With Americans increasingly attracted to aesthetics, whether sold at Target stores or by Apple Computer, the role of design is seen as increasingly important by automakers.
At Ford, the role of Mr. Horbury, Ford's top North American designer for the last year, has been attracting more attention lately. Last month, Ford said that Mr. Horbury's boss, J Mays, who is the group vice president for design, would be moving from Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., to London.
Mr. Mays has been perhaps the industry's more prominent designer and is best known for a style he calls retro-futurism - updating classic designs with contemporary looks, as he did with the Beetle while he worked for Volkswagen and for the newer Ford Mustang. While he was given an additional title - chief creative officer - the move has led to speculation that he was being both promoted and moved aside. Top Ford executives, including Mr. Mays and Mr. Horbury, deny that, but it is clear nonetheless that Mr. Horbury is the principal design voice in Ford's most important market.
