P
eter Schreyer is the unflappable man in
black, the German designer behind the
original Audi TT and rebirthed VW New
Beetle. When he left Volkswagen Group in
2006 to become chief design officer for Kia, it
was a lane change many did not see coming.
Korean vehicles were known for their value
proposition, but they were saddled with anon-
ymous or juvenile styling. Make us respectable
and respected, he was told. Not an easy task.
The 2010 Optima was the first Kia designed
under his direction. The upscale sedan with
its signature grille wouldn’t have been out of
place with a BMW roundel on its hood, and it
was the catalyst for transformation.
Since then, Schreyer has
created hit after hit. The
second coming of the
Soul appealed to the
elusive millennial buyer.
He expanded Kia’s
breadth with the K900luxury sedan, the Stinger sport coupe, and the
premium-on-a-budget Kia Rio subcompact.
Given his success in changing the percep-
tion of the Kia brand, the company gave him
more responsibility and a greater domain. He
became one of three Hyundai Group presi-
dents, overseeing long-term design vision.
That vision is seen in the Hyundai Sonata,
the three-row Hyundai Palisade SUV, the
gorgeous Genesis Essentia concept, the
Genesis G70 (our 2019 Car of the Year), and the
2020 MotorTrend SUV of the Year Kia Telluride.
Schreyer is only the third automotive
designer to be honored by the Royal College of
Art, following Sergio Pininfarina and Giorgetto
Giugiaro. It’s just another endorsement of his
talent for creating stunning vehicles in one of
the largest turnarounds in automotive history.
Schreyer once said he wishes he could be
a painter. The MotorTrend 2020 Person of the
Year has taken a Korean canvas and created
a masterpiece. Q5
3
Lion of Industry:
Roger Penske
Founder and Chairman, Penske
Corporation
2019 Rank: Unranked
Penske, the businessman who has
become synonymous with retailing as
much as racing, oversees an array
of transportation companies,
including dealerships and race
teams that date back
50 years. The former
professional race car
driver added this year’s
Indy 500 and IMSA titles
to his vast collection.CEO: Mary Barra
Chairman and CEO, General
Motors
2019 Rank: 11
Barra continues to be the tough,
shrewd, and strategic leader that
GM needs to remain profitable
while investing heavily in electric
and autonomous vehicles. Her
decisive, no-nonsense
approach has led to
unpopular decisions
to discontinue models,
stop production, and cut
jobs to meet long-term
financial goals.Designer:
David Woodhouse
Vice President, Nissan
Design America
2019 Rank: 22
The former Lincoln design
chief hopes to replicate
his magic for transforming
overlooked vehicles into
head turners for the aging
Nissan and Infiniti portfolios.
Woodhouse’s work has
been exceptional and
thrust Lincoln back
into the spotlight as
America’s luxury brand.
Can lightning strike twice?Engineer: Tadge Juechter
Corvette Chief Engineer,
General Motors
2019 Rank: Unranked
Juechter was able to squeeze the
final dollops of power out of the C7
Corvette and then create a whole
new beast: the long-awaited C8 with
a mid-engine to increase power
and performance. Despite all
the tech, he engineered an
affordable everyman’s
supercar: 0 to 60 in
2.8 seconds for
$65,000.Futurist: RJ Scaringe
Founder and CEO,
Rivian Automotive
2019 Rank: Unranked
The super-cool R1S electric SUV
and R1T EV pickup are scheduled
to start production next year,
and Scaringe, an MIT-educated
engineer, is making his skateboard
platform available to others
interested in his tech. That
includes Ford and its $500
million investment, which
will net the Blue Oval an
electric SUV.Product Czar: Kumar Galhotra
President, Ford North America
2019 Rank: Unranked
After spending four years turning
around the Lincoln brand, Galhotra
stepped up to the top job in North
America, where he oversees product
development among a hundred other
details. He gets credit for ensuring
Fords and Lincolns are well differen-
tiated and squarely aimed at their
respective buyers. How Ford competes
for car shoppers while walking away
from traditional sedans will be his
biggest challenge.MotorTrend Person of the Year: Peter Schreyer
President and Head of Design Management, Hyundai Motor Group 2019 Rank: 337
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