François J. Castaing (born 1945 in France) is a 27-year veteran automotive executive with Renault, American Motors, and Chrysler.[1] He is an engineering graduate from École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers in Paris, and worked in Europe for Gordini and Renault before being named Vice President for Product Engineering and Development at American Motors Corporation (AMC).
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Castaing started his career in motor sports with Gordini in 1968 by working on engines for the 24 Hours of Le Mans races. After Gordini had been taken over by Renault, he advanced to the position of Renault Sport Technical Director.[2] His record of accomplishment with Renault included stints as a member of a racing-engine development team and as director of racing programs. He had joined AMC from Renault, which owned 46% of the company. He and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1980.
Castaing was responsible for product engineering and development at AMC. He was critical in the development of the downsized Jeep Cherokee SUV that became very profitable for AMC. He designed a new development approach in which teams of engineers focused on a single type of car platform, working on new models as a system from concept to production. This differed from the standard automotive practice of organizing work around departments (project planning, design, engineering, manufacturing, marketing) and components (engine, powertrain, body).
After AMC's buyout in 1987, Chrysler insiders speculated that AMC would take over the larger firm from within.[3] Part of the reason was that AMC's Jeep Cherokee product line alone soon accounted for more than a third of Chrysler's profits. Another area where former AMC people took over Chrysler operations was engineering. Castaing was quickly named Chrysler Motors' new Vice President for Vehicle Engineering. The acquiring company was in desperate need to replicate the culture at AMC and Renault where work was conducted in an atmosphere "of constant change" .
Before the purchase of AMC, Chrysler was suffering a five-year product slump after it hit a home run with its minivans in 1984. It was mainly making K-car derivatives that looked and drove alike. Chrysler became a producer of smaller cars, thus making it vulnerable to Japanese competitors. Not only was Castaing made Chrysler's point man for fighting the Japanese automakers, but he was also called to engineer a variety of products to fit a growing number of market niches.
Castaing followed the example that was used in AMC's old Amtek technical center in Detroit. He realigned Chrysler's 6,000-member engineering structure into teams working on a single platform. Castaing also incorporated the use of simultaneous engineering. The results of switching to the non-linear platform design were significant.
At the time of AMC's buyout, Chrysler was designing the replacement for the then-new Dodge Dynasty, a mid-size car. The proposed replacement bore a direct resemblance to the existing Dynasty. However, with the purchase of AMC, a new product design system was instituted and work began by using AMC's Eagle Premier platform. According to Chrysler's President, Robert Lutz, the in-house design was scrapped entirely and the new design, under Castaing's leadership, was selected. The Chrysler LH-cars were first to use Castaing's platform approach. These new models were produced in a record 39 months, compared to other Chrysler cars that took more than 50 months. The Eagle Vision, Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde, LHS and New Yorker were all produced in AMC's state of the art Brampton Assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada that was built to make the Eagle Premier.
The success of Castaing's system was exemplified not just by the attraction of Daimler-Benz as the suitor for Chrysler, but by more than just a passing interest from General Motors and Toyota.
In 1996, Castaing was appointed executive vice president for Chrysler International Operations. After the Daimler-Benz merger with Chrysler in 1998, he became technical adviser to Bob Eaton until retirement in 2000.
Castaing was also a member in "Dodge Viper Team".
Since leaving DaimlerChrysler, Castaing has served as a member of the board of directors for multiple manufacturing and automobile companies, including Exide, the battery company, Durakon Industries, NextEnergy, Reynard Motorsport, and Valeo. He also served on the board of the Federation of American Scientists. In 2004, TRW Automotive Holdings announced the election of Castaing to the company's board of directors. He also serves on the audit committee of Amerigon Inc.
In 1998, Castaing became chairman of the New Detroit Science Center for the education of future generations.[1] Under his leadership, a $30 million capital campaign for the expansion and renovation of the Detroit Science Center was launched, ultimately permitting the Center to reopen to the public in 2001 with dramatically expanded exhibition space. Castaing has continued to leverage his ties to the automobile industry to promote science and engineering education.
Since 1994, Castaing has also served on the Board of Directors for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), the robