Why Ford’s Euro design is changing: Joel Piaskowski replaces Martin Smith

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 28 May 2014 14:30 Ford today confirmed that it is shaking up its European design team, as it appoints Joel Piaskowski to replace the retiring Martin Smith. Smith, 64, has led Ford of Europe’s design team for a decade and is the father of the brand’s edgy ‘kinetic design’, but will step down on 1 July 2014, it was announced this afternoon. Before he retires fully at the end of the year Smith will work with the Blue Oval’s vice president of design, Moray Callum, on a global project looking at the future of Ford design.

Vauxhall's new badge

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 09 April 2008 00:00 Vauxhall has redesigned its griffin badge - and the new Insignia is the first car that will bear the new mascot. It's a typically modern rebranding: the graphic designers have zoomed in on the upper torso of the griffin, giving it a sharper, modern look and the word Vauxhall is now incorporated in the badge.The company's grille-wide V front end will be abandoned, the new grille preferring an Opel-style roundel, enlarged and sitting slap bang in the middle of the grille. It's not all change, however.

Concorso Italiano: A new section of last year's course, great cars and everyone's happy

More room, flatter fairways, more cool cars and even a section of barn finds and beaters made this year's Concorso Italiano one of the best ever. As you may recall from the 26- or 28-year history of this perennial classic, recent servings of Concorso Italiano have been a little up and down, with venue changes and field sizes that didn't always show these great cars in their fullest possible glory. There were the buses that took us around the first year of the Black Horse golf course, followed by the year of the cold, hard cement of the Marina Airport, and then the box canyon of last year's show.