Philippe Emami: Our Featured Designer, Giving Today’s Field of Automobile Design a Facelift

Philippe Emami is a modern renaissance man, designing innovations that enhance the way we live and drive.

 

A fan and student of science fiction, Emami dreamt of designing cars and vehicles that he saw on the big screen in the 70s.Emami studied his craft, pursuing training in creative fields, such as sculpting and drawing, using plaster, cardboard, foam and even household tools.

 

His eyes light up when he speaks of his childhood, “I sampled designing with forks, spoons, scissors, to materialize and create what I had in mind. Every tool could be used to show my creation.” Emami earned his Master’s degree in Automotive Design from the University of Paris, centering his thesis around innovation and fluid and smooth design. Almost immediately after, he started his own design agency in Paris, EMAMI Design, and began collaborating directly with industry leaders like PSA Peugeot Citroën and Renault.

 

Today, Emami continues his focus on automobile innovation, having been recruited by PSA Peugeot Citroën to be a designer in France. His craft both before and with PSA has earned him praise globally as a design leader for some of the most revolutionary new features emerging in the car industry, including those for Toyota and Chevrolet.

 

Philippe will tell you that his most acclaimed and favorite achievement is the new facelift he completed for the Peugeot 508. His work was well-received by leaders in the automobile industry, earning numerous awards in Germany, the UK and in Spain -including the Auto Zeitung Trophy, the Next Green Car trophy and the Car Of The Year, respectively.

 

Car Magazine called the Peugeot 508’s new design a “space-age interior“ with a stepped horizontal dashboard, inspired by furniture design and bedecked in wood. This futuristic design was first seen on the Exalt concept car in 2014 and its positive reception convinced Peugeot to make it a reality. The dashboard integrates Peugeot’s i-Cockpit control system, with its customizable digital instrument binnacle, a 10-inch touchscreen, and its trademark compact steering wheel.

 

Emami’s designs with PSA reach over 160 countries at 10,000 points of sale. PSA Peugeot cars are driving in 160 countries with 10,000 points of sale globally. “I am always very proud when I see one of “my” cars on the road,” Philippe states.

 

Emami has led the way in changing the way we view automobile design outside of the commercial realm as well. His idea for a new type of lighting system was awarded an international patent by the European Patent office in 2016. This patent was for a signaling device with an invisible, only visible when the light beam was on.

 

Philippe also designed the Toyota Aygo with Peugeot and Toyota. He led the design of a facelift for the Aygo, inspired by the Japanese robot, Astro Boy. Philippe’s design has remained classy, accessible and fun to use in the years since its release. The design was hailed by media and the automobile industry for its innovative design, even receiving the Auto Express Gold Awards 2018 Driver Power.

 

Emami tells us that he hopes to one day work in the United States, bringing his penchant for classic, timeless innovation to American automobile companies. Wherever his talents take him, Philippe Emami remains a pioneer in the automobile industry, standing poised to continue revolutionizing this rapidly advancing industry.