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Name

Bracq, Paul
Bracq, Paul

Description

Paul Bracq (born December 13, 1933, Bordeaux, France) is an automotive designer noted for his work at Citroën, Peugeot, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

Bracq's career began in the design studio of Philippe Charbonneaux, where he served as Charbonneaux' assistant in 1953 and 1954. During this period, the studio produced the designs for the French Presidential limousine built by Citroën, a one-off Pegaso coupe, and other automotive designs.

Bracq served his mandatory military service from late 1954 through 1957. Subsequently he worked for Daimler-Benz, heading the design studio in Sindelfingen, a post he would hold for ten years. Bracq styled the Mercedes 600, 230SL/250SL/280SL roadster, the 220S coupé, the 250 and 220D, the W108 and W114 coupe series, and its stablemate the W115 – all of the '60s and '70s.

Upon his return to France in 1967, Bracq worked for Brissonneau and Lotz, where he worked on the design of the TGV high-speed passenger train which was led by Jacques Cooper. During this time, Bracq was also responsible for prototypes of a sports car based on the BMW 1600Ti and a coupé based on the Simca 1100.

In 1970, Bracq was appointed design director of BMW, where he was responsible for the top-of-the-line 7-Series. His 1973 "Turbo" concept car won "Concept Car of the Year" by the Revue Automobile Suisse that year; the car repeated the feat in 1992 in the Bagatelle Concours d'Elegance.

His work with Peugeot beginning in 1974 included personal transportation for the Pope and the interiors of the Peugeot 604 and the Peugeot 505.

 

Bracq is also active as a judge in many automotive concours, including the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Timeline

13 DEC, 1933 　  Born in Bordeaux, France.
　 　 　
1950 - 1953 　 Boulle School of designs, Paris.
First Prize, competition for Sculpture in wood.
　 　 　
1953 　 "Chambre Syndicale de la Carrosserie",coachbuilders association.  Full size drawings.
　 　 　
1953 - 1954 　 Assistant to designer Philippe Charbonneaux.
The Pegaso coupé publicity show vehicle.
Presidential limousine project - Citroën.
　 　 　
1954 - 1957 　 Military Service in Germany, aerial division.
Fatalistic encounter with Daimler-Benz.
　 　 　
1957 - 1967 　 Chief of advanced design studios at Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, Germany.
Participation in the design of the Mercedes 230 SL Pagode, 220 S Coupé, 250, 600, 220 D.
Design Research on coachbuilders "Wankel motor" projects.
Illustrations for Mercedes catalogues and several coachbuilders patents.
　 　 　
1967 - 1970 　 Return to France to work at Brissonau & Lotz.
Participation in the creation of the TGV for the French Railway Company.
Design prototype BMW based on 1600 T.I.
Design study for a coupé based on the SIMCA 1100.
　 　 　
1970 - 1974 　 Appointed Director at BMW in Munich, Germany.
Design Direction of the 520 - 2002 Turbo - 320 - Coupé 630 - 7 Series - 2 BMW Turbo concept cars as well as many projects for Coupés and Sedans 12 cylinders which were pre-empted by the oil crisis.
The BMW Turbo prototype was elected as The Concept-Car Of The Year 1973 by the "Revue Automobile Suisse" and in 1992, won in the same category "Bagatelle Concours d'Elegance".
　 　 　
1974 - 1996 　 Returned to France - Chief of interior design at Peugeot for the 305, 505, 205, 405, 106, 406 and 206.
Personal transport for the Pope.
Interiors of Concept-cars such as Quasar, Proxima and Oxia.
Many international conferences on the subject of the art of coachbuilding in France, Finland, Germany, Austria, Italy and in the U.S.A.
Member of the Automotive Fine Art Society (A.F.A.S.)
　 　 　
AUG, 1989 　 First prize in oil painting at the A.F.A.S. concourse (Concors d'Elegance) in Pebble Beach, California.
Was honored "Chevalier National de l'ordre de mérite", affirmation of cultural standing.
　 　 　
Spring 1991 - Present 　 Introduced on a Japanese automotive magazine called "SUPER Car Graphic" as the most succeed automotive artist.
Re-introduced in Europe by the millenium special issue of an Italian famous authoritative magazine for automotive design called "Auto & Design".
Paul is vigorously continuing his art works for numerous collectors around the world.     

 

Notable designs

Specifications

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