American Car Culture and Automotive Design in Southern California

April 19-20, 2007, Irvine and Los Angeles County, California
Contact: Los Angeles Foreign Press Center
Telephone: 310-235-7693; fpcla@cruznet.net

Fifteen journalists from nine countries participated in the tour to Southern California - the premier automotive design cluster of the world, with the center of that cluster residing in Irvine.  The two-day visit showed why great sunlight, Hollywood fashion, and an historic car culture have led Mercedes Benz, Mazda, KIA, Ford and others to choose Southern California as the location of choice for their advanced design studios.  As a trend setting region and a literal laboratory of culture and design preferences, Southern California has claimed the worldwide reputation for designing cars that fit people's lifestyles across the globe.

Journalists visited The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, home to some of the world's top automotive designers including the designers behind the Ferrari Enzo, the Lamborghini Gallardo and the BMW M6, among others.  They also explored hybrid and fuel cell technology with a visit to the National Fuel Cell Research Center at University of California Irvine which operates Orange County's first hydrogen fueling station.  Designers from some of the world's top automotive companies shared their insight on conceptual design, sustainability, and world-wide competition in the automotive industry, which included visits to design studios of Mazda Research & Development of North America, Ford Premier Group Design Center (re-located from Detroit in 2001), and Saleen, Inc. (designer/manufacturer of America's "Super Car" - the $750,000 sports car designed and built in Irvine).  Journalists also covered the auto industry's economic impact in Southern California through LAEDC, and Southern California's socio-cultural imprint on how we consume, market, and value cars in America through the Peterson Automobile Museum.  A tour of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Center rounded out the visit.