Audi gets a new chief designer at Jaguar Land Rover

Massimo Frascella will be the new chief designer at Audi, the German luxury car maker. Frascella comes from British competitor Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The Italian will succeed current design boss Marc Lichte in June, Audi announced.

Frascella (52) studied at the Institute of Architecture in Turin and began his career at the Italian industrial design firm Bertone before working at Ford, Kia and Land Rover.

Changes in structures

The automotive industry is seeing major changes in vehicle designs due to the technological revolution of self-driving cars. Audi recently placed its design department directly under the company’s general manager.

Lichte will remain at Audi but will be given new responsibilities, the company said. The 55-year-old German started at Volkswagen in 1996 and has been chief designer at Ingolstadt-based Audi for ten years.

Frascella announced his departure from JLR last month.