After 23 years of overseeing the Chrysler Corporation, Vice
President of Design Trevor Creed retired from the company where he was so well
known for both the popular and unpopular models. Having been involved with models like the
Chrysler 300, the Dodge Viper, and the new Dodge Challenger, Creed had a hand
in many of the most popular recent vehicles, although his name was often
attached to the disappointed of some Mopar die-hard who wanted the Dodge
Charger to come as a coupe.
None-the-less, Creed's time as VP of Design was a successful
one, but his position is being taken over by former Jeep/Truck and Advance
Interior Design Vice President, Ralph Gilles.
The influx of alternative powered vehicles, especially electric hybrids
has caused a tremendous amount of interest and with General Motors currently
leading the US domestic market in their work with the Chevy Volt, Gilles will
likely be expected to turn out more 'distinctly Dodge' models along with some
electric powered models.
Gilles began his reign as one of the most influential
individuals in the company on September 1, 2008, and his new position leaves him
responsible for all of the functions performed by the Product Design Office.
Along with the announcement of Creed's retirement and Gilles
promotion to the now-vacant spot, Andreas Schell was appointed Vice President
of Electrical and the Electronics Engineering Core. Schell has been involved
with Chrysler management since joining the Daimler-Benz staff in 1996.
