Laurens van den Acker
Encyclopedia
Laurens van den Acker is an automobile
designer from the Netherlands
.
Van den Acker studied at the Delft University of Technology
, where he obtained a Master of Engineering at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering.
, Italy
, that worked on the interior of the Bugatti EB110
supercar
.
In 1993, he moved to Audi
as an Exterior Designer in the Ingolstadt
Design Center in Germany
, where he met J Mays
. In 1996 he followed J Mays to SHR Perceptual Management in Newbury Park
as a Senior Designer. Van den Acker joined Ford Motor Company
, where J Mays had become vice-president of Design, in 1998. Late, he became chief designer of the
Brand Imaging Group in Irvine, California. He was involved in designing Ford concepts such as the 427, designed by Joe Baker, Concept U, and Ma; in 2003, he eventually became chief designer on Ford Escape
in the Dearborn Design Center, Michigan (USA). In 2005, he became chief designer of Strategic Design of Ford.
In May 2006 he replaced Moray Callum
as global head of design for Mazda
. He was responsible for the Mazda concepts Nagare
(Los Angeles 2006), Ryuga
(Detroit 2007), and Hakaze (Geneva 2007).
He resigned from Mazda April 2009, and joined Renault
on May 15, 2009. In September 2009, he became Vice President of Renault Corporate Design to replace Patrick le Quément
. He reports to Patrick Pélata, Chief Operating Officer of Renault.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
designer from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Biography
Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology , also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands...
, where he obtained a Master of Engineering at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering.
Career
He began his career in 1990 as a designer at Design System srl in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, that worked on the interior of the Bugatti EB110
Bugatti EB110
The Bugatti EB110 is a mid-engine sports car from Bugatti Automobili SpA. It was unveiled on September 15, 1991, in both Versailles and in front of the Grande Arche at La Défense in Paris, France, exactly 110 years after Ettore Bugatti's birth....
supercar
Supercar
Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...
.
In 1993, he moved to Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
as an Exterior Designer in the Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
Design Center in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he met J Mays
J Mays
J Mays, born in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, U.S., is Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company. His name is simply "J", named after his grandfather, S J Mays.-Background:...
. In 1996 he followed J Mays to SHR Perceptual Management in Newbury Park
Newbury Park, California
The community of Newbury Park, California is located in the western portion of the city of Thousand Oaks and Casa Conejo, an unincorporated area of southeastern Ventura County's Conejo Valley, which is also in the northwestern Greater Los Angeles Area...
as a Senior Designer. Van den Acker joined Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, where J Mays had become vice-president of Design, in 1998. Late, he became chief designer of the
Brand Imaging Group in Irvine, California. He was involved in designing Ford concepts such as the 427, designed by Joe Baker, Concept U, and Ma; in 2003, he eventually became chief designer on Ford Escape
Ford Escape
The Ford Escape is a compact SUV sold by the automaker Ford Motor Company introduced in 2000 as a 2001 model year and priced below the Ford Explorer. Although technically it's a crossover vehicle, it is marketed by Ford as part of its traditional SUV lineup rather than its separate crossover lineup...
in the Dearborn Design Center, Michigan (USA). In 2005, he became chief designer of Strategic Design of Ford.
In May 2006 he replaced Moray Callum
Moray Callum
Moray Callum is an automobile designer from Dumfries in Scotland, currently design director for Ford's North American brands' passenger cars...
as global head of design for Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
. He was responsible for the Mazda concepts Nagare
Mazda Nagare
The Nagare is a concept car that was introduced by Mazda at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Nagare is considered to be an exercise in natural and organic car design to explore the future of Mazda automobiles...
(Los Angeles 2006), Ryuga
Mazda Ryuga
The Mazda Ryuga is a concept car introduced by Mazda and partner Ford Motor Company at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The car, along with the Mazda Nagare which was introduced at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, is an exploratory design study intended to...
(Detroit 2007), and Hakaze (Geneva 2007).
He resigned from Mazda April 2009, and joined Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
on May 15, 2009. In September 2009, he became Vice President of Renault Corporate Design to replace Patrick le Quément
Patrick le Quément
Patrick G. M. Le Quément is a retired French car designer, formerly chief designer of Renault.Born in France but brought up in the United Kingdom, Le Quément holds a BA Hons...
. He reports to Patrick Pélata, Chief Operating Officer of Renault.