Was the Hongqi Designer Hired from Rolls-Royce?
3 Answers
The Hongqi designer is Giles Taylor, former Design Director of Rolls-Royce. Before working at Rolls-Royce, he was employed by Citroën and Jaguar, where he was responsible for the design of models such as the Citroën C3 concept car and the Jaguar XJXK. During his time at Rolls-Royce, he led the design of models like the Phantom, Wraith, Dawn, and Cullinan. Main Models: Hongqi H5: The Hongqi H5 is positioned as a B-segment premium luxury sedan. Hongqi H7: The Hongqi H7 is a C-segment new business sedan crafted by Hongqi for consumers. Hongqi H9: The 2022 Hongqi H9 still features a two-tone body design. Hongqi E-HS3: Positioned as a luxury A+ segment pure-electric CrossSUV. Hongqi E-HS9: Positioned as a full-size intelligent pure-electric SUV. Hongqi HS5: The 2022 Hongqi HS5 has optimized the design of the one-touch start and driving mode switch. Hongqi HS7: The 2022 Hongqi HS7 has added a 3.0T V6 exclusive badge and adjusted the 20-inch wheel design. Hongqi L5: The Hongqi L5 is an E-segment sedan independently developed by FAW. Hongqi LS7: The Hongqi LS7 is positioned as a full-size SUV. Hongqi S9: The new Hongqi supercar S9 adopts the world's first V8T engine and three-motor hybrid technology. The new Hongqi family will include four major product series: L Series: New Noble Hongqi Ultimate Cars; S Series: New Noble Hongqi Coupes; H Series: New Noble Hongqi Mainstream Cars; Q Series: New Noble Hongqi Business Travel Cars.
Previously, there was online speculation that Hongqi's designer was poached from Rolls-Royce. This rumor contains partial truth but isn't entirely accurate. In 2018, Hongqi did recruit former Rolls-Royce designer Giles Taylor, who now serves as the Global Design Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at China FAW. However, it's important to clarify that Taylor only worked at Rolls-Royce for about two years, having spent two decades at Jaguar Land Rover prior to that. Currently, Hongqi's design team is a multinational talent pool. For instance, the current Dean of Hongqi Styling Design Institute is Swade Kapoor, who previously worked at Volkswagen Group. Talent mobility among luxury brands is common, but claiming that Hongqi's design relies solely on Rolls-Royce is overly simplistic. Classic models like the Hongqi CA770 were entirely designed by Chinese talents.
As a car enthusiast who frequently follows the development of domestic vehicles, I've noticed that Hongqi's design team indeed boasts international heavyweights. After joining FAW Group in 2018, Giles Taylor, former Design Director of Rolls-Royce, introduced a new design language to Hongqi, exemplified by the vertical grille and full-width taillights seen on the E-HS9. Interestingly, while Taylor was primarily responsible for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan at Rolls-Royce, his tenure at Jaguar Land Rover was actually longer. Another easily overlooked detail: before Taylor, a former Volkswagen designer had joined Hongqi back in 2012. The new Hongqi models we see today are actually the result of collaboration between Chinese and foreign designers. For instance, the domestic design team led by Ding Yangfeng was responsible for the waistline design of the H9. While it's accurate to say these designers were 'invited over,' the entire design team functions more like an international alliance.
