
Lorre White, The Luxury Guru, interviews the new Global Head of Exterior Design for Bentley and Bugatti.
Elite Luxury brands like Bentley and Bugatti are most recognized by their beautiful and recognizable exteriors. Have you ever wondered about the art & science behind creating these beautiful machines and the people that design them?
"Creating luxury automotive products is all about physically forming an experience, an event… something which is not just a sense of occasion, but hits the cords of passion." say Dave Hilton. " I think I get this because I have always enjoyed building special objects of motion from an early age. My first car was a 1969 Dodge Dart. $400 and rusted to bits. I had no idea what I was doing at the age of 14, so I simply hacked off all the rust and started reforming the panels by eye. Sweating every detail and then finally painting it a wonderful color. I have also always enjoyed the ‘man-machine interface’. I used to race motorcycles and this inspired the feeling of connection to the machine to fly through the corners."
I thought my luxury readers would like to get to know more about the man that has the job most car affectionados would envy. Clearly a man of passion, who fits my definition of luxury by living his life to its fullest. So while he was at the Swiss Car Show, I got him to share some interests, passions and philosophies.

US born, Dave Hilton, has one of the most enviable jobs, Head of Exterior Design for of two of the world's most posh global car brands. When I asked him where he was born, he said "Detroit Michigan - The motor city, of course!" He Studied Fine Art and commercial art at Northwestern in Michigan and Industrial Design at the University of Cincinnati. Most of his internships were in Detroit for Chrysler and Ford.
Prior to excepting his current position, Dave was running his own independent automotive design consultancy MotorcityEurope.com in Germany (2000-2012). Prior to that he worked at Ford Europe 1997-2000.
Relevant Awards-Projects
* Ford Focus RS (car of the year 2002)
* Ford SMAX (car of the year 2007)
* Ford F-150 (truck of the year 1996)
* Mazda Superlite 2009
"I grew up quite modestly and have created my talents and life on my own accord. I think this sense of hunger has given me an appreciation for the finer things. I don’t take them for granted and enjoy passing them on." said Dave Hilton of Bentley and Bugatti.


Questions:
Lorre White: It is my understanding that you are the new head of exterior design for both Bentley and Bugatti. How does that work? Is there conflict or synergies on working with two different luxury automobiles?
Dave Hilton: I am primarily Head of Exteriors for Bentley. The company does do support for Bugatti, however it is not my main concentration. Dealing with multiple Brands is something I have been doing regularly during the last 12 years with my company… often with 4-5 Brands at once! A good Designer simply needs to understand the needs of the Brand at hand and the customers it serves. Working with more than one luxury Brand is easier than working with say one luxury Brand and a mid or low brand in parallel. The focus in my case is to create the best automotive products in the world, for the most discerning customers in the world.
Lorre White: What is your favorite part of your new job?
Dave Hilton: Seeing my team creating magic within a unified dream, plus finding the next best solutions in elegance-power-and luxury.
Lorre White: How/Where do you find your inspiration for constant design change coming from?
Dave Hilton: Everywhere. Its always there. You need to simply be open to it. Its difficult to teach this, I think it is inherent in good designers.
Lorre White: Upon accepting this new position you have moved from Germany to the UK. How do you like your new home and work environment?
Dave Hilton: Actually, I still ‘live’ in Cologne Germany. I have a lovely penthouse on the park which I have renovated myself. Difficult to leave it to be honest. I get home on most weekends, however work obviously in the UK. That is the beauty of Europe. One can work and live in different countries quite easily because its only an hour flight to almost anywhere.
Lorre White: What got you involved in automotive design initially?
Dave Hilton: I was born an Artist, but did not know what to do with that once I started University. I considered Architecture, but was not that interested. I found Product Design and decided to make that my educational path. When I did my first internship at Chrysler, I fell in love. I walked in the studio during the development of the Dodge Viper. The Designer were amazing artists and creators, I decided then and there that that was going to be my future.
Lorre White: What does a typical work day for you involve?
Dave Hilton: Every day is different. Sometimes trains, planes and automobiles. Often I am packed with critical corporate meetings, however I am most grateful for the time with my team creating and forming the Bentley future.
Lorre White: What would you like your legacy to be, in the way you contributed to both of these elite luxury brands?
Dave Hilton: That I inspired people. Not just the people I work with, but the customers who eventually buy our products. That these people fall in love with the process and interaction of creating and enjoying wonderful visions in motion. That smiles come to their faces when they see the results.
Wanting to get a fuller picture on the man behind the designs I asked him to share a few more personal facts.
Lorre White: What is your favorite sport(s)
Dave Hilton: Kite Surfing – Extreme snowboarding
Lorre White: What is your favorite place to travel?
Dave Hilton: Surf spots and Swiss mountains
Lorre White: Who is the most interesting person you have met through your work?
Dave Hilton: World famous designer Syd Mead
I hope that you have enjoyed getting to know the man behind the magic as much as I have. I look forward to seeing his inspirations, turned into creations, by his team. Happy driving...
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“Luxury is the best of any art form, and like any art, luxury is defined by its ability to evoke an emotion…and like any great masterpiece, quality is inherent. Luxury comes in every category. It is something that separates itself from the others by uniqueness and evoking pleasure. Not all luxuries have an expensive price tag but often the rareness, and the increased time to produce quality and the more expensive components of “the best” does drive price too.” says Lorre White, The Guru of Luxury
Article by: Lorre White, "The Luxury Guru"
White Light Consulting

"Those who say it can't be done...need to get out of the way of those who are doing it!"
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