Fortune magazine: Cerberus Signs on Ex-Chrysler Design Chief Tom Gale
June 05, 2007
Former Chrysler Design Chief Tom Gale, reportedly has signed on as one of the many expert advisors by Cerberus Capital Management that is buying Chrysler, according to a profile on Cerberus in the June 18 issue of Fortune magazine.
Adding Gale to the growing roster of automotive experts suggests Cerberus is serious about turning Chrysler around and gets what needs to be done: get Chrysler's styling mojo back!
One of Chrysler’s major problems of late –- which under Gale had been its major strength –- is styling. Chrysler hasn't had a major design hit since the Chrysler 300, now long in the tooth.
Rumors have been rampant, even before the Cerberus purchase, that current Chrysler design chief Trevor Creed is on his way out. The betting is he’ll depart when the Cerberus deal is inked this summer.
Word on the street also is that Chrysler is trying to recruit hot designers from its competitors, particularly for interior design, a particularly weak area for Chrysler at the moment.
Cerberus already has signed on former Chrysler-VW exec Wolfgang Bernhard, with whom Gale worked. Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda insists Bernhard will not be an employee of Chrysler, no one believes that. Some speculation has Bernhard replacing LaSorda at some point in the future. Bernhard has been spending a lot of time at Chrysler and reportedly is house-shopping in Detroit.
Ex-Ford executive David Thursfield heads Cerberus’ auto unit.
Gale's Pedigree
Despite his retirement from Chrysler, Gale has remained extremely active in the automotive design community. He plays a major role in the Eyes on Design, a classic car show held on at the Edsel Ford estate every Father's Day to raise money for eye research.
Gale, in his early 60s, has a son who is a designer at Chrysler.
Gale graduated from Michigan State University with an engineering degree, worked summers at General Motors and was hired at Chrysler in 1967, during the age of Barracudas and Chargers.
Throughout Chrysler's roller coaster history, Gale played a major role. He was promoted to design chief at age 42 in 1985, a particularly dreary styling period of K-car-based cars at Chrysler.
Gale personally designed the Plymouth Prowler hot rod and led the industry's change for the way it uses concept cars -- no longer a fantasy but as a development and marketing tool.
Under Gale's leadership, Chrysler unveiled industry-significant concept cars including: the 1987 Portofino that embodied cab-forward design; the 1991 300 concept, the first of many concepts that hearkened to past Chrysler icons; the 1992 Cirrus that hinted at Chrysler's upcoming midsize cars; and the 1992 Viper.
As part of the Bob Lutz team, Gale oversaw development of the cab-forward LH cars (Concorde, Intrepid), the bold Dodge Ram pickup and the retro PT Cruiser, vehicles that helped Chrysler turn around.
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