REPRINTED FROM

APRIL 2001 ISSUE

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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Made in SpainCatalonia has become the main automotive design center in Europe, and isnow a reference point for designers seeking inspiration in creating the carsof the future

Spain established its reputation in the fiftiesas an automotive manufacturing centerthanks to low workforce costs and has nowbecome a world automotive power in allsense of the word. Spain is not only theworld’s fifth largest automotive producerand third in Europe, but also home toimportant aesthetic, technical and industrialdevelopment centers.

In recent years, a new phenomenon is takingplace: Barcelona is turning into a hive ofactivity for design centers among the world’slargest automotive groups. Renault, Seat,Nissan, Volvo, Volkswagen and Giugiarohave such facilities in this area. All of them

DESIGN CENTERS

Made in Spain

collaborate in creating both a culturalambiance inspiring their designers and anauxiliary industry able to deal with thedemands of such delicate tasks as thecreation of designs, scale models, prototypesand technical innovations.

Latin passionSeat is the company with the largest designfacilities. They are located right next to theMartorell factory, which allows for directcommunication between the factory andthe design center. Bodywork and interiorstake shape in the Martorell s tylingdepartment, which are based on the technicalplatforms of the Volkswagen group and

then specifica lly modified for Seat.

Visits to these technical centers are shroudedin secrecy: scale models are kept tota llycovered up, drawings hidden, carscamouflag ed, a com plete ban onphotography… New models are the bestkept secrets of each manufacturer who doesnot wish to let its competitors or the publicget even the slightest glimpse of the futureproduct.

The Italian Walter de Silva , one of theworld’s most remarkable designers, has beenthe head of styling at Seat for two yearssince leaving Alfa Romeo. He has a very

Consultants for all manufacturers.Italdesign was the precursor of thearrival of new styling centers inBarcelona.More than styling, the Italian companycarries out entire automotive projectsfrom conception to production,including cost and production designstudies.Italdesign has the latestcommunications and 3D technology inorder to create prototypes and finaldesigns in our country. According toFabrizio Giugiaro, “Italdesign-Giugiaro’ssecret is to design and engineersimultaneously.

The design on paper is the mostimportant.Having received the technicalspecifications, the designers must usetheir imaginations and then begintransferring their ideas onto paper.Sketches are essential during the firststages of design.

Attention to every last detail.

Each part of the car requires aspecific design and evolution. In thephoto, a steering wheel for the SeatToledo.

Computing applications.Computer design and the creation ofthe 1:4 scale model are paralleloperations. The computer stores anexact image of the car’s dimensions.

Seat Formula,

Scale models and designs.

Multitudes of sketches and scale models arecreated in order to stimulate the designteam, as in the case of the Seat 4x4 shownin the picture. In the background is one ofthe brand’s designers.

Seat prototypes, such as the Fórmula, are designed inMartorell. Some features such as the front grill will be seenin future models.

and is kept secret from them. It is a way todoubly s tim ulate imaginat ion andcompetitiveness.”

The integral design ofmodelsNissan, with its styling and technical centersin Barcelona and Madrid; Volkswagen, withan impressive building dedicated to thegroup’s design in Sitges; Volvo, soon to beopening a studio in the city center; orIta ldesign, the Giugiaro company thatcollaborates on an independent basis withdifferent manufacturers. These majorplayers, all in Spain, make up the group ofcreators that are and have been designingthose vehicles that will fill the world’s roadsin the next years. All of this plus anunquestionable Latin style which nourishesitself on Mediterranean inspiration and thewell-being of the Spanish auxiliary industries.

Alex Adalid/Photos: Jordán Bastoni/C&D.

“In Barcelona, togetherwith Berlin, Paris andLondon, European designis being incubated”.Thierry Métroz

ItalDesignItaldesign-GiugiaroIsaac Peral, 13. 08960Sant Just Desvern (Barcelona).Tel: 93 480 92 33OPENING. 1992TECHNICAL TEAM. Designers,engineers and productiontechnicians.ACTIVITIES. Prototypes, seriesmodels, manufacturing studies.LATEST DESIGNS. Aston MartinTwenty-Twenty, Maserati Buran,Bugatti EB 112.

VolkswagenDesign Center EuropeAvda. Navarra s/n. 08870 Sitges(Barcelona).Tel: 93 811 42 05.Director: Gregory Guillaume.OPENING. 1994TECHNICAL TEAM. Designers andengineers.ACTIVITIES. Production designs andprototypes for Seat, Volkswagen andAudi.LATEST DESIGNS. Volkswagen Golf,Volkswagen Passat, Seat Ibiza, futureAudi A3, Volkswagen Polo and SeatSalsa.

Bentley, Bugatt i, Lamborghini…The Volkswagen group has a designcenter for each of its brands and twocommon centers, one in California andthe other in Sitges. The Spanish centerdoes work for Volkswagen, Seat andAudi, presenting designs that competewith those of the factory. The commoncenters could also work for Bentley,Bugatti or Lamborghini, all VW brands.

VolvoVolvo Group Design SpainC/ Diputació, 246. 08007 BarcelonaTel: 93 342 63 80.Director: David Ancona.OPENING. 2001 (May/June)TECHNICAL TEAM. Designers andengineers.ACTIVITIES. Creating a line of futureVolvo models, prototypes and seriesvehicles.LATEST DESIGNS. They will beworking on prototypes and restyling.They will also investigate marketniches for derivative models in thepresent Volvo offering.

Ideas for the future.David Ancona is head of the stylingcenter soon to be opened by Volvo indowntown Barcelona, the company’sthird center after those in Sweden andin California. “Here we are going tocreate the design for future Volvos,although we shall also present somerestyling ideas and models for immediateproduction”.

VW Golf

IN BARCELONASeatSeat DesignCrta N-II km. 585.08760 Martorell (Barcelona).Tel: 93 773 14 00.Director: Walter de Silva.OPENING. 1992.TECHNICAL TEAM. Designers,scale model builders, computerengineers, engineers.ACTIVITIES. Series models,restyling, prototypes andinterior design.LATEST DESIGNS. Seat León,Seat Salsa, Seat Toledo III (for2004)

Expert in ‘cars of the year’.

The Italian De Silva revived theAlfa with designs of the 156 and147. The head of Seat designbacks models with lots ofcharacter.

WalterDe SilvaVolvo SCC

Sportier.“Once we have established a reputation for the top of the range models,” saysMétroz– Renault, “we will begin creating more emotional cars”.

Imagination is the key element.Designers create different forms that takeshape on paper. If they are very radical,then prototypes are made in order to testthe public’s reaction.

Clay scale models.Artisan-quality scale models are producedat 1:4 or 1:5 in order to study proportionsand details for the definitive design. A largenumber of scale models are produced priorto selecting the final model .

Computerized studies.CAD programs enable crash-test simulationand are used to determine the dimensionsfor the interior, boot, tanks etc., as well ascolors, shapes and production methods.

Test prototypes.Once dimensions and design have been fullydefined, 1:1 scale models and prototypes arebuilt. These wil l be driven thousands ofkilometers to check and test thecomponents.

Launching.The designers have done their job. Now themarketing specialists will exhibit the modelto the press at various motor shows. Muchof the car’s success depends on its design.

Nissan Z

Renault Velsatis

How a car is designed

Only in California is there such a high concentration of design centers as in Barcelona. Several manufacturers create their automotive lines in Spain.

Interior revolution.According to Renault, the inside of theautomobile is going to radically changeits look in the future.

RenaultRenault Des ign Barce lonaC/ Trafa lgar 38-46. 08010Barcelona.Tel: 93 268 32 00.Dir ect or: Thi er r y Mét roz .OPENING. 2000.TECHNICAL TEAM. Designers,scale model builders andengineers.ACTIVITIES. Prototypes, seriesvehicles, aesthetic restyling andtechnical innovations.LATEST DESIGNS, Collaborationwith the Renault Avantime,restyling the Clio II and the newRenault Scénic.

The different design centersbase their proposals on a setof guidelines developed byeac h m a nu fac t u re r ’stec hnical and marketingdepartments. After choosingthe best proposal, the teamstart s to work unt il t heproject’s definitive lines areapproved. Then is when theproduction process starts.

1 2 3 4 5

Above all, mechanics.Nissan’s technical anddesign centers in Spaincarry out minor aestheticsand m or e in- dept htechnical modifications.In co-ordination with thecenters in England andGermany, motors areredesigned and industriallines are created (motors,components, etc.) to beapplied in its factoriesthroughout the world.

NissanNissan Technical Center SpainZona Franca Sector B C/ 3.08040 Barcelona. Tel: 93 29080 80. Director: Adrián PérezOPENING. 1998TECHNICAL TEAM. Motorengineers, stylists, computerengineers.ACTIVITIES. Development ofmechani cs and produc tiontechniques.LATEST DESIGNS. Restyling ofthe Terrano II, Di engines, VanetteCargo.

Young team workThe styling centers gather together youngpeople of different nationalities from industrialsectors to contribute novel ideas to automobiledesign.

Scale models as well.Renault turns to theauxiliary industry tomake scale models.Although it is morecommon in Spain towork with sketchesand ideas, a fullprototype can becreated.

Extensive discussions.The design team discusses a detail of the dashboardwith Patrick Le Quément, Director of Design and Qualityfor the Renault group and author of recent models.

Inspiration for utility vehiclesPrototypes are used in market research run surveys prior to manu-facturing cars in series. The Vel Satis, for example, which startedout merely as a design exercise, is to go into production in May.

strong identification with the brand; theproducts that are succeeding are not goingto change radically but what they will do isrespond to new rivals with original ideas”.

In search of inspirationRenault has set up in Barcelona in searchof inspiration for its designers. In additionto Tecnocenter in Paris, the French companynow has its second design center inBarcelona where a team of 12 professionalsare hard at work on prototypes andproduction cars. Secrecy is absolute andcrossing the threshold to converse with

Thierry Métroz, Manager of Renault DesignBarcelona is far from easy.

“This city is ideal because it is a melting potfor the traditional bourgeoisie and its youngpeople brimming with European ideas.There is an extensive cultural offer and thisinspires our designers”.

Despite the relaxed atmosphere, they getdown to the essentials in Renault. “We workon new models following a precise set ofspecifications. What we propose is incompetition with what is proposed in Paris

clear vision of the car of the future: “Theautomobile will be integrated in theInformation Society, contributing to thesafety and quality of life and increasing itsmeaning as an extension of one’spersonality”.

For de Silva, Seat is a young, dynamicbrand that belongs to a huge automobilegroup. “With respect to other styling centerslocated here, Seat is an integral center whereeach feature of the car is designed: initialproposals, scale models, prototypes andfinal production models. We intend to create