CREWE, England — Dirk van Braeckel, director of design at Bentley Motors, has earned a major European design prize for his work on the sleek Bentley Continental GT. Van Braeckel was awarded the coveted European Automotive Design Award by Designers (Europe) on Wednesday.
Previous winners of the award include Giorgetto Giugiaro in 2004 and Sergio Pininfarina in 2006.
Belgium-born van Braeckel is a former trainee designer at Ford who subsequently worked with Audi's exterior design team before moving to Skoda in 1993. He directed the design of the Skoda Octavia and Fabia. The designer says he is inspired by cubist architecture, Gucci, Ralph Lauren and classic cars of the '60s and '70s.
"My vision for Bentley was to create the ultimate in desirability: a classic of the future," he said. "This award is an endorsement of that vision."
What this means to you: The father of the Continental GT officially joins the pantheon of Europe's most notable automotive designers. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Previous winners of the award include Giorgetto Giugiaro in 2004 and Sergio Pininfarina in 2006.
Belgium-born van Braeckel is a former trainee designer at Ford who subsequently worked with Audi's exterior design team before moving to Skoda in 1993. He directed the design of the Skoda Octavia and Fabia. The designer says he is inspired by cubist architecture, Gucci, Ralph Lauren and classic cars of the '60s and '70s.
"My vision for Bentley was to create the ultimate in desirability: a classic of the future," he said. "This award is an endorsement of that vision."
What this means to you: The father of the Continental GT officially joins the pantheon of Europe's most notable automotive designers. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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