FAW Pirates Rolls-Royce Design Director to Serve as its Design VP

Chinese carmaker FAW has recruited former Rolls-Royce Design Director Giles Taylor to be its Global Vice President of Design and Chief Creative Officer (CCO).

For FAW, Taylor will be chiefly responsible for creating design strategies and unique style concepts for FAW's luxury brand Hongqi. Launched in 1958, Hongqi is the oldest Chinese passenger car brand still in operation today. In his role as FAW's CCO, Taylor will also establish a design development system that will infuse internationalized design philosophies into FAW's range of products, including autonomous passenger cars. Taylor will be based in Munich, Germany where he will establish an FAW Advanced Design Center and lead its "globalized high-end design team." Taylor has a master's graduate in 1992 from the vehicle design discipline of the Royal College of Art in London. Taylor spent 13 years with Jaguar Cars during which he held the position of Chief Designer for the current XJ saloon and XK sportscar launched in 2005. In 2011, Taylor joined Rolls-Royce Motorcars where he served as its Director of Design from 2012 up until recently. During his time with Rolls-Royce, Taylor led the design of many cars like the drop-head Dawn, Phantom VIII limousine, and the recently-launched Cullinan SUV. "I am very much looking forward to embarking on an exciting new career path with FAW," said Taylor upon becoming a formal member of FAW. "Hongqi, as the oldest and most famous Chinese car brand, carries with it a deeply significant and diverse cultural history. There are many inspirational elements surrounding the marque with which to create fresh, modern vehicles for the new era. I look forward to working with the FAW Executive team to deliver this fascinating mission for Hongqi as well as exciting future products for FAW."