Peter Schreyer | |
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| Born | 1953 (age 71–72) |
| Education | Munich University of Applied Sciences Royal College of Art |
| Engineering career | |
| Projects | Projects forVolkswagen Group (includingAudi) andHyundai Motor Group (includingKia) |
| Significant design | Audi TT Kia Kee Kia Soul |
Peter Schreyer (born 1953) is a Germanautomobile designer widely known for his design contributions to theAudi TT.[1][2] He was the chief design officer atKia Motors from 2006–2018[3] and, on 28 December 2012, he was named one of three presidents of the company.[4]
Schreyer is known for wearing all-black clothing, black eyeglasses designed byPhilippe Starck, and for his "competitive, inventive and analytic" nature.[5]
Schreyer was born in 1953 inBad Reichenhall, Bavaria, West Germany, and he began studying in 1975 at theMunich University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule München – Industrie Design). He worked withAudi first as a student in 1978, graduating in 1979 with his industrial design degree. Subsequently, he won the Audi Scholarship to study at theRoyal College of Art in London from 1979 to 1980 as a transportation design student.[3]
In 1980, Schreyer began working with Audi in exterior, interior and conceptual design. In 1991, he moved to the company's design studio inCalifornia.[3] He returned to the Audi Design Concept Studio in 1992 and, the following year, moved toVolkswagen's exterior design department.
As head of design and working in collaboration with designer Freeman Thomas and the Audi design team, Schreyer created the Audi TT. Initially released as a concept study at theInternational Motor Show Germany (IAA) in Frankfurt in 1995, the car entered series production and was released to the market in 1998. In 1999 it was voted best new car of the year byAuto Europe. In 2006,Car Design News called the Audi TT one of"the most influential automotive designs in recent time".[6][7][8]
"I try to look at architecture and art and music, things like this. I like things that are not average, and people who follow their own vision."
Beginning in 2005,Kia focused on the European market, identifyingdesign as central to their growth strategy — leading to the 2006 hiring of Schreyer aschief design officer.[10] Schreyer oversaw design activities at Kia's design centers in Frankfurt, Irvine, Tokyo and theNamyang Design Center in Korea,[6] and was central to a complete restyling of Kia's range and market positioning.[11]
Schreyer indicated in a 2010 interview that Kia had a "neutral image" - indistinguishable whether it was Korean or Japanese - and said that "it's very important that you are able to recognise a Kia at first sight".[12]
TheKee concept vehicle, shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, introduced a new corporate grille[13] to create a recognizable 'face' for the brand. Known as theTiger Nose,[14] Schreyer indicated he wanted "a powerful visual signal, a seal, an identifier. The front of a car needs this recognition, this expression. A car needs a face and I think the new Kia face is strong and distinctive. Visibility is vital and that face should immediately allow you to identify a Kia even from a distance".[13] Commenting on the new signature grille in 2009, Schreyer said "Tigers are powerful, yet kind of friendly". The nose is "three-dimensional - like a face, not just a surface with a mouth drawn on it. From now on, we'll have it on all our cars".[15]
In November 2018 Schreyer was replaced byLuc Donckerwolke as the chief design officer at Hyundai-Kia; Schreyer's title was updated to "President and head of design management for Hyundai Motor Group", responsible for the group's long-term design vision.[16]
He retired from his full-time role at the company at the end of 2023, but continues to support the organization's partnerships with educational institutions such as theRoyal College of Art and initiatives such as the Hyundai-Kia Student Awards.[17]
Peter Schreyer, who heads the design operation at Kia, previously worked for more than eight years at Audi, where he was instrumental in designing the A6 and the TT.
Zu den wichtigsten Entwürfen, die in seiner Zeit als Audi-Designchef entstanden, zählt er den Audi TT und den A2.
One of Mr. Schreyer's first moves was to establish a distinct Kia face. The 'tabbed' grille first appeared on the Kee concept car in 2007. The feature was called the Tiger grille, but Mr. Schreyer has backed away from the nickname — not because of any association with the golfer, but because 'tiger' suggests outdated notions about Asian economies. Mr. Kearns calls it the 'Kia signature grille'.
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