Peter Schreyer (born 1953) is a German automobile designer widely known for his design contributions to the Audi TT. He has been the chief design officer at

Kia Motors Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...

since 2006 and, on 28 December 2012, he was named one of three presidents of the company. In 2006, ''

Car Design News ''Car Design News'' (''CDN'') () is an online news and information service for the international automotive design community. ''CDN'' covers production and concept cars, the career moves of significant car designers, major international auto sho ...

'' called the Audi TT one of "the most influential automotive designs in recent time".

Education and early career

Schreyer was born in 1953 in

Bad Reichenhall Bad Reichenhall (Central Bavarian: ''Reichahoi'') is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgau Alps (including Mount Staufe ...

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, West Germany, and he began studying in 1975 at the

Munich University of Applied Sciences The Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) (german: Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften München) was founded in 1971 and is the largest university of applied sciences in Bavaria with about 17,800 students. The Munich University of Appl ...

(Fachhochschule München – Industrie Design). He worked with

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. Th ...

first as a student in 1978, graduating in 1979 with his industrial design degree. Subsequently, he won the Audi Scholarship to study at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...

in London from 1979 to 1980 as a transportation design student. In 1980, Schreyer began working with Audi in exterior, interior and conceptual design. In 1991, he moved to the company's design studio in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He returned to the Audi Design Concept Studio in 1992 and, the following year, moved to

Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...

's exterior design department. Schreyer is known for wearing all-black clothing, black eyeglasses designed by

Philippe Starck Philippe Starck (; born 18 January 1949) is a French industrial architect and designer known for his wide range of designs, including interior design, architecture, household objects, furniture, boats and other vehicles. Life Starck was born on ...

, and for his "competitive, inventive and analytic" nature.

Kia and Hyundai Motor Group

Beginning in 2005,

Kia Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...

focused on the European market, identifying ''design'' as central to their growth strategy — leading to the 2006 hiring of Schreyer as

chief design officer Chief Design Officer (CDO), or design executive officer (DEO), is a corporate title sometimes given to an executive in charge of an organization's design initiatives. The CDO is typically responsible for overseeing all design and innovation aspects ...

. Schreyer has been central to a complete restyling of Kia's range, overseeing design activities at Kia's design centers in Frankfurt, Irvine, Tokyo and the Namyang Design Center in Korea. Schreyer indicated in a 2010 interview that Kia had a "neutral image" - indistinguishable whether it was Korean or Japanese - and said that "it's very important that you are able to recognise a Kia at first sight". The ''Kee'' concept vehicle, shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, introduced a new corporate grille to create a recognizable 'face' for the brand. Known as the ''Tiger Nose'', Schreyer indicated he wanted "a powerful visual signal, a seal, an identifier. The front of a car needs this recognition, this expression. A car needs a face and I think the new Kia face is strong and distinctive. Visibility is vital and that face should immediately allow you to identify a Kia even from a distance". Commenting on the new signature grille in 2009, Schreyer said "Tigers are powerful, yet kind of friendly". The nose is "three-dimensional - like a face, not just a surface with a mouth drawn on it. From now on, we'll have it on all our cars". In November 2018 Schreyer was replaced by

Luc Donckerwolke Luc Donckerwolke (born 19 June 1965) is a Belgian automotive designer, president, and chief creative officer of the Hyundai Motor Group and the Genesis automotive brand. Prior to joining the Hyundai Motor Group, he was the design director at Vo ...

as the chief design officer at Hyundai-Kia; his title was updated to "President of design management for Hyundai Motor Group", responsible for the group's long-term design vision.

Awards

* 1995 Schreyer founded and juried the "Internationaler Audi design Förderpreis". * 2003 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany. * 2007 honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London, following

Sergio Pininfarina Sergio Pininfarina, born Sergio Farina, (8 September 1926
. – 3 July 2012) was an Italian automobile ...

and

Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...

as only the third automotive designer to receive the honor. * 2013 Das Goldene Lenkrad - Goldene Ehrenlenkrad award (Auto Bild & Bild-am-Sonntag) * 2014 Grand Prix du Design, 29th Festival Automobile International de Paris * 2014

EyesOn Design EyesOn Design are a series of events including an annual car show and a fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. It has become a national event focused on the emotion and character of automotive design. History The Eyes on Design S ...

