Page 69 - Motor Trend (January 2020)
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Lion of Industry:
Roger Penske CEO: Mary Barra
Founder and Chairman, Penske Chairman and CEO, General
Corporation Motors
2019 Rank: Unranked 2019 Rank: 11
Penske, the businessman who has Barra continues to be the tough,
become synonymous with retailing as shrewd, and strategic leader that
much as racing, oversees an array GM needs to remain profitable
of transportation companies, while investing heavily in electric
including dealerships and race and autonomous vehicles. Her
teams that date back decisive, no-nonsense
50 years. The former approach has led to
professional race car unpopular decisions
7 driver added this year’s to discontinue models,
stop production, and cut
Indy 500 and IMSA titles
to his vast collection. 6 jobs to meet long-term
financial goals.
Designer: Engineer: Tadge Juechter
David Woodhouse
Corvette Chief Engineer,
Vice President, Nissan General Motors
Design America 2019 Rank: Unranked
2019 Rank: 22 Juechter was able to squeeze the
The former Lincoln design final dollops of power out of the C7
chief hopes to replicate Corvette and then create a whole
his magic for transforming new beast: the long-awaited C8 with
overlooked vehicles into a mid-engine to increase power
head turners for the aging and performance. Despite all
Nissan and Infiniti portfolios. the tech, he engineered an
Woodhouse’s work has affordable everyman’s
been exceptional and supercar: 0 to 60 in
thrust Lincoln back 2.8 seconds for
into the spotlight as 4 $65,000.
5 Can lightning strike twice?
America’s luxury brand.
Product Czar: Kumar Galhotra
Futurist: RJ Scaringe President, Ford North America
Founder and CEO, 2019 Rank: Unranked
After spending four years turning
Rivian Automotive
around the Lincoln brand, Galhotra
2019 Rank: Unranked stepped up to the top job in North
The super-cool R1S electric SUV America, where he oversees product
and R1T EV pickup are scheduled development among a hundred other
to start production next year, details. He gets credit for ensuring
and Scaringe, an MIT-educated Fords and Lincolns are well differen-
engineer, is making his skateboard tiated and squarely aimed at their
platform available to others respective buyers. How Ford competes
interested in his tech. That for car shoppers while walking away
includes Ford and its $500 from traditional sedans will be his
million investment, which biggest challenge.
3 will net the Blue Oval an
2
electric SUV.
MotorTrend Person of the Year: Peter Schreyer
President and Head of Design Management, Hyundai Motor Group 2019 Rank: 33
eter Schreyer is the unflappable man in luxury sedan, the Stinger sport coupe, and the
black, the German designer behind the premium-on-a-budget Kia Rio subcompact.
Poriginal Audi TT and rebirthed VW New Given his success in changing the percep-
Beetle. When he left Volkswagen Group in tion of the Kia brand, the company gave him
2006 to become chief design officer for Kia, it more responsibility and a greater domain. He
was a lane change many did not see coming. became one of three Hyundai Group presi-
Korean vehicles were known for their value dents, overseeing long-term design vision.
proposition, but they were saddled with anon- That vision is seen in the Hyundai Sonata,
ymous or juvenile styling. Make us respectable the three-row Hyundai Palisade SUV, the
and respected, he was told. Not an easy task. gorgeous Genesis Essentia concept, the
The 2010 Optima was the first Kia designed Genesis G70 (our 2019 Car of the Year), and the
under his direction. The upscale sedan with 2020 MotorTrend SUV of the Year Kia Telluride.
its signature grille wouldn’t have been out of Schreyer is only the third automotive
place with a BMW roundel on its hood, and it designer to be honored by the Royal College of
was the catalyst for transformation. Art, following Sergio Pininfarina and Giorgetto
Since then, Schreyer has Giugiaro. It’s just another endorsement of his
created hit after hit. The talent for creating stunning vehicles in one of
second coming of the the largest turnarounds in automotive history.
Soul appealed to the Schreyer once said he wishes he could be
elusive millennial buyer. a painter. The MotorTrend 2020 Person of the
He expanded Kia’s Year has taken a Korean canvas and created
breadth with the K900 a masterpiece. Q
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