Erwin Leo Himmel
Encyclopedia
Erwin Leo Himmel is a renowned automobile designer. He was one of the first designers who recognized the future importance of a consistent brand design in the automotive industry.
, Austria. After finishing high school, he started to study architecture at the Graz University of Technology
. In the second year of his studies, he read an article about automobile design, where he recognized the existence of the profession of an automobile designer. While studying further he taught himself to sketch cars by copying drawings he found in magazines. He trained himself for more than one year and became freer and freer in his style. After preparing a portfolio of his own designs, he applied for a job as an automobile designer in Germany
. Getting accepted by Audi
, Ford, and Volkswagen
, Himmel decided to quit his studies and took the job at Audi. The former chief designer of Audi Hartmut Warkuss saw his talent and potential immediately and offered him a scholarship for the Royal College of Art
in London
, the international elite college in design. Himmel attended the full two-year master program and graduated in 1981 as ‘Master of Design’. These years in London, where he got to know people such as Raymond Loewy
, were one of the most influencing times in his life.
After graduating he came back to the design centre of Audi in Ingolstadt
, Germany, and started his career. Himmel was responsible for virtually the entire range of models from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, like the Audi 80 Sedan, Avant, Coupe and Cabriolet, Audi 100 Sedan and Avant, and the Audi V8. In this creative environment he enjoyed working together with other designers such as J Mays
and Peter Schreyer
. In 1990, he became Director of Audi’s Munich
-based design studio where he had the idea to develop a new concept. A design icon was born: the Audi Quattro Spyder, the highlight of the “Frankfurt
IAA” in 1991 and a milestone in the design history of Audi.
Design Centre Europe, 1995–1999
In 1994, Erwin Leo Himmel realizing the establishment of the first external design centre of the whole Volkswagen Group in Europe
. After a long process of searching, the strategic choice of location fell on Barcelona
, Spain
. A suitable piece of land was found in Sitges
, a seaside town next to Barcelona. Himmel was responsible for the planning and realization of the newly built 130-people design facility, which was named “DCE – Design Centre Europe”. He worked there for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda. Such successful designs as the Audi A8, S3 and RS4, and Volkswagen Touareg, Touran and essential parts of Golf IV and Phaeton were created.
Fuore Design, 2000–2007
At the end of 1999, Himmel was offered the position of chief designer at Skoda, but he decided instead to start his own business. And so he founded the independent 35-people design studio “Fuore Design” in the heart of Barcelona. Beside the core business of automotive design, he specialized in brand consulting.
He consulted Mitsubishi
in their process of finding a new design language, and created the two concept cars, the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution and Pajero Evolution 2+2, which were presented at the 2001 “Frankfurt IAA” and the 2002 “Geneva Salon International de l’Auto”. After the great feedback at the shows, Himmel was also responsible for the design development of the Dakar Rally
multiple-champion racing car Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution.
Subaru
had a strategic relationship with Fuore. Himmel developed a new brand design strategy. His concept car Subaru B11S showed the new philosophy at the 2003 “Geneva Salon International de l’Auto”. The current models Subaru R1, R2 and B9 Tribeca were created by him, too. With the ‘XF 10’ and the ‘BlackJag’, Himmel presented his first self-developed show cars at the 2003 “Barcelona Salón Internacional del Automóvil” and the 2004 “Geneva Salon International de l’Auto”. Himmel worked for almost every leading corporate group in the automotive sector. After a hard year in 2006 and a bad forecast of incoming contracts in 2007, Himmel did not see a good enough economic perspective to continue and decided to liquidize the company at the middle of 2007.
, too. Panasonic
signed a strategic relationship with Fuore. Out of it, Himmel created such things as a cell-phone, an mp3-player, a home cinema system, a telephone, an air conditioner and other white goods for Panasonic. He also worked for companies such as LG
and Samsung
. Another field was transportation design, especially the exterior and interior design of trains. For example, Himmel developed the design of a new high-speed train for Talgo
. He also designed interiors of airplanes. His ‘biggest’ project was a cruise liner for an American ocean carrier. Furthermore, he also did a lot of work in the motorcycle industry. He designed nearly every kind of size, from the scooter up to the superbike, including the development of a new design language for the world’s biggest motorcycle producer Honda
. A great pleasure for him was the work for the luxury industry, especially for TAG Heuer
. Moreover, he designed a bath ceramic series, for example for Roca.
All these products gave Himmel the chance to broaden his horizon in design and marketing, concerning new markets, customers and their mentalities. With the new impressions, it was also possible for him to optimize the processes in the design development, including a faster and more efficient way in automobile design.
Background
Born as the second of two sons in 1956, Erwin Leo Himmel grew up in LeibnitzLeibnitz
Leibnitz is a city in the Austrian state of Styria and at the 2001 census had a population of approximately 7.577 .It is located to the south of the city of Graz, between the Mur and Sulm rivers....
