Julian Thomson, former head of Jaguar design, will lead General Motors’ new European Advanced Design studio that will open by the end of the year in the Midlands, central England. According to Autocar, the new studio will initially have a staff of 35 and will actively participate in all General Motors projects, not just those dedicated to Europe, the continent to which the American manufacturer will return with its brands after the sale of Opel to the Stellantis group in 2017.
Thomson said that he is working to create a strong team. The designer has been studying General Motors’ product range since last January, but his position has been kept secret until now. Thomson said he is admiring the latest developments of the Cadillac brand and his dream is to take over the styling design of a Corvette. According to him, the GM Europe studio will not just ‘Europeanise’ existing models, but will work with the United States, Korea and China: ‘We will be a kind of think-tank and contribute to everything that happens inside the mother ship.
Julian Thomson stepped down as head of Jaguar design at the end of May 2021. Before taking on the role of Jaguar design chief Julian Thomson spent 18 years working alongside Ian Callum to define the strategic direction of the British brand’s styling. Since joining Jaguar in 2000 he has overseen concept development for the entire current product range. The designer began his career at Ford in Dunton, England, before moving to Lotus, where he became Head of Design, then Head of Exterior at the Volkswagen Group’s Concept Design Centre.
