What? Chris Bangle is getting a design award?!?

[Madman]

Oh, the irony!  Nevermind that giving Chris Bangle an award for design is like giving Josef Mengele an award for medicine, just look at who's giving it to him.  The Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology?  Seriously?  Then again, anyone who thinks Bangle's designs are attractive is obviously in need of an eye examination so perhaps this is a way for them to find more clients?

Honestly, you can't make this stuff up!!!  

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/14/former-bmw-lightning-rod-chris-bangle-to-receive-lifetime-design/

[Colin]

Oh, I don't know......... he did design the Fiat Coupe, and I think that's a terrific looking car even now.

I agree that some of his early BMW creations were somewhat polarising.....

[MrH]

You can't deny that he changed the entire game.

[CALL_911]

You can't deny that he changed the entire game.

Oh, absolutely.

He's also responsible for abominations such as:

[Northlands]

He's had some good designs. He had those infamous later BMW designs, but as the article said, it still may have contributed to increased sales for BMW. There's a whole list of other cars he's left his mark on that people admire. So this isn't altogether too shocking after all. 

[Northlands]

Oh, absolutely.

He's also responsible for abominations such as:

Oh so horrific rubbish!   



 

[Madman]

These are the abominations for which Bangle will forever be remembered....

The E65 7 Series, from which we get the term Bangle Butt.




The "Designed with an axe" Z4.




The bizarrely-detailed 5 Series.




And the "Sagging in the middle" 1 Series.




Is it any wonder that Bangle is just one letter away from both "bungle" and "mangle"?  It's appropriate, seeing as how many think he's done both to BMW design.

[Cookie Monster]

Honestly, I think those polarizing designs were exactly what BMW needed. I would much rather have a lineup of polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it designs (most of which I love) than something so boring and safe, like Audi's lineup, where it's hard to tell each car apart, no matter how cleanly styled they are.

[Northlands]

Well, for whatever reason, he gets the award, and as the article said, BMW sales did increase.

Honestly, I think those polarizing designs were exactly what BMW needed. I would much rather have a lineup of polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it designs (most of which I love) than something so boring and safe, like Audi's lineup, where it's hard to tell each car apart, no matter how cleanly styled they are.

I think you have a point. Sometimes a good jolt to the eyes can wake up the public.

[NomisR]

Honestly, I think those polarizing designs were exactly what BMW needed. I would much rather have a lineup of polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it designs (most of which I love) than something so boring and safe, like Audi's lineup, where it's hard to tell each car apart, no matter how cleanly styled they are.

Definitely, compared to the current BMW design, I think the old Bangle BMWs actually stands out more.  Since there's no way to please everyone, might as well not because you'll end up offending everyone.

[CALL_911]

These are the abonination for which Bangle will forever be remembered....

The E65 7 Series, from whuch we get the term Bangle Butt.




The "Designed with an axe" Z4.




The bizarrely-detailed 5 Series.




And the "Sagging in the middle" 1 Series.




Is it any wonder that Bange is just one letter away from both "bungle" and "mangle"?  It's appropriate, seeing as how many think he's done both to BMW design.

I'm a fan of all of those cars' styling.

[CJ]

Me too.  I think the E65 looks excellent.

[Secret Chimp]

The 1 series looks like somebody unskilled tried copying 3-series and gave up halfway through.

[Madman]

Well, for whatever reason, he gets the award, and as the article said, BMW sales did increase.

BMW sales would have increased anyway, with or without Bangle.  Bangle's tenure as BMW's chief designer coincided with BMW's expansion into new market segments (thus adding volume) and Mercedes Benz faltering due to quality and reliability woes.  I would argue BMW's sales would have increased even more were it not for Bangle's "polarising" designs turning off more than a few prospective customers.

Evidently, "polarising" is the new code-word for "ugly"!

[2o6]

Bangle, love his designs or hate them (I don't always like all of his designs, but I do think he's a design force in the field) made everything else look old and boring.


Cars like this




Made cars like this




Look old and boring.


I actually hate new BMWs (design), they're far too boring, evolutionary and inoffensive.

Honestly, I think those polarizing designs were exactly what BMW needed. I would much rather have a lineup of polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it designs (most of which I love) than something so boring and safe, like Audi's lineup, where it's hard to tell each car apart, no matter how cleanly styled they are.

I can't tell a SWB A8 and an A6 apart.

You can't deny that he changed the entire game.

+ A billion. When bangle did his work on BMW in the early 2000's, everyone took notice.

[MexicoCityM3]

I miss Bangle. The new 5 and 7 are bland. The 3 series is better, the 6 is great, the 1 series looks like a Bangle and may grow on me.

He did move the game forward. Or at least somewhere, but not backward. And he had balls. As well as the BMW board for supporting him for so long in the face of widespread criticism.

[MX793]

I'd point out that most of the BMWs that people are complaining about (i.e. the Z4) weren't actually penned by Bangle.  At that point, he was the design director.  He approved the designs, but wasn't the one actually drawing them.

[Onslaught]

You can put me on the list of people who aren't a fan of the way he changed the looks of BMW's. Jus about all the BMW's before him looked good. After the Bangle Butt it's a big hit or miss with me.

[omicron]

Bangle, love his designs or hate them (I don't always like all of his designs, but I do think he's a design force in the field) made everything else look old and boring.


Cars like this




Made cars like this




Look old and boring.

A car released in 2003 made a car released in 1995 look old? Well I'll be!

And I'd replace 'boring' with 'handsome' - the W210s, especially the later ones, are fine-looking cars.

And yet. I really like the Bangle-butt 7-series; I've always loved the Z4 (and thought it far nicer than the Z3, incidentally); and the eagle-eyed 5-series isn't too bad. Needs big wheels and M-Sport suspension, though, or it just looks clumsy.

[shp4man]

Being a classic car nut, this thread made me think of Virgil Exner, the guy that designed the beautiful and modern looking (for the 50's) 1957 Plymouth:



But by 1962, his designs were getting a little "out there" and they put a new guy in.

[r0tor]

I would gladly rock a later model of the bangle era 135i, 335i, 5er, Z4, and all M variants

[Morris Minor]

Being a classic car nut, this thread made me think of Virgil Exner, the guy that designed the beautiful and modern looking (for the 50's) 1957 Plymouth:

Step back and think about the context in which this car was released, if there were ever a single expression of optimism, confidence & prosperity in the USA of the 1950s, this is it.

[shp4man]

Step back and think about the context in which this car was released, if there were ever a single expression of optimism, confidence & prosperity in the USA of the 1950s, this is it.

Yep. The '57 Plymouth was about 3 years ahead of the styling curve of the other Detroit carmakers.