CDN which is the world’s leading source of information, advice, and insight for car designers worldwide. CDN’s primary presence is our website which is complemented by our quarterly magazine Interior Motives and our events (Car Design Nights – Shanghai and Geneva), Forums (Tokyo and LA). We also create bespoke books and magazines for the design community worldwide and the Car Design Review.

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