CAR’S CURVEBALLS
6 questions only we would ask
Tell us about your irst car...
‘A [Plymouth] Reliant handed down to me by my father. This was the car that brought back Chrysler, so not to be sni ed at.’
Which achievement makes you most proud?
‘I don’t know if I’m proud of it or not, but being a father has been really important to me. I have two children, aged four and six. It is an adventure having them in Japan, discovering everything. Work-wise, the act of building the BMW CS concept was very rewarding. Spending a few months in Turin, discovering the whole Italian tradition and eating Italian food every night was a real highlight.’
What’s the best thing you’ve done in a car?
‘Driving to the Alps in the summer with a bunch of friends in an old Alfa. We went from Munich to Tegernsee. There’s a lake there; it was just a beautiful day.’
Tell us how you screwed up…
‘I was probably a bit too insistent or brash about certain things in the structure of my previous employers. You have to believe in yourself, but on the other hand you have to be conscious you might be wrong.’
Supercar or classic? ‘Classic. My Alfa Giulia Sprint.’
Company curveball… Ininiti launched in 1989 with two cars, the Q45 and which other, and what vehicle was it based on? ‘Was it the J30?’ [No. It was the M30, a two-door coupe based on the Nissan Leopard. The J30 was a sedan from 1992.]