Whos Where: David Wilkie joins Mindset

Tue, 30 Sep 2008

Design Director, David Wilkie, announced last week that he is leaving Bertone to take up a full time position at Mindset AG. Mindset is a new company run by Murat Günak, previously head of Design at Volkswagen, that is developing the electric ‘Commuter' car previewed by Car Design News in February this year.

Car Design News spoke with Wilkie about the move, who explained that he'd been working for Mindset part time, leading the design of the Commuter interior for several months now, but "I decided that for the good of Bertone, and for Mindset, that I needed to commit full time to one position; and the appeal of having my hands-on as a designer was very strong; and it's a project I really want to see through properly!"

Wilkie is still committed to carrying through several projects at Bertone over the next few weeks as he makes the transition to working with Günak with whom he studied at the Royal College of Art.

Wilkie started with Bertone five years ago, joining after being the last designer to leave the Ghia studio where he had worked for fifteen years. With the recent move of Michael Castiglione joining Ken Okuyama Design, and Franz von Holzhausen joining Tesla, Wilkie is part of a new wave of senior car designers to be opting to work for small start ups.

As yet Bertone have not announced Wilkie's successor, although Car Design News confirmed yesterday with Jason Castriota, who has just left Pininfarina, that he will not be taking up the position, contradicting rumours in the industry that he would.

Related Articles:
Design Development: Bertone BAT11 concept
Stile Bertone goes independent
Bertone BAT 11 unveiled
New Car: Mindset Commuter
Who's Where: Michael Castiglione
Who's Where: Franz von Holzhausen

By CDN Team