In what is not entirely surprising, Thomas C. Gale, head design guy at DaimlerChrysler (official title: DaimlerChrysler AG management board member; executive vice president in charge of Product Development and Design for Jeep, Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge; general manager of Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth Passenger Cars) is retiring at the end of the year. The 57-year-old joined Chrysler as an engineer in 1967. So after 33 years, one can argue that the guy deserves a break.
Of course, he is not going to be taking a break. He will be opening a design consulting business and will work with the Chrysler Group for two years. In many ways, Chrysler circa right now is Chrysler because of Gale. Indeed, in announcing Gale's retirement, James P. Holden, president and CEO of DaimlerChrysler Corp. and Board of Management Member, DCX AG, said, "Tom and his team created the Chrysler look-he wanted our products to be, in his words, 'remarkable.'"
Ask anyone-not just people in the U.S., but anyone from anywhere in the world who knows anything about the auto industry-just what makes DCX a player, and they won't say cost, they won't say quality, all they'll say is "Design."
It is undoubtedly true that when the people from Daimler came checkbook in hand to buy Chrysler, there were two things they were really interested in obtaining: (1) know-how in the whole area of procurement, an understanding of the best way to work with suppliers at all levels, and (2) superlative design.
The procurement capabilities were those of Thomas Stallkamp...who left DCX-and some say he was urged to leave-last year.
And now Gale will be gone in a few months.
Richard O. Schaum has been named executive vice president-Product Development and Quality, and general manager-Passenger Car Operations. Trevor M. Creed is senior vice president-Design. Creed will most certainly create the looks that will be associated with the products penned in Auburn Hills. He will no doubt develop his own stable of remarkable vehicles.
There is now a full slate of people who were once associated with the rebounded Chrysler Corporation who are now gone: Robert J. Eaton. Robert A. Lutz. Dennis Pawley. Francois Castaing. Stallkamp. And soon Gale.
But as is the case with any organization, whether it is a carmaker or a cookie manufacturer, people leave. Things change. While some could read into Gale's departure all sorts Stuttgart-based theories, I'm willing to believe that Gale just thinks he can accomplish more in terms of what he wants to do with his life outside of DCX rather than inside it. No conspiracies, just moving on.
And when we look at the cab-forward designs and the Viper, Prowler, and a host of other cool cars that came out of the studios he headed, it will be certain that while Gale may be gone, he is certainly not forgotten.
