Peter Schreyer picked up top honors at the 2022 Autocar Awards, in a ceremony held at the UK’s Silverstone Circuit on Tuesday May 10th, 2022.
The award ceremony is hosted by Autocar website, the world’s oldest automotive journal founded in 1895.
Peter Schreyer received Autocar’s ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award for an incredible career spanning decades.
Now Executive Design Advisor and brand ambassador at Hyundai Motor Group, Peter Schreyer headed Kia’s design-led approach to product development for more than a decade. His efforts and expertise have had a transformative on the brand’s success globally in recent years.
Mark Tisshaw Editor for Autocar, comments: “Few people have the determination and ability to change the course of a massive car conglomerate for the better. But Peter Schreyer did just this in 2006 when he accepted the position as Kia’s chief design officer. To say Schreyer has succeeded in his mission is quite an understatement: Kia’s global sales rocketed from 1.6 million to 3 million between 2009 and 2016, and much of that upward thrust was attributed to the rapidly elevated design appeal of Schreyer-era models. His portfolio represents the gold standard of automotive design success and he truly deserves Autocar’s 2022 ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award.”
Commenting on his award, designer Peter Schreyer said: “It is an honor to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award. I have been fortunate to have been involved in many projects over my 40+ year design career and privileged to work with some very talented teams to develop vehicles that have resonated with customers the world over.”
“In 2006, I was given the opportunity to join Kia and the freedom to conceive a desirable design brand. It was a truly enriching moment in my career. Thanks to visionary leadership of the Group and the trust they placed in me, we led the transformation of the Hyundai Motor Group and created a legacy the company can build on for the future. Since then, I have been involved in many successful programs for the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, and I look forward to continuing my work for the Group,” he added.
Born in 1953 in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, Schreyer has enjoyed an illustrious career as an automotive designer. He received his professional education at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and at the renowned Royal College of Art in London, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2007.
In 2006, Schreyer was appointed Chief Design Officer at Kia. During his tenure, he proved instrumental in creating a fresh new design direction for the brand, including the introduction of the distinctive ‘tiger nose’ grille. His major design highlights at Kia include the 3rd and 4th -generation Sportage, K5, Stinger, Telluride and several innovative and critically acclaimed concept cars, such as the 2007 Kia Kee and 2010 Kia Pop.
Named President and Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group in 2013, Schreyer’s unique approach to design has transformed Kia and Hyundai into highly desirable and recognizable brands. In February 2022, Schreyer was named Executive Design Advisor and brand ambassador for the Hyundai Motor Group.
Before joining Kia, he was responsible for the design of pioneering models including the Audi A2, Audi TT, Volkswagen New Beetle and Volkswagen Golf IV at Audi and the Volkswagen Group.