Lifetime Design Achievement award.

Design work

Audi A3 The Audi A3 is a subcompact executive/small family car (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi AG since September 1996, currently in its fourth generation. The first two generations of the Audi A3 were based on the ...

(1996) **

Audi A4 The Audi A4 is a line of compact executive cars produced since 1994 by the German car manufacturer Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platform. The first ...

(2000) **

Audi A6 The Audi A6 is an executive car made by the German automaker Audi. Now in its fifth generation, the successor to the Audi 100 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, and is available in saloon and estate configurations, the latter marketed by Aud ...

(1997) ** Audi TT (1998) *

Volkswagen Concept R The Volkswagen Concept R is a concept car developed by the German automaker Volkswagen and officially unveiled at the September 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show. It is a study of a sporty two seat roadster, with mid-engine and rear wheel drive. The Conc ...

(2003) **

Volkswagen Eos The Volkswagen Eos was a sport compact cabriolet coupé produced by the German automaker Volkswagen from 2006 to 2015. Assembled at AutoEuropa in Portugal, it was a convertible only compact coupé introduced as the successor of the Volkswagen Gol ...

(2006) **

Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...

(1997) **

Volkswagen New Beetle The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car, introduced by Volkswagen in 1997, drawing heavy inspiration from the exterior design of the original Beetle. Unlike the original Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front, driving the fron ...

(1997) *

Kia Borrego Borrego (Spanish: " lamb") may refer to: People Surname *Carla Borrego (b. 1983), Jamaican-Australian international basketball and netball player * Diego Borrego (b. 1972), Spanish golfer * Elías Borrego (b. 1990), Argentine footballer * Francisc ...

(2008) **

Kia Cadenza The Kia Cadenza (also known in South Korea as Kia K7) is a full-size/executive sedan manufactured by Kia. It was launched in 2010 to replace the Kia Opirus/Amanti. As of January 2014, it was sold in South Korea, United States, Canada, China ...

(2010) **

(2017) **

Kia Carnival The Kia Carnival ( ko, 기아 카니발) is a minivan manufactured by Kia since 1998. It is marketed globally under various nameplates — prominently as the Kia Sedona — which is now unused in favor of the Carnival. The first generati ...

(2015) **

Kia Cee'd The Kia Ceed (known as the Kia cee'd before 2018) is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2006 exclusively for the European market. The Ceed was first unveiled on 28 September 2006 at the Paris Motor Show. In mid-2007, ...

(2012) **

Kia Ceed The Kia Ceed (known as the Kia cee'd before 2018) is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2006 exclusively for the European market. The Ceed was first unveiled on 28 September 2006 at the Paris Motor Show. In mid-2007, ...

(2018) **

Kia Forte The Kia Forte, known as the K3 in South Korea, the Forte K3 or Shuma in China and Cerato in South America, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, is a compact car manufactured by South Korean automaker Kia since mid-2008, replacing the Kia Spectra. I ...

(2012) **

(2018) **

Kia K9 The Kia K9, marketed as the Kia K900 in the United States and Canada and as the Kia Quoris in other export markets, is a full-size luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by Kia, now in its second generation. The K9 was launched in South Korea in ...

(2012) **

(2018) **

Kia Niro The Kia Niro ( ko, 기아 니로) is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) manufactured by Kia since 2016. It is an electrification-focused vehicle, offering three versions: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric variants. __TOC__ Fir ...

(2017) **

Kia Optima Optima is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf and released by the D. Stempel AG foundry, Frankfurt, West Germany in 1958. Though classified as a sans-serif, Optima has a subtle swelling at the terminals suggesting a glyphic s ...

(2010) **

(2015) **

Kia Picanto The Kia Picanto is a city car that has been produced by the South Korean car manufacturer, Kia, since 2003. Other names of the car include Kia Morning ( ko, 기아 모닝, translit=Gia Moning) in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan (first two generati ...

