Geoff Wardle, automotive designer, corporate consultant and currently the Director of Corporate Relations, Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California questions the future of the automobile as it exists today. He believes that manufacturers should stop being car companies and start being providers of mobility.

Geoff Wardle is the second industry leader in a month to question prolific car production and speak passionately about mobility enterprises. At the Los Angeles Auto Show in early January, Wolfgang Reitzle, head of Ford's Premier Auto Group, criticized America's flagging auto industry, challenging manufacturers to aggressively pursue new technologies and marketing strategies.

"The receding market is an opportunity for the auto industry to redefine itself as a provider of mobility and not as a manufacturer of cars" says Wardle. He claims a huge opportunity exists for car companies to take bold initiatives in solving many of the global mobility issues that we face now and will face in the future.

Furthermore, he believes that automotive designers play a key role in the reinvention of the automotive industry. They need to move away from designing new product and put their focus on strategies that will enable manufacturers to move forward in a way that embraces all transportation issues.

Wardle promises to animate an exchange of automotive designers and media that will meet in Toronto, Ontario, Canada next week on Tuesday, February 13th, for a Design Forum held in conjunction with the media days that precede the opening of the Canadian International AutoShow.

The Forum lunch will include presentation of Canadian Car of the Year - Best New Design Award. The afternoon will be devoted to a panel discussion amongst the eight designers and the media. The topic: Is there a future for the car as we know it?

Speakers include:

- Brian Baker, General Motors Advanced Portfolio Exploration Team
   (SSR concept vehicle - "The Concept Behind the Concept")

- Michael Ellis, Design Director, TH!NK Group, Ford Motor Company
   (An advanced look at the TH!NK Group of Products)

- Ralph Gilles, Senior Manager, Design Office, DaimlerChrysler Corp.
   (Dodge Viper concept car: "Design at the Crossroads" )

- Adrian von Hooydonk, BMW Design Works USA
   (BMW Z9 - "What will drive BMW design tomorrow - Emotion vs. Technology" )

- Peter Horbury, Chief Designer, Volvo Car Corporation, Vice President and Chief Designer
   (Volvo S60 - "From the horse and carriage to the jet fighter")

- Ken K. Okuyama, Chair, Transportation Design Dept. Art Center College of Design, Pasadena
   (Recently arrived from the Pininfarina studio in Italy, Mr. Okuyama will talk about the future
    of the Art Center's Transportation Design Department)

- Giles Taylor, Design Manager, Advanced Design Studio, Jaguar Cars, Design Manager, Jaguar XJ Program
   (Jaguar Interior Design)


2001 Canadian International AutoShow
Design Forum: Design and Technology at the Crossroads
Tuesday, February 13, 2001
Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building -700 Level, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

For more information go to www.autoshow.ca