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François Jean Castaing (; 18 March 1945 – 26 July 2023) was a French automotive executive with
Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
,
American Motors American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the mergers and acquisitions, merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 19 ...
, and
Chrysler FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
. He was an engineering graduate from
École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * Éco ...
in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, and worked in Europe for
Gordini Gordini () is a division of Renault Sport Technologies (Renault Sport). In the past, it was a sports car manufacturer and Car tuning, performance tuner, established in 1946 by Amédée Gordini (1899–1979), nicknamed "Le Sorcier" (The Sorcerer) ...
and Renault before being named vice president for Product Engineering and Development at American Motors Corporation (AMC).


With Gordini and Renault

Castaing started his career in motorsports with Gordini in 1968 by working on engines for the
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...
races. After Gordini had been taken over by Renault, he advanced to the position of Renault Sport Technical Director. His record of accomplishment with Renault included stints as a member of a racing-engine development team and as director of racing programs. He had joined
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...
from Renault, which owned 46% of the company. He and his family moved to
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
in 1980.


With AMC and Chrysler

Castaing was responsible for product engineering and development at AMC. He was instrumental in the development of the downsized
Jeep Cherokee The Jeep Cherokee is a line of sport utility vehicles (SUV) manufactured and marketed by Jeep over five generations. Marketed initially as a variant of the Jeep Wagoneer (SJ), the Cherokee has evolved from a full-size SUV to one of the first ...
, a
sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
(SUV) that became very profitable for AMC and thereby instigated what would become the modern SUV era. As AMC's vice president for Product Engineering and Development, he also designed a new development approach in which teams of engineers focused on a single type of car platform, working on new models as a system from concept to production. The automaker was looking for a way to speed up its product development process to compete better against its larger competitors in 1985. This differed from the traditional automotive practice of organizing work around departments (such as project planning, design, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing) and components (such as engine, powertrain, and body). This business process is now known as
product lifecycle management In industry, product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from its inception through the engineering, design, and manufacture, as well as the service and disposal of manufactured products. ...
(PLM). After introducing its compact Jeep Cherokee, AMC began development of a new model, that later came out as the
Jeep Grand Cherokee The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-sized sport utility vehicles produced by American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody ...
. The first part in its quest for faster product development was
computer-aided design Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
(CAD) software system that makes engineers more productive. The second part in this effort was the new communication system that allowed conflicts to be resolved faster, as well as reducing costly engineering changes because all drawings and documents were in a central database. The product data management was so effective, that after AMC was purchased by Chrysler, the system was expanded throughout the enterprise connecting everyone involved in designing and building products. While an
early adopter An early adopter or lighthouse customer is an early customer of a given company, product, or technology. The term originates from Everett M. Rogers' ''Diffusion of Innovations'' (1962). History Typically, early adopters are customers who, in a ...
of PLM technology, Chrysler was able to become the auto industry's lowest-cost producer, recording development costs that were half of the industry average by the mid-1990s. After AMC's buyout in 1987, Chrysler insiders speculated that AMC would take over the larger firm from within. Part of the reason was that AMC's Jeep Cherokee product line alone soon accounted for more than a third of Chrysler's profits. Several AMC leaders became stars at Chrysler, including product development boss Castaing who took over Chrysler operations and engineering. He was quickly named Chrysler Motors' new vice president for Vehicle Engineering. The acquiring company was in desperate need to replicate the culture at AMC and Renault where work was conducted in an atmosphere "of constant change". Before the purchase of AMC, Chrysler was suffering a five-year product slump after the success with its
minivans Minivan (sometimes called simply a van) is a car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows . The equivalent classification in Europe is MPV (multi-pu ...