(2011) **

(2017) **

Kia Rio The Kia Rio ( ko, 기아 리오) is a subcompact car manufactured by Kia since November 1999 and now in its fourth generation. Body styles have included a three and five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, equipped with inline-four gasoline and d ...

(2011) **

(2017) **

Kia Sorento The Kia Sorento ( ko, 기아 쏘렌토, translit=Gia Sorento) is a mid-size crossover SUV (formerly a body-on-frame SUV until 2009) produced since 2002 by South Korean manufacturer Kia. First generation (BL; 2002) 2002–2006 Debuted in ...

(2009) **

Kia Soul The Kia Soul is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed worldwide by Kia, currently in its third generation. Designed at Kia's design center in California, the Soul debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and is manufactured in South Ko ...

(2014) **

Kia Sportage The Kia Sportage is a lineup of sport utility vehicles manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 1993. Since 2004, the Sportage has been categorized as a compact crossover SUV, while previously it occupied the compact SUV class. It ...

(2010) **

(2015) **

Kia Stinger The Kia Stinger ( ko, 기아 스팅어) is a mid-size liftback manufactured by Kia since 2017. Overview The Stinger traces its roots to the GT Concept from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and the Kia GT4 Stinger from the 2014 North American In ...

(2017) **

Kia Stonic The Kia Stonic ( ko, 기아 스토닉) is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) manufactured by Kia Motors. Its name is derived from the words "stylish" and "iconic". The Stonic debuted in Frankfurt on 20 June 2017 and in South Korea on 13 July 2 ...

(2017) **

Kia Venga The Kia Venga is a car manufactured by Kia for the European market across a single generation (2009–2019) with a five-door, five passenger, front-engine, front-wheel-drive, high-roof mini MPV (compact minivan) design. The Venga was styled by Gre ...

(2009) *

Hyundai Motor Company Hyundai Motor Company, often abbreviated to Hyundai Motors ( ) and commonly known as Hyundai (, ; ), is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, and founded in 1967. Currently, the company o ...

Hyundai Genesis The Hyundai Genesis ( ko, 현대 제네시스) is an executive four-door, five passenger, rear or all-wheel-drive full-size luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by Hyundai. The Hyundai Genesis debuted in 2008 until Genesis spun off as a separa ...

(2014) **

Hyundai i30 The Hyundai i30 is a small family car manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company since 2007. The i30 shares its platform with the Kia Ceed, available as a three-door hatchback (2012–2017), five-door hatchback, five-doo ...

(2017) **

Hyundai Tucson The Hyundai Tucson ( ko, 현대 투싼) (pronounced Tu-són) is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2004. In the brand's lineup, the Tucson is positioned below the Santa Fe, and above the Ko ...

(2015) *

Genesis Motor Genesis Motor, LLC, commonly referred to as Genesis ( ko, 제네시스, translit=Jenesiseu), is the luxury vehicle division of the South Korean vehicle manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company. Initially envisioned along with plans for Hyundai's ne ...

Genesis G70 The Genesis G70 ( ko, 제네시스 G70) is a four-door compact executive sedan manufactured by the Korean luxury automaker Genesis, which is owned by Hyundai Motor Company. The G70 debuted on September 15, 2017, at a global launch event in Seo ...

(2017) **

Genesis G80 The Genesis G80 ( ko, 제네시스 G80) is an executive sedan manufactured by South Korean luxury marque Genesis, which is owned by Hyundai Motor Company. The G80 model was previously introduced as the second-generation Hyundai Genesis model ...

(2017) **

Genesis G90 The Genesis G90 is a full-size luxury sedan manufactured by the Korean automaker Genesis, which is the luxury vehicle division of Hyundai Motor Company, since 2015. The G90 is the successor of the Hyundai Equus and was known as the Genesis EQ900 ...

(2017)

References

External links

Interview with Peter Schreyer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schreyer, Peter 1953 births Alumni of the Royal College of Art Audi Genesis Motor German automobile designers Hyundai Motor Company Kia Motors Living people People in the automobile industry Volkswagen Group designers