COSTA MESA, Calif. – Hyundai America Technical Center Inc. announced on December 22, 2011 that Christopher Chapman will be chief designer of the Hyundai Design Center in Irvine, Calif. Chapman, a graduate of Art Center College of Design with a Bachelor of Science degree in Transportation Design, will be responsible for new vehicle and concept design for the South Korean carmaker.

Chapman, who hails from Pasadena, Calif., joined Isuzu Technical Center of America in 1989 and was selected to design the exterior of the XU-1 show car, which won Best Concept at its 1993 Tokyo Motor Show debut.

In 1994, Chapman joined the BMW Group at DesignworksUSA, where he designed the exteriors of the X5 Sport Activity Vehicle and X Coupe concept car. He and his family spent two years in Munich, Germany, which allowed him to immerse himself in the BMW culture while designing the CS1 concept shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in 2002, followed by the 1 series production Coupe and its derivatives. He was appointed Director of Automotive Design in 2002 and guided several vehicles including the new X5, X3 and Z4. Since 2008, Chapman has directed the Transportation Design department, which includes Designworks’ external partners in aviation, marine, and public mobility.

“Christopher Chapman is an outstanding addition to the design team at [Hyundai America Technical Center],” said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “We are proud to add such a talented individual to lead the team of dedicated designers at HATCI that will continue to develop innovative vehicles for both the United States and global auto markets.”

Source: Hyundai Motor America