, Austria. After finishing high school, he started to study architecture at the Graz University of Technology
Graz University of Technology
The Graz University of Technology is the second largest university in Styria, Austria, after the University of Graz. Austria has three universities of technology – in Graz, in Leoben, and in Vienna. The Graz University of Technology was founded in 1811 by Archduke John of Austria. TUG, as the...
. In the second year of his studies, he read an article about automobile design, where he recognized the existence of the profession of an automobile designer. While studying further he taught himself to sketch cars by copying drawings he found in magazines. He trained himself for more than one year and became freer and freer in his style. After preparing a portfolio of his own designs, he applied for a job as an automobile designer 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...
. Getting accepted by 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....
, Ford, and 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...
, Himmel decided to quit his studies and took the job at Audi. The former chief designer of Audi Hartmut Warkuss saw his talent and potential immediately and offered him a scholarship for the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the international elite college in design. Himmel attended the full two-year master program and graduated in 1981 as ‘Master of Design’. These years in London, where he got to know people such as Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy was an industrial designer, and the first to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, on October 31, 1949. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States...
, were one of the most influencing times in his life.
Automotive design
Audi, 1982–1994After graduating he came back to the design centre of Audi in 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...
, Germany, and started his career. Himmel was responsible for virtually the entire range of models from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, like the Audi 80 Sedan, Avant, Coupe and Cabriolet, Audi 100 Sedan and Avant, and the Audi V8. In this creative environment he enjoyed working together with other designers such as 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:...
and Peter Schreyer
Peter Schreyer
Peter Schreyer is an automobile designer, widely known for his design contributions to the Audi TT and as the Chief Design Officer at Kia Motors ....
. In 1990, he became Director of Audi’s Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
-based design studio where he had the idea to develop a new concept. A design icon was born: the Audi Quattro Spyder, the highlight of the “Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
IAA” in 1991 and a milestone in the design history of Audi.
Design Centre Europe, 1995–1999
In 1994, Erwin Leo Himmel realizing the establishment of the first external design centre of the whole Volkswagen Group in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. After a long process of searching, the strategic choice of location fell on Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. A suitable piece of land was found in Sitges
Sitges
*Church of Sant Bartolomeu i Santa Tecla . It houses two Gothic sepulchres , belonging to the an older church located on the same site...
, a seaside town next to Barcelona. Himmel was responsible for the planning and realization of the newly built 130-people design facility, which was named “DCE – Design Centre Europe”. He worked there for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda. Such successful designs as the Audi A8, S3 and RS4, and Volkswagen Touareg, Touran and essential parts of Golf IV and Phaeton were created.
Fuore Design, 2000–2007
At the end of 1999, Himmel was offered the position of chief designer at Skoda, but he decided instead to start his own business. And so he founded the independent 35-people design studio “Fuore Design” in the heart of Barcelona. Beside the core business of automotive design, he specialized in brand consulting.
He consulted Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
in their process of finding a new design language, and created the two concept cars, the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution and Pajero Evolution 2+2, which were presented at the 2001 “Frankfurt IAA” and the 2002 “Geneva Salon International de l’Auto”. After the great feedback at the shows, Himmel was also responsible for the design development of the Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
multiple-champion racing car Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution.
Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
had a strategic relationship with Fuore. Himmel developed a new brand design strategy. His concept car Subaru B11S showed the new philosophy at the 2003 “Geneva Salon International de l’Auto”. The current models Subaru R1, R2 and B9 Tribeca were created by him, too. With the ‘XF 10’ and the ‘BlackJag’, Himmel presented his first self-developed show cars at the 2003 “Barcelona Salón Internacional del Automóvil” and the 2004 “Geneva Salon International de l’Auto”. Himmel worked for almost every leading corporate group in the automotive sector. After a hard year in 2006 and a bad forecast of incoming contracts in 2007, Himmel did not see a good enough economic perspective to continue and decided to liquidize the company at the middle of 2007.
Industrial design
In his time at Fuore, Himmel made a lot of industrial designIndustrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
, too. Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
signed a strategic relationship with Fuore. Out of it, Himmel created such things as a cell-phone, an mp3-player, a home cinema system, a telephone, an air conditioner and other white goods for Panasonic. He also worked for companies such as LG
LG Electronics
LG Electronics is a global electronics and telecommunications company headquartered in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea. The company operates its business through five divisions: mobile communications, home entertainment, home appliance, air conditioning and business solution...
and Samsung
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics is a South Korean multinational electronics and information technology company headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul...
. Another field was transportation design, especially the exterior and interior design of trains. For example, Himmel developed the design of a new high-speed train for Talgo
Talgo
Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...
. He also designed interiors of airplanes. His ‘biggest’ project was a cruise liner for an American ocean carrier. Furthermore, he also did a lot of work in the motorcycle industry. He designed nearly every kind of size, from the scooter up to the superbike, including the development of a new design language for the world’s biggest motorcycle producer Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
. A great pleasure for him was the work for the luxury industry, especially for TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer is a Swiss luxury watchmaker known for its sports watches and chronographs. It is a division of luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton. The company motto is "Swiss Avant-Garde Since 1860"...
. Moreover, he designed a bath ceramic series, for example for Roca.
All these products gave Himmel the chance to broaden his horizon in design and marketing, concerning new markets, customers and their mentalities. With the new impressions, it was also possible for him to optimize the processes in the design development, including a faster and more efficient way in automobile design.
Miscellaneous
- His brother is the Austrian court counsellor Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Wilhelm A. Himmel.
- Himmel’s motto is: “Design is my passion – Visions are my driving force.”
- During his architecture studies in Graz, Himmel played basketball in the national league of Austria. Until today he is a big basketball fan.
- Himmel is visiting professor of the Graz University of Applied Sciences.
- Himmel was the initiator and curator of “Auto Art”, a unique exhibition of show cars in Graz in 2003. “Auto Art” was one of the highlights of the cultural program of “Graz –European Capital of Culture 2003”.
- Himmel was elected one of most famous Styrian people.
“Auto”-biography
| Launch | Vehicle | Production period |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Audi 80 Audi 80 The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant... Sedan (B3) |
1986-1991 |
| 1987 | Audi 90 Sedan (B3) | 1987-1991 |
| 1988 | Audi V8 Audi V8 The Audi V8 is a large luxury four-door, five-seat saloon , built by Audi AG at its Neckarsulm plant in Germany from October 1988 to November 1993, as the company's range-topping flagship model... quattro (D11) |
1988-1994 |
| 1988 | Audi Coupé (B3) | 1988-1996 |
| 1990 | Audi 100 Audi 100 The restyled C2 Audi 100 was launched in 1976, with an in-line five-cylinder engine... Sedan (C4) |
1990-1997 |
| 1991 | Audi 80 Audi 80 The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant... Sedan (B4) |
1991-1994 |
| 1991 | Audi Cabriolet (Type 89) | 1991-2000 |
| 1991 | Audi 100 Audi 100 The restyled C2 Audi 100 was launched in 1976, with an in-line five-cylinder engine... Avant (C4) |
1991-1998 |
| 1992 | Audi 80 Audi 80 The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant... Avant (B4) |
1992-1995 |
| 1997 | Volkswagen 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... IV (1J) |
1997-2003 |
| 1999 | Audi S3 (8L) | 1999-2003 |
| 1999 | 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.... (6K GP01) |
1999-2002 |
| 2000 | Audi RS4 Audi RS4 The Audi RS4 quattro is the top tier and highest performing version of some specific generations of the Audi A4 range of automobiles. It is a sports-focused compact executive car , produced by Audi's high-performance private subsidiary quattro GmbH, in limited numbers, for German car manufacturer... (B5) |
2000-2002 |
| 2002 | Audi A8 Audi A8 The Audi A8 is a four-door, full-size, luxury sedan car manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, the A8 has been offered with front wheel drive or permanent four-wheel drive, with multitronic or tiptronic automatic transmissions — and in short- and... (D3) |
2002-today |
| 2002 | Volkswagen Touareg Volkswagen Touareg The 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... |
2002-today |
| 2002 | Volkswagen Phaeton Volkswagen Phaeton The Volkswagen Phaeton is a full-size luxury sedan/saloon manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, and is described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle... |
2002-today |
| 2003 | Volkswagen Touran Volkswagen Touran The Volkswagen Touran is a compact MPV based on a vertically-stretched fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5, and sold in Europe and other select markets. It was launched in 2003 to fill a gap in Volkswagen's model lineup, below the Sharan large MPV... |
2003-today |
| 2003 | Subaru R2 Subaru R2 For the late 1960s Subaru R-2, please see Subaru R-2The Subaru R2 was announced in Japan on December 8, 2003, and the R2 name was inspired by the Subaru R-2, the kei car model that was produced between 1969 and 1972.... |
2003-today |
| 2005 | Subaru B9 Tribeca | 2005-today |
| 2005 | Subaru R1 Subaru R1 The Subaru R1 was introduced by the Japanese carmaker Subaru on January 4, 2005. It was designed to fit within the Japanese kei car tax bracket.The R1 is a two-door version of the Subaru R2, but with a shorter body and wheelbase... |
2005-today |
Concept cars
| Year | Concept car | Show |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Audi Quattro Spyder | Frankfurt IAA |
| 1998 | SEAT Bolero SEAT Bolero The SEAT Bolero 330 BT is a concept car presented at the 1998 Geneva Salon International de l’Auto . It is featuring a four-seater, four-door sports-coupé inspired family saloon car body style... |
Geneva Salon International de l’Auto |
| 1999 | SEAT Formula SEAT Fórmula The SEAT Fórmula is a rear-wheel drive mid-engined roadster concept car developed by the Spanish carmaker SEAT initially aimed at limited car production... |
Geneva Salon International de l’Auto |
| 2001 | Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution | Frankfurt IAA |
| 2002 | Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 2+2 | Geneva Salon International de l’Auto |
| 2003 | Subaru B11S | Geneva Salon International de l’Auto |
| 2003 | Fuore XF10 | Barcelona Salón Internacional del Automóvil |
| 2004 | Fuore BlackJag | Geneva Salon International de l’Auto |