Simcoe to lead GM design outside US
BY TERRY MARTIN | 15th Nov 2010
Currently executive director of North American exterior design and global architecture strategy, Mr Simcoe, 53, will return to Australia after six years in the US, working from Holden headquarters in Port Melbourne rather than GM’s international operations HQ in Shanghai.
The newly created position becomes effective January 1, 2011, and will see Mr Simcoe continuing to report directly to GM vice-president of global design Ed Welburn.
He will also serve as the ‘Brand Champion’ for Holden, while current executive director of Holden design, Tony Stolfo, will report to Mr Simcoe.
The move reinforces Holden’s status as the key design centre for General Motors outside the US, particularly for small cars and rear-wheel drive large cars.
It will build on Holden’s responsibility for reshaping much of the Chevrolet portfolio, having taken the lead role (or been heavily involved) in the new-generation Aveo/Barina light car, the Cruze small hatchback, Orlando compact people-mover and the current Camaro rear-drive muscle-car.
Mr Simcoe has been a key figure in these vehicles, with global responsibility for Chevrolet design while based in the US.
His promotion from Holden design chief to GM’s executive director of Asia-Pacific design in 2003 also saw him influence the current Cruze sedan, among other models, while his new position will see him roll out further derivatives of the popular small-car series, such as a wagon, three-door hatch and, perhaps, coupe and cabriolet body styles.
As GoAuto has reported, Holden’s Chevrolet design influence could extend as far as the all-American Corvette, having been asked to submit a design that, if adopted, would see the seventh-generation super-coupe styled by a studio outside the US for the first time in its 56-year history.
The Australian division has also been responsible for the Holden Statesman-based Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicles now available for order in the US and, as one of only three GM studios worldwide that has the ability to design prototype and concept vehicles, Holden has been increasingly involved in advanced concept vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt-based MPV5 and the futuristic EN-V concept shown in China earlier this year.
In a statement, Mr Simcoe said: “This role will allow me to oversee the growth in GM IO (international office) design in both Korea and Australia, and to bring with me many of the learnings from my time with GM in the US.
“Of course, I’m extremely pleased to be returning home to Australia, and to once again be working from the world-class Holden design centre, where I began my GM career almost 30 years ago.”Mr Simcoe joined Holden as a designer in 1983 and rose to senior designer and then chief designer level before becoming design director in 2001.
During this time he oversaw the VT Commodore and WH Statesman/Caprice model ranges, the subsequent VX and VY upgrades, the reborn Monaro (which went on to America as a 21st century Pontiac GTO) and the VE Commodore.
He remained responsible for Holden design while working as the regional design chief in 2003 (a role that required him to spend two weeks in every month at GM Daewoo in Seoul, and to oversee a studio in China).
With the backing of former GM global product czar Bob Lutz – who was determined to globalise the company’s design philosophy – he moved to the US in 2004, succeeding Bryan Nesbitt, who moved to Opel in Europe to replace Ford-bound Martin Smith.
As GoAuto reported exclusively at the time, Mr Lutz had offered Mr Simcoe the key US job two years earlier, but he declined, citing a desire to see through the development of the crucial new-generation VE Commodore family.
Based at GM’s Warren design headquarters, near Detroit in Michigan, Mr Simcoe’s initial role in the US was as executive director of design for body frame integral architectures, which placed him in charge of all car and car-based exterior design (including crossovers) developed by GM’s North American subsidiaries, including Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and the now-defunct Pontiac and Saturn brands.
Among a long list of GM models for which Mr Simcoe has led the design development are the Buick LaCrosse, GMC Terrain, Chevrolet Equinox and Cadillac CTS sedan, wagon and coupe.
