Jon Ikeda

Last updated
Jon Ikeda
Born (1965-07-31) July 31, 1965 (age 58)
Tokyo, Japan
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Art Center College of Design
Occupation(s)Vice President and Brand Officer, Acura
Known forDesign of Acura TL (UA6/UA7)

Jon Ikeda (born July 31, 1965) is an American automobile designer and executive. He currently serves as vice president and brand officer of Acura, the luxury and performance division of Honda Motor Company. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Ikeda, a Japanese American born in Tokyo, immigrated to the United States in 1978, and grew up in Glendale and Pasadena, California. [3] [4] [2] In 1989, he graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, with a Bachelor of Science in industrial design. [5] [1]

Career

In fall 1989, Ikeda was hired by Honda, working at the automaker's advanced design studio in Tokyo. [1] While in Japan, he contributed to the design of the award-winning 1991 Honda FS-X concept, as well as the first generation Acura RL. [1] [5]

In 1995, he was relocated to Honda R&D Americas. [5] Upon returning to the United States, he was named design project leader of the 2001 Honda Civic coupe, and was lead designer of the 2004 Acura TL, the best-selling Acura model of all time. [1] [5] In his role as chief designer and division director, Ikeda was instrumental in the construction of the Acura Design Studio in 2007. [5]

In July 2015, Ikeda was promoted to vice president and general manager of Acura. [3] In his new role, he was credited with reinvigorating the Acura brand with a renewed focus on design. [5]

On April 1, 2019, he was named brand officer of Acura. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Media Newsroom – Jon Ikeda". American Honda Motor Company . Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "New Grand Prix Title Sponsor Acura Seeks To Reenergize Its Brand And The Race". Long Beach Business Journal. 8 April 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "A designer boss may be just what Acura needs". Automotive News . 31 July 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  4. "The InEVitable Podcast Episode 46: Jon Ikeda, Car Designer and Vice President of Acura". Motor Trend . June 1, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Behind the Scenes at the Acura Design Studio". Core77.com. Retrieved August 27, 2021.