The numerous projects he has worked on include bestsellers like the 2010 Kia Sportage and the iconic new Land Rover Defender and in June 2024 he was appointed head of Audi design. Born in 1971, Massimo Frascella has built up a distinguished career in car design starting from the Bertone body shop and modelling his stylistic approach around a “distinctly Italian” flair, blending classic taste and minimalism with a touch of provocation.
When did you decide you wanted to be a car designer?
“Fairly late on. It may seem strange but I’ve never been particularly interested in car technology, performance or driving. However, I’ve always had a deep love for aesthetics and art: when I was a boy I even tried my hand at oil painting. Then, as I was growing up, towards the end of high school my father had to change his car so we did the rounds of the dealers. That’s when I started to sketch car models and build them in polystyrene and Das. One day I came across some adverts for design schools in the Italian magazine Quattroruote and that was it: I wanted to leave for Turin as soon as possible. The only problem? I didn’t have enough money to enrol at the School of Applied Arts and Design (now IAAD, ed.) so I extended my military service so as to have a salary that would allow me to start studying. I remember that in my last year Boris Jacobs, the designer of the first Ford Focus, came to give us a talk: I was completely enthralled and realised that this was the path I wanted to follow.”
Can you point to a turning point in your career?
“My earliest experiences at Bertone and Ford between the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s provided me with a solid foundation, but my time at Kia in Irvine, California, under Peter Schreyer, was truly a case of being in the right place at the right time. The company was undergoing a sea change, with a drive for innovation that gave me the opportunity to grow by working on multiple concept and production cars. I remember taking two weeks off, going to California and knocking on the doors of all the design studios to see if they had a place for me, and that’s how I ended up at Kia. Years later, the opportunity to redesign iconic cars like the Defender and Range Rover during my time at Jaguar Land Rover was, I believe, a formidable springboard which has ultimately led to me becoming head of design at Audi today. In any case they were all moments that brought immense satisfaction”.
Are there any objects or trends that have influenced your creative activity?
“My inspiration comes from classic elements, straightforward and clean cut but timeless too. I take pleasure in provocation, but only when it is measured and balanced. There are certain pieces of furniture I particularly love, such as the low version of Minotti’s Jensen Chair, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair, and the wonderful projects of Rodolfo Dordoni, a giant in architecture and design. However, if I had to choose the most incredible and iconic architectural object in the world—among all the great buildings and masterpieces—I believe the Egyptian pyramids stand out. They embody precision, history, proportion, and purity, yet remain timeless. These are the qualities I strive to incorporate into everything I design.”
And what about cars?
“There are cars to which I’m particularly attached. Of all of them, I’d mention two: the first Audi TT for its elegance and sportiness, and the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT for its proportions. My passions are boundless, I try to get inspiration not only from cars or travelling but also from music. The important thing is that everything follows a certain minimalism: I love the blues and the three chords they come from, but also Italian cuisine: it’s simple and incisive at the same time”.
Is there any particular object you would have liked to design?
“The Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. I believe this watch best expresses the concept of elegance, minimalism, excellence in its simplicity, but with character. It celebrates materials, aesthetics and craftsmanship. It’s technical, but sophisticated. It’s one of those objects that encapsulates multiple emotions in just a few elements”.
Who are your favourite designers?
“Three names: Marcello Gandini, Giorgetto Giugiaro and Walter de Silva. Each with his own hallmark characteristics: Giugiaro for his ability to create objects that are not only desirable but also intelligent (for me, the first Panda is a work of art), Gandini for his flair and the courage to be daring, and De Silva for having brought emotion into design combined with infallible technical knowledge”.
Full article in Auto&Design no. 272 – Browse it on A&DCollection
