Stellantis is adding a podcast to its communications roster. The automaker announced the launch of Car Concepts with Ralph Gilles, an interview series hosted by its Montreal-bred chief design officer. The first episode airs today, 29 October, with subsequent episodes releasing every Thursday.
The first season will comprise nine 30-minute episodes. Gilles will host designers, engineers, executives and creators to discuss their career journeys and automotive design. Beyond the vehicles themselves, conversations will focus on the people who shape them, their inspirations and their approach to work.
From initial sketch to production vehicle
The podcast will cover the various steps that bridge a sketch and a production model. Discussions will also touch on how the design profession is evolving, particularly with the arrival of new technologies and tools.
“I wanted to create the kind of conversations you have with friends in a garage, talking about cars, creativity, life and the experiences that define us,” explains Ralph Gilles.
The episodes are recorded face-to-face at Stellantis’s Conner Avenue facility in Detroit, with historical and modern vehicles serving as an appropriate backdrop for the discussions. The goal for Gilles and for the automaker is to reach car enthusiasts as well as design students and those interested more broadly in the creative process.
Guests from Stellantis and beyond
The roster of initial guests includes retired automotive industry executive Bob Lutz as well as Gorden Wagener, former head of design at Mercedes-Benz.
Two design big shots from Stellantis will also participate in this first season: Scott Krugger, design boss for North America and Gilles Vidal, his equivalent fo Expanded Europe. Host and mechanic Cristy Lee and Garrett Reed, creator of American Muscle HD, are also on the schedule. Additional names will be announced during the season.
Ralph Gilles and his Canadian connection
To lead these interviews, Gilles can draw on more than three decades of industry experience. Raised in Montreal, Quebec, he joined the company in 1992 as a designer. He subsequently held several executive roles, including President and CEO of Dodge and later SRT. Today, he supervises design across the group’s 14 automotive brands.
His background also includes motorsport competition, with entries in the Targa Newfoundland rally, One Lap of America and the SRT Viper Cup series.
Full video episodes will be available on the Stellantis North America YouTube channel. The audio version will be offered on platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Audible.