Storied automotive designer Freeman Thomas is joining Ford Motor Company on 1st June, sliding into the driver's seat of its North American strategic design enterprise.

Thomas, 47, will become director of Strategic Design, reporting to Peter Horbury, executive director of Design, North America. Based in the company's Irvine, California studio, Thomas will lead advanced design teams in both California and Dearborn (Michigan). In addition to developing product design strategies and concept vehicles, the Strategic Design team will work closely with the Advanced Product Creation team of engineers and product experts to create compelling new production vehicles.

"Freeman lives, eats, breathes, sleeps and even dreams about cars," said J Mays, Ford Motor Company group vice president of Design and chief creative officer. "He is the consummate designer. But what makes Freeman truly special is his ability to create iconically beautiful vehicles that are both emotionally gripping and culturally relevant. He loves to tell a story through design."

Thomas, who resigned 21st April as head of DaimlerChrysler Pacifica Advanced Design Centre, has created an enviable collection of vehicles and underlying strategies during his 22-year career.

His hit parade includes everything from the 500-horsepower Dodge Tomahawk motorcycle and the "Noble American Sedan" strategy that evolved into the production version Chrysler 300C to the Audi TT concept and Volkswagen Concept 1 (known today as the New Beetle), which he developed with Mays in the 1990s.

"Freeman has not only the artistic ability to deliver strong designs, but he also has the unique blend of intuition and business savvy to drive his team and the rest of the enterprise to deliver the right products for the right market at the proper time," Horbury said. "He'll add still more horsepower to our efforts to create tomorrow's vehicles and will further fuel our team."

Ultimately, Thomas says, it's the strength of the design team that lured him to the company.

"I spent time looking at and considering all my options, and I chose Ford," he said. "I regard J Mays as the industry's top design leader, and the team he has built is second-to-none. I couldn't pass by the opportunity to work with such a high-calibre collection of design standouts, many of whom I also consider friends."

In addition to Mays and Horbury, the company's design leadership team includes Martin Smith, executive director of design, Ford of Europe; Geoff Upex, design director of Land Rover; Gerry McGovern, advanced design director of Land Rover; Ian Callum, design director of Jaguar; Steve Mattin, design director of Volvo; and Moray Callum, design director of Mazda.

Thomas kicked off his career in 1983 as a senior designer at Porsche AG, after graduating from Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena, California, which he attended on a full Ford scholarship.

He left Porsche in 1987 but continued working on Porsche product designs while heading his own design consultancy, teaching at Art Centre and providing design analysis and reviews in automotive magazines.

Thomas joined Audi in 1991, helping deliver key vehicle designs such as the Volkswagen Concept 1 and its cabriolet concept in 1994 as well as the Audi TT concept and the Audi TTS Spyder Concept the following year.

He moved to SHR in 1996, following Mays. This time, the duo created an aluminium space-frame vehicle for Alcoa.

Thomas returned to Volkswagen in 1996 as chief designer in the Simi Valley, California, studio. He was named vice president of DaimlerChrysler Advanced Product Design Strategy in 1999, a position he filled until he was named the head of Pacifica Advanced Design Centre in 2002.

That same year, Thomas was awarded an honorary doctorate from Art Centre College of Design, making him one of few alumni recipients, along with Mays.

A devotee of automobiles, aircraft and motorcycles, Thomas counts consuming culture, art and design among his favourite hobbies. He also enjoys exploring Europe, his home for 18 years, with his wife Renee and 14-year-old daughter Monique.