Q&A
Designer of the Aston Martin Rapide and the One-77 supercar, Marek Reichman oversees design for the Aston Martin brand, including Works Tailored cars, a unique, bespoke car tailoring service that includes cars such as the Stratstone DB9, a series of just 10 cars.
Q: What makes a beautiful car?
A: It starts with great proportion. From there it’s a sculptural form that has been shaped by hand. An Aston Martin is a dynamic form; it has movement even when it is static. It is designed to affect the space in which it sits. The passion that goes in to the design is the very thing that elicits emotion when people see the car.
Q: What are the priorities when you set out to create a car like the Rapide?
A: The brief was simple: to create the most beautiful four-door car in the world. The design is for a car that would be an emotional choice, rather than a practical one, which was a secondary goal. This means we then had to work very hard not to compromise on its elegance.
Q: What has been your contribution in terms of the evolution of Aston Martin design?
A: The range has been expanding and the cars now are more muscular and have a more dramatic form. More than ever before, we have extended the language of Aston Martin. The cars are quite different, but their beauty – though still harmonious – ranges from elegant to more brutal, depending on which car it is. So I have pushed the limits of Aston Martin design because it was the right time to do so.
Q: What keeps you awake at night?
A: Not much. Although I sometimes spend a lot of time of thinking about where Aston design is heading next. Inspiration or the next best thing will most likely keep me up.