Franz von Holzhausen | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Holzhausen in 2008 | |
| Born | May 10, 1968 Simsbury, Connecticut, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Syracuse University (1986–1988), ArtCenter College of Design (1988–1992, BS in Transportation Design)[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Chief Designer, Tesla Inc. |
| Spouse | Vicki von Holzhausen[2] |
| Children | 2[3] |
Franz von Holzhausen (born May 10, 1968) is an American[4] vehicle designer. Since 2008, he has been in charge of design at Tesla, Inc.[5] He led design for the Tesla Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Semi, Cybertruck and Tesla Roadster (second generation).[6][7] Prior to Tesla, he worked in design at Mazda, General Motors, and Volkswagen.
In 1992, von Holzhausen started his career with Volkswagen, where he worked on the design for the New Beetle concept project, known as "Concept One," under design lead J Mays.[8]
In 2000, he moved to General Motors as a design manager, where he worked on the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice.[9]
In 2005, he took a role at Mazda, where he was chief of design.[10] He led the designs of the Mazda Kabura concept car that debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show and of the Mazda Furai concept car that was unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, both in Detroit.[11][12][10]
In 2008, he went to work for Tesla, where he led the design of vehicles including the Model S, Model 3, Model X,[13] Model Y,[14] Semi,[15] second-generation Tesla Roadster,[16] and Cybertruck. He became known to a wide audience as the result of inadvertently smashing the windows of the Cybertruck during an unveiling event.[17][18]
Von Holzhausen's father was an industrial designer.[19] An internship with his father's company introduced him to the ArtCenter College of Design where he eventually got his degree.[20]
Von Holzhausen is married to Vicki von Holzhausen (née Vlachakis), whom he met when they were both automotive designers at General Motors.[21] Vicki is now the founder and CEO of von Holzhausen, a company that innovates sustainable materials for the fashion and automotive industries.[22]
