Ken Okuyama Automotive Designer

Ken Okuyama

K.O. 7 Spider Driven

So what does a designer do once he’s been privileged to work with the most exalted companies in the industry, been presented with the most prestigious awards in the category and been credited with the design of the most creative cars in the world?

He moves on, of course. Though one might not believe that there are bigger and better milestones to conquer, Ken Okuyama has proven that, just when you think he’s done it all, his best is yet to come.

It’s true that Okuyama’s current status as living industry legend is a direct result of his past as a hard-working professional in the field, but he also has a remarkable dedication to education and creative development that sets him apart from the throngs of other automotive designers.

Okuyama started his career as a professor of design at Tohoku University of Art and Design and as Chief Designer for Honda’s NSX project. After that, he returned to his alma mater, the Art Center College of Design in California, to teach. Between 2000 and 2004 he was Chair of the Transportation Design Department at the College but in 2004 he was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity—a job at Pininfarina.

One of the most renowned designers in the automotive field, and the creative genius behind names like Pininfarina, Ferrari and Maserati, Ken Okuyama has moved on to found his own design firm and produce cars that are the future of great automotive design.

Ken Okuyama began work as Creative Director at Pininfarina, a company he had been working with before, supervising the design of the Enzo Ferrari. As Creative Director Ken oversaw projects including the Ferrari 599, Mitsubishi Colt CZC, Maserati Birdcage 75th and Ferrari P4/5.

Okuyama left Pininfarina in 2006 to set up his own design firm, Newton Design Lab, which concentrated on industrial design products. His current work includes everything from humanoid robots to modern furniture. He is also known for the design of a small robot called Nuvo.

A year later, Okuyama launched the Ken Okuyama Eyes collection, an eyewear collection manufactured in Japan.

Finally, this year, Ken Okuyama established Ken Okuyama Cars, an appropriate business venture for the designer that would showcase his specialty—automotive coach building. Subsequently, he presented his first concept cars under his own initials - the K.O. 7 Spider, a carbon fiber and unpainted all-aluminum convertible two-seater and the K.O. 8, a true green supercar that is all function and silent power.

For the K.O. 7, Ken Okuyama cooperated with the luxury watch producer TAG Heuer, even fitting the TAG Heuer Grand Carrera at the dashboard of the car. The remaining interior of the concept car was also suggested by the design of the TAG Heuer watch.

The design principal with the K.O. 8 was based on both functionality and style. With a lithium ion as the battery tech employed, the K.O. 8’s three-phase motor will put out 100kw.

During the remainder of 2008, Ken Okuyama’s design studio will produce the first 20 models of the K.O. 7 Spider, already pre-sold to an ‘inner circle’ of designer’s fans. It will be followed by the production of 99 of the K.O. 8 and 99 of the K.O. 9 in 2009 and 99 more of each in 2010 from MODI in Japan. Additionally, the plan for the company is to present new models each year.

Though he currently lives in Italy, Okuyama still works as a visiting professor for several universities, serves as Vice Chairman for the Good Design Award, and has published several books in recent years.

So often we see auto designers follow glorious success with bland failures. Okuyama’s key to remaining relevant in the industry has seemingly been his ability to dabble in design fields other than that of cars. Inspirations for some of his most remarkable designs, like the one for the Tag Heuer-based K.O. 7, have come from elements far from the automotive world, proving that one of the best designers in the entire automotive industry has far more to offer than just his creative car designs.

The K.O. 7 Spider