Walter de'Silva
Encyclopedia
Walter Maria de'Silva is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) is an Italian car designer who is currently Head of Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
Design, and is currently responsible for oversight on the design of all Volkswagen Group passenger car brands including 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....
, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
, Škoda
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
as well as Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
and Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
. Since beginning his car design career in 1972 as head of design for FIAT
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, de'Silva has also worked as a designer at I.DE.A Institute
I.DE.A Institute
I.DE.A Institute is an automobile design and engineering company in Turin, Italy, founded in 1978...
, and as head of design for Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
, SEAT and the now defunct 'Audi brand group'.
Fiat 1972-1977
Walter de'Silva began his career in 1972 at age 21, working for Centro Stile FIAT.I.DE.A. Institute 1977-1986
After his experience at Fiat, Walter de'Silva worked at the I.DE.A. Institute in Turin, Italy for nine years under the direction of Franco Mantegazza and Renzo PianoRenzo Piano
Renzo Piano is an Italian architect. He is the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, AIA Gold Medal, Kyoto Prize and the Sonning Prize...
.
Alfa Romeo 1986-1999
In 1986 Walter de'Silva was recruited away from the I.DE.A. Institute to become head of Alfa Romeo's Centro Stile. Walter de'Silva remained in this role until 1999.At Alfa Romeo, de'Silva led the renewal of the brand's design language and repositioning.
SEAT 1999-2002
In 1999 Ferdinand PiëchFerdinand Piëch
Ferdinand Karl Piëch is an Austrian business magnate, engineer and executive who is currently the chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen Group....
assigned Walter de'Silva to work for the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
's SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
division, with the aim of injecting verve and sportiness to SEAT's design. The result was SEAT's 'auto emoción' philosophy which was first demonstrated in the 2000 SEAT Salsa
SEAT Salsa
The SEAT Salsa is a concept car presented at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, as a foretaste of SEAT's new design line under Walter de'Silva. Featuring a three-door coupé body style, it is powered by a 2.8L 24 valve V6 engine....
and the 2001 SEAT Tango
SEAT Tango
The SEAT Tango roadster is a concept car presented at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, designed by a team directed by Walter de Silva with the contribution of SEAT's chief of exterior design, Steve Lewis...
concept cars, as a foretaste of SEAT's new design language, with the latter receiving in 2002 the 'Autonis Award' in the Concept Car category. His more expressive design approach has since influenced the form and look of numerous cars, such as the 2002 SEAT Córdoba
SEAT Córdoba
The first generation SEAT Córdoba was presented at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in the summer of the same year, penned by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and based on the chassis of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 which would spawn the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 the following year.Its 1.4, 1.6, 1.8...
and SEAT Ibiza
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
, as well as the 2004 SEAT Altea
SEAT Altea
The SEAT Altea is a compact MPV produced by Spanish automaker SEAT, S.A. and named after Altea, Spain. The vehicle was designed by the Italian Walter de'Silva and launched in 2004 as the first example of SEAT's new corporate look...
and 2005 SEAT León
SEAT León
The SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
which were highly acclaimed and subsequently received several design awards (e.g. Red dot design award, Autonis award, 'The World's Most Beautiful Automobile 2004' award in Milan etc.).
Audi brand group 2002-2007
In March 2002 Walter de'Silva was appointed Head of Design to the now-defunct Audi brand group which encompassed the Audi, SEAT and Lamborghini brands. Volkswagen Group management charged de'Silva with giving the Audi range a more emotional design language which included the controversial introduction of the full-height, single-frame front grille that now adorns all Audi models. His first full design for a production Audi was the 2004 A6Audi A6
The Audi A6 is an executive car marketed by the German automaker Audi AG, now in its fourth generation. As the successor to the Audi 100, the A6 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany – and is available in saloon, and wagon configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant.All generations...
. He has since gone on to contribute to the 2005 Audi Q7
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2007. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009...
, 2006 Audi TT
Audi TT
The Audi TT is a two-door sports car manufactured by the German automaker and Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi since 1998.The Audi TT has been produced in two generations. Both generations have been available in two car body styles; as a 2+2 Coupé, or two-seater Roadster...
and the 2007 Audi A5
Audi A5
The Audi A5 is a coupé produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi since 2007. It is the coupé, cabriolet, and five-door fastback versions of the fourth generation Audi A4 saloon and estate models....
, which is reportedly his favourite design.
Volkswagen Group 2007-present
Following the appointment of former Audi chairman Martin WinterkornMartin Winterkorn
Martin Winterkorn is the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, the parent company of the Volkswagen Group, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Audi and Porsche Automobil Holding SE....
as the chairman of the Volkswagen Group in January 2007, de'Silva was appointed as Head of Volkswagen Group Design effective from February 01, 2007, and is now responsible for the overall strategic design direction of all VW passenger car brands including Škoda, SEAT, Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. de'Silva replaced Murat Günak
Murat Günak
Murat Günak born 9 August 1957 in Istanbul, is the former head designer of Volkswagen. On basis of a mandate through his consultant company MGMO GmbH he was CEO of Mindset AG between July 2008 and January 2009....
, and his first task was to re-evaluate the designs of three then-imminent Volkswagen models which had been penned by his predecessor: the 2008 Golf
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
, the 2008 Passat CC
Volkswagen Passat CC
The Volkswagen Passat CC is a 4-door coupé version of the Volkswagen Passat. It debuted in January 2008 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit...
and the 2008 Scirocco
Volkswagen Scirocco
The Scirocco is a 3-door Coupe manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.-Etymology:...
.
Designs
- Alfa RomeoAlfa RomeoAlfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
- Alfa Romeo SZAlfa Romeo SZThe Alfa Romeo SZ or ES-30 is a high-performance limited-production sports car/road-concept car built between 1989 and 1991 with partnership via Centro Stile Zagato, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Centro Stile Fiat...
(1989) - Alfa Romeo 33 Series (1989)
- Alfa Romeo 155Alfa Romeo 155The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998.-Design:Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its...
(1992) - Alfa Romeo 145 & 146Alfa Romeo 145The Alfa Romeo 145 and 146 are small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1994 and 2001. They were launched at the 1994 Turin Motor Show...
(1994) - Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderAlfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo GTV and Alfa Romeo Spider were two sports cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006....
(1997) - Alfa Romeo 156Alfa Romeo 156The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
(1997) - Alfa Romeo 166Alfa Romeo 166The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003.- History :...
(1998)
- Alfa Romeo SZ
- SEATSEATSEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
- SEAT Salsa & Salsa EmociónSEAT SalsaThe SEAT Salsa is a concept car presented at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, as a foretaste of SEAT's new design line under Walter de'Silva. Featuring a three-door coupé body style, it is powered by a 2.8L 24 valve V6 engine....
(2000) - SEAT Tango roadster/spyder/coupé/RacerSEAT TangoThe SEAT Tango roadster is a concept car presented at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, designed by a team directed by Walter de Silva with the contribution of SEAT's chief of exterior design, Steve Lewis...
(2001) - SEAT IbizaSEAT IbizaThe SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
(2002) - SEAT CórdobaSEAT CórdobaThe first generation SEAT Córdoba was presented at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in the summer of the same year, penned by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and based on the chassis of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 which would spawn the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 the following year.Its 1.4, 1.6, 1.8...
(2002) - SEAT Altea PrototipoSEAT Altea PrototipoThe SEAT Altea Prototipo is a 2+2 seater concept car presented by SEAT for the first time at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the first SEAT model to be produced inside the Audi brand group unveiled with the aim to give a preview of the SEAT Altea's definitive road version which was meant to be...
(2003) - SEAT AlteaSEAT AlteaThe SEAT Altea is a compact MPV produced by Spanish automaker SEAT, S.A. and named after Altea, Spain. The vehicle was designed by the Italian Walter de'Silva and launched in 2004 as the first example of SEAT's new corporate look...
(2004) - SEAT ToledoSEAT ToledoThe second generation Toledo was introduced in 1998 and made its debut at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as a four-door notchback sedan. It was more rounded than the previous first generation shape and had a much more fluid design, although both were products of Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio...
(2004) - SEAT LeónSEAT LeónThe SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
(2005)
- SEAT Salsa & Salsa Emoción
- AudiAudiAudi 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....
- Audi A6 (2004)
- Audi Q7Audi Q7The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2007. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009...
(2005) - Audi R8 (2006)
- Audi TTAudi TTThe Audi TT is a two-door sports car manufactured by the German automaker and Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi since 1998.The Audi TT has been produced in two generations. Both generations have been available in two car body styles; as a 2+2 Coupé, or two-seater Roadster...
(2006) - Audi A5Audi A5The Audi A5 is a coupé produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi since 2007. It is the coupé, cabriolet, and five-door fastback versions of the fourth generation Audi A4 saloon and estate models....
(2007) - Audi A3Audi A3The Audi A3 is a small family car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1996. Two generations of A3 exist, both based on the Volkswagen Group A platform, which they share with several other models such as the Audi TT, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Caddy and Volkswagen Touran as well as SEAT...
(Typ 8P/8PA) (2003)
- VolkswagenVolkswagenVolkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
- Volkswagen GolfVolkswagen GolfThe Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
(2008) - Volkswagen Passat CCVolkswagen Passat CCThe Volkswagen Passat CC is a 4-door coupé version of the Volkswagen Passat. It debuted in January 2008 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit...
(2008) - Volkswagen SciroccoVolkswagen SciroccoThe Scirocco is a 3-door Coupe manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.-Etymology:...
(2008) - Volkswagen PoloVolkswagen PoloThe Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
(2009) - Volkswagen Amarok (2010)
- Volkswagen JettaVolkswagen JettaAlthough the Golf had reached considerable success, in the North American markets, Volkswagen observed that the hatchback body style lacked some of the appeal to those who preferred the traditional three-box configuration...
(2010) - Volkswagen PassatVolkswagen PassatThe Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
(2010) - Volkswagen SharanVolkswagen SharanThe Volkswagen Sharan is a large MPV produced by the German automaker Volkswagen since 1995.-First generation :The name Sharan is derived from a Persian word meaning "Carrier of Kings"....
(2010) - Volkswagen TouaregVolkswagen TouaregThe Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 2002. The vehicle was named after the Tuareg people, a Berber-speaking group in North Africa...
(2010) - Volkswagen Beetle (2011)
- Volkswagen up!Volkswagen up!The Volkswagen up! is an upcoming series of city cars, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family series of models, unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show . Production of the up! will start on 3 December 2011 in Germany, and elsewhere, in 2012....
(2011)
- Volkswagen Golf
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