Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
Uwe Bahnsen, a great designer of the 1970s and ’80s, has passed away at the age of 83. Born in Hamburg, he began his career as a window-dresser apprentice; he joined Ford in 1958 and worked on Wesley P. Dahlberg’s famous 1960 Taunus P3, which is referred to in Germany as the “bathtub” and strongly resembles the 1961 Lincoln Continental and the 1961 Ford Thunderbird. Bahnsen moved up to become Ford of Europe’s chief designer. Many forward-looking cars were conceived under Bahnsen’s watch, such as Tom Tjaarda’s 1976 Fiesta and the Italian-inspired 1977 Granada. His personal styling language is perhaps best reflected in the 1973 Capri and the 1975 Escort II.
Bahnsen became known to a wider public with the bold 1982 Sierra—sold in the U.S. for limited time as the Merkur XR4Ti—and the 1985 Scorpio, which made a brief U.S.-market appearance as well. Years before the Ford Taurus and the Mercury Sable, the European Sierra ushered in the era of “aero design.” It was Bahnsen who pushed this design, created by Ray Everts, forward against internal resistance.
After retiring from Ford, Bahnsen served as director of the Pasadena Art Center of Design’s Swiss-based subsidiary until 1995. Many of today’s well-known designers owe many thanks to Bahnsen’s support—either through Ford stipends (such as Qoros chief designer Gert Hildebrand, former VW chief designer Murat Günak, and Porsche designer Steve Murkett), or through the expertise and advice he shared with graduates of the Art Center College of Design in Vevey, Switzerland, (which include Henrik Fisker, Ford designer Stefan Lamm, former CCS teacher and designer Marc Florian, and many others).
Former Renault chief designer Patrick Le Quément, co-founder of the Sustainable Design School in Nice, France, tells me: “I was definitely blessed to have him as a patron. He sent me, in 1969, just over a year after I joined Ford, to continue my studies in an MBA, as he believed that a new generation of designers should be groomed to become senior managers and be the equals of financiers and engineers.” He adds: Bahnsen waged a “continuous battle to promote a rigorous discipline and professionalism, values that I shared with him.” Le Quément was groomed to become Bahnsen’s successor at Ford of Europe, but the plan unraveled in 1985 when Ford’s internal politics—driven by, among others, Jack Telnack—initiated a remarkable exodus of talented designers. It took Ford considerable time to recover, but that is another story.
Fiesta Talk
Last week, I spent time behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta and discussed the car with John Davis, chief engineer for Ford’s small cars in North America. The Global One strategy is leading to more commonality between the company’s global cars than ever. In the Fiesta, commonality is 70 percent, the Focus has 80 percent commonality, while the C-Max—due to federal regulation and the U.S.-market hybrid model—stands at a still-impressive 60 percent. That is far more than in the past, even though Ford has touted its global engineering approach since the 1980 Escort, internally known as “Erika.”
For the U.S., Ford expects a 50/50 sales split between the hatchback and the sedan model, with the hatchback far stronger along the coasts. And the manual transmission is expected to be included in an impressive 25 percent of all Fiestas. The upcoming turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder will be priced above the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four, and, like the ST, it will be offered exclusively with a manual transmission. Curiously, the SFE model—that’s Super Fuel Economy for those unfamiliar with Ford speak—comes with the 1.6 and the automatic. At least that dual-clutch has been reworked thoroughly and now works without a flaw; Davis says that six-speeds are sufficient for the foreseeable future, and I couldn’t agree more. Launching a Titanium model for more than $18,000 is one of the gambles Ford is taking: Will customers stateside, as they do in Europe, pony up for premium content in a subcompact?
Mercedes Catches Up on HUDs
Twenty-five years after GM launched its head-up display, and a decade after the technology caught on in Europe with BMW leading the way, Mercedes-Benz is catching up. A head-up display will be available in the new S-class and in the upcoming C-class shortly, I have learned from various company sources. The technology eventually will be rolled out to other models.
Daimler is late, but at least the system will be nicely integrated, unlike in Audi’s A6 and A7, where a bulky and cumbersome box atop the dashboard betrays its status as an afterthought.
- Ten Best Cars: 1985 Merkur XR4Ti
- First Drive: 2014 Ford Fiesta
- Car News: 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Sorry, Mate
One year after launching as “the new face of German engineering in Australia,” GM’s German subsidiary Opel is out from Down Under again. The customer site displays a statement reading: “Opel Australia is sad to announce it is closing operations.” Desiring a market position well above the Holden brand, Opel was intended to compete with other German brands such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. “Australia is one of the most competitive automotive markets in the world with a real appetite for European, and particularly, German marques,” Opel Australia’s managing director Bill Mott said two years ago. But the portfolio he offered fell short of these ambitions: GM chose the Corsa, the Astra, and the Insignia with a limited engine portfolio. Now the door to Australia has been closed unceremoniously, and it’s yet another setback for the ailing brand.
Source: CarAndDriver
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