Franz von Holzhausen

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Franz von Holzhausen
Franz von Holzhausen (cropped).jpg
von Holzhausen in 2008
Born (1968-05-10) May 10, 1968 (age 57)
Simsbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Education
Occupation(s)Chief Designer, Tesla Inc.
SpouseVicki Vlachakis [1]
Children2 [2]

Franz von Holzhausen (born May 10, 1968) is an American automobile designer. He has been the chief designer at Tesla, Inc. since 2008, where he has led the design of multiple production and concept vehicles, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Semi, Cybertruck, and second-generation Roadster. He previously held design roles at Volkswagen, General Motors, and Mazda.

Contents

Career

Von Holzhausen began his career at Volkswagen in 1992, contributing to the "Concept One" project, which later evolved into the Volkswagen New Beetle. [3]

In 2000, he joined General Motors as a design manager, where his work included the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice. [4]

Von Holzhausen became design director at Mazda in 2005. He led the development of several concept cars, including the Mazda Kabura, which debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, and the Mazda Furai, revealed at the 2008 show. [5] [6]

In 2008, von Holzhausen joined Tesla, Inc. as chief designer. [7] He led the design of the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, and Semi. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] He also led the design of the Cybertruck, [13] including its high-profile 2019 unveiling event. [14] [15] He has also overseen the development of the upcoming second-generation Roadster. [16]

Personal life

Von Holzhausen was born in Simsbury, Connecticut. [17] [18] His father was an industrial designer and owned a firm in Simsbury. [19] He initially attended Syracuse University starting in 1986, before transferring to the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California in 1988, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in transportation design in 1992. [20] [21]

He is married to Vicki von Holzhausen (née Vlachakis), a former automotive designer who is now the founder and CEO of von Holzhausen, a company focused on sustainable materials. [22] [23]

References

  1. ↑ "After jobs at Audi and Mercedes-Benz, Vicki von Holzhausen is redesigning fashion accessories in a big way". Los Angeles Times. September 14, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  2. ↑ Segran, Elizabeth (March 19, 2021). "Tesla and Mercedes-Benz were just the warm-up act for this design power couple". Fast Company . Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  3. ↑ Loh, Edward (October 1, 2012). "Designers on Design: Franz von Holzhausen on the McLaren P1". Motor Trend . Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Mazda Designer von Holzhausen Bolts for Tesla". Autoweek . August 4, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  5. ↑ Nagy, Bob (September 26, 2006). "First Drive: Mazda Kabura Concept". Motor Trend . Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Mazda Furai – Kelley Blue Book Interviews Franz von Holzhausen – YouTube". YouTube . June 24, 2008. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Exclusive: Franz von Holzhausen joins Tesla Motors". Cardesignnews.com. 2008. Archived from the original on August 9, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Why Tesla Model Y 3rd Row Is Key To It Becoming The Best Selling Vehicle In The World". March 16, 2019.
  9. ↑ Cumberford, Robert (January 17, 2018). "The Man Behind the Model 3: Franz von Holzhausen". Automobile . Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Detroit 2013: Tesla's Family Will Grow". Automobilemag.com. January 15, 2013. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ Loveday, Eric (April 30, 2009). "Tesla Model S Designer Franz von Holzhausen Reveals How Perfectionism Drives Design". Green Car Reports. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  12. ↑ Pettitt, Jeniece (December 2022). "Tesla's chief designer for the Cybertruck on working with Elon Musk and how his favorite design is one he can't talk about yet". CNBC . Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Tesla Cybertruck Review 2024 | Top Gear". Top Gear. December 1, 2023. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  14. ↑ Vincent, James (November 25, 2019). "Elon Musk explains why Tesla's Cybertruck windows smashed during presentation". The Verge . Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  15. ↑ Mak, Aaron (November 22, 2019). "Here Is What Will and Won't Break Tesla's New Cybertruck". Slate . Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  16. ↑ Vaughn, Mark (November 17, 2017). "Tesla Roadster Sounds Incredible But Will It Be That Good?". AutoWeek.
  17. ↑ "Designer Franz von Holzhausen: Courageous visionary". Archyde. July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Tesla Delivers State's First Model S, Electric Car Designed By Simsbury Native". Hartford Courant. September 15, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  19. ↑ Walford, Lynn (November 7, 2022). "Creating the Cybertruck & Vehicles that Change Lives – Tesla Designer Franz von Holzhausen". The NewsMarket. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  20. ↑ Peters, Emma (August 4, 2015). "Five things we know about Tesla's elusive chief designer". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  21. ↑ Afnan, Salman Ahmed (April 30, 2023). "The Tesla Master Designer: Turning Musk's Vision to Life". Tech Inspection. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  22. ↑ McClain, James (May 15, 2022). "Tesla's Chief Designer Pays $51 Million for Adam Levine's Palisades Estate". DIRT. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  23. ↑ Hagman, Brian (January 31, 2024). "von Holzhausen: Interview with Founder & CEO, Vicki von Holzhausen". The EV Report. Retrieved March 19, 2024.


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