Despite the upheaval that is Holden manufacturing, the brand’s design studio will stay decidedly Australian. The news comes from Motoring, after GM Holden Design Director Richard Ferlazzo, stated the studio will not move to a more fashionable location. Currently, the precinct and site the studio is located on is for sale.
Ferlazzo made the comments at a function last week to reveal the latest vehicles the studio has been working on, where he said more information will be available next month on said vehicles.
“We have no intention of moving away from here. This is a fabulous city and we travel anyway. Melbourne is a serious city. Sure we would love to have an advanced studio on the Gold Coast or something like that as well, but we have 150 specialists right here right now,” he said.
GM Australia Design, its formal title, was established over 50 years ago, and has gained much respect from General Motors entirely for its ability to bring a sketch to 3D model, and into a full-scale concept. The Buick Avenir, Chevrolet Bolt EV concept and Opel GT concept are the most recent works with Aussie roots.
Ferlazzo stated he is optimistic for the studio, despite it on track to become the only GM studio with no particular brand loyalty.
“There are studios around the world that are non-GM studios that are just studios in a location. It works as long as you have enough support. Nowadays that just means picking up a phone or having a video conference.”
No Comments yet