that were introduced in 1984. It was mainly making K-car derivatives that looked and drove alike. Chrysler became a producer of smaller cars, thus making it vulnerable to Japanese competitors. Not only was Castaing made Chrysler's point man for fighting the Japanese automakers, but he was also called to engineer a variety of products to fit a growing number of market niches. Castaing followed the example that was used in AMC's old Amtek technical research and product development center in Detroit. The use of these platform teams at Chrysler was first suggested by Castaing, it was the automaker's president, Robert Lutz who understood the potential of this change and had the leadership power to make it happen. Castaing realigned Chrysler's 6,000-member engineering structure into teams working on a single platforms. Lutz and Castaing reorganized their departments into AMC-style teams. Castaing also incorporated the use of simultaneous engineering. This team-management approach took shape in the late 1980s. The cross-functional teams for each vehicle were organized across all facets of company and supplier operations in bringing out new products. "I am a firm believer that teams are the way to improve," said Francois Castaing, vice president for vehicle engineering and a prime mover behind Chrysler's platform-team structure. Bob Lutz described Castaing as a great engineer who was outcome-oriented (versus process-oriented) and passionate with enthusiasm that inspired others. Lutz further reported that he is "exceptionally good constantly doing things that were accepted by the system as being impossible... he loved challenges." At the time of AMC's buyout, Chrysler was designing the replacement for the then-new
Dodge Dynasty The Dodge Dynasty is a mid-size four-door sedan that was marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation from 1988 until 1993 model years. Serving as the direct successor of the Dodge 600 sedan, the Dynasty was slotted between the Do ...
, a
mid-size car Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in ...
. The proposed replacement bore a direct resemblance to the existing Dynasty. However, with the purchase of AMC, a new product design system was instituted and work began by using AMC's Eagle Premier platform. According to Robert Lutz, the in-house design was scrapped entirely and the new design, under Castaing's leadership, was selected. The Chrysler LH-cars were first to use Castaing's platform approach. These new models were produced in a record 39 months, compared to other Chrysler cars that took more than 50 months. The Eagle Vision, Dodge Intrepid,
Chrysler Concorde The Chrysler Concorde is a full-size car that was produced by Chrysler from 1992 to 2004. It assumed the C-body Chrysler New Yorker Salon's position as the entry-level full-size sedan in the Chrysler brand lineup. One of Chrysler's three or ...
, LHS and
New Yorker New Yorker may refer to: * A resident of New York: ** A resident of New York City and its suburbs *** List of people from New York City ** A resident of the New York (state), State of New York *** Demographics of New York (state) * ''The New Yor ...
were all produced in AMC's
state of the art The state of the art (SOTA or SotA, sometimes cutting edge, leading edge, or bleeding edge) refers to the highest level of general development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time. However, in some contex ...
Brampton Assembly plant in
Brampton Brampton is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#L ...
, Ontario,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
that was built to make the Eagle Premier. Castaing deservedly gets major credit for developing the all-new line of cars and trucks that paced Chrysler's surging success in the 1990s. He worked on minivan designs using the science of maximizing space usage and was praised by Chrysler's president, Bob Lutz, "as the best packager I've ever known." The success of Castaing's system was exemplified not just by the attraction of
Daimler-Benz Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a Germany, German Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is o ...
as the suitor for Chrysler, but by more than just a passing interest from
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
and
Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
. At that time, the automaker's executives such as Robert Lutz, Thomas Stallkamp, and Francois Castaing "made Chrysler the most nimble of Detroit's three carmakers." In 1993, Castaing founded the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), joining Chrysler with General Motors and Ford. USCAR's goal is to strengthen the technology base of the U.S. auto industry through cooperative research and development. He was also instrumental in establishing the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles. In 1994, Castaing became the head of Chrysler Powertrain Operations in 1996, he was appointed executive vice president for Chrysler International Operations. After the Daimler-Benz merger with Chrysler in 1998, he became a technical adviser to Bob Eaton until retirement in 2000. Castaing was among the creators of the sport utility vehicle trend that propelled the North American automotive industry during the 1990s and has transformed European automobile markets in the early-2000s. Castaing was also a member in the "
Dodge Viper The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by Street & Racing Technology, SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer Chrysler from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2011 to 20 ...
Team", being the Engineering Vice President, and "would prove vital" to the development of the Viper's
V10 engine A V10 engine is a ten- cylinder piston engine where two banks of five cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V10 engines are much less common than V8 and V12 engines. Several V10 diesel engines have been pro ...
.


Retirement

After leaving DaimlerChrysler, Castaing served as a member of the board of directors for multiple manufacturing and automobile companies, including
Exide Exide was originally a brand name for batteries produced by The Electric Storage Battery Company and later became Exide Holdings, Inc. doing business as Exide Technologies, an American lead–acid battery, lead-acid batteries manufacturing com ...
, the battery company, Durakon Industries, NextEnergy,
Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was the world's largest racing car manufacturer in the 1980s. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Va ...
, and
Valeo Valeo is a French global automotive supplier headquartered in France, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange ( CAC Next 20 Index). It supplies a wide range of products to automakers and the aftermarket. The Group employs 113,600 people in 29 countri ...
. He also served on the board of the
Federation of American Scientists The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is an American nonprofit global policy think tank with the stated intent of using science and scientific analysis to attempt to make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by a group of scient ...
. In 2004, TRW Automotive Holdings announced the election of Castaing to the company's board of directors. He also served on the
audit committee An audit committee is a committee of an organisation's board of directors which is responsible for oversight of the financial reporting process, selection of the independent auditor, and receipt of audit results both internal and external. In a U ...
of Amerigon (now Gentherm Incorporated). In 1998, Castaing became chairman of the New Detroit Science Center for the education of future generations. Under his leadership, a $30 million capital campaign for the expansion and renovation of the Detroit Science Center was launched, ultimately permitting the center to reopen to the public in 2001 with dramatically expanded exhibition space. Castaing resigned from his post in January 2012, as the center closed due to various financial problems. Castaing has continued to leverage his ties to the automobile industry to promote science and engineering education. From 1994, Castaing also served on the board of directors for
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (''FIRST'') is an international youth organization that operates the ''FIRST'' Robotics Competition, ''FIRST'' Lego League Challenge, ''FIRST'' Lego League Explore, ''FIRST'' Lego Leagu ...
(FIRST), the robotics competition for high school students created by inventor and entrepreneur
Dean Kamen Dean Lawrence Kamen (; born April 5, 1951) is an American engineer, inventor, and businessman. He is known for his invention of the Segway PT, Segway and iBOT, as well as founding the non-profit organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Sc ...
.


Death

François Castaing died on 26 July 2023, at the age of 78.


Recognition

Castaing was named "Man of the Year" by the French publication ''Le Journal de l'Automobile'' for his exemplary success in the United States. He was noted for developing the Renault-AMC structure, the launching of
Renault Alliance The Renault Alliance was a front-wheel drive, front-engine Subcompact car, subcompact automobile manufactured and marketed in North America by American Motors Corporation (AMC) for model years 1983–1987. The Alliance and its subsequent hatchb ...
and Encore ( Renault 9 & 11), for being the father of the
Jeep Cherokee (XJ) The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is a sport utility vehicle developed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) and marketed across a single generation by Jeep in the United States from 1983 (model year 1984) through 2001 — and globally through 2014. It was ...
, as well as being one of the craftsmen of the rescue of Chrysler. Castaing was elected a member of the United States
National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...
in 1995 for the development of highly reliable, high-performance automobiles and for their successful production through innovative organizational structures. Castaing was also chosen as a fellow of the
Society of Automotive Engineers SAE International is a global professional association and standards organization based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, United States. Formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, the organization adopted its current name in 2006 to reflect bot ...
(SAE) that "recognizes and honors long-term members who have made a significant impact on society's mobility technology through leadership, research, and innovation." Castaing was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame on 12 October 2010 in Dearborn, Michigan.


Footnotes


References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Castaing, Francois 1945 births 2023 deaths French automobile designers American automobile designers Corporate executives in the automobile industry Auto racing people American Motors people Chrysler executives Renault people French emigrants to the United States Businesspeople from Marseille 20th-century French businesspeople