Massimo Frascella has been appointed as the new Head of Audi Design, set to take over from Marc Lichte on June 1 as he transitions to a new role within the group. Frascella, a graduate of the Istituto d’Arte Applicata & Design in Turin, began his career at Stile Bertone before holding positions at Ford Motor Company and Kia. Since 2011, he has played pivotal roles at Jaguar Land Rover, culminating in his tenure as Head of Design for both brands.
Expressing his excitement about joining Audi, Frascella stated, “Assuming the role of Chief Creative Officer at Audi is a significant moment for me. I am deeply honored to lead such a talented team in shaping the brand’s future with innovation and distinction.” He emphasized his belief in the emotional power of design to inspire and connect, vowing to nurture creativity as the cornerstone of Audi’s identity.
Frascella’s design philosophy revolves around simplicity, favoring timeless and sophisticated design language over fleeting trends. He envisions designs that are devoid of unnecessary embellishments, focusing on clarity and precision.
Under Frascella’s leadership, Audi aims to set the course for the next generation of Audi models, anticipating significant technological advancements that will redefine shapes and functionalities across all vehicle segments. In light of this, Audi has restructured its design department to report directly to the Chairman of the Board of Management.
Gernot Döllner, Audi CEO, outlined the goal of ensuring that Audi vehicles embody the brand’s identity through unmistakable and emotional design language, highlighting clarity, precision, and perfect proportions as central tenets of Frascella’s design philosophy.
Marc Lichte, Frascella’s predecessor, led Audi Design since 2014, overseeing the introduction of new generations of best-selling models and the brand’s first standalone electric model series, including the Audi e-tron and the e-tron GT. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner acknowledged Lichte’s contribution, praising him as a creative visionary who shaped the brand’s design evolution into the era of electric mobility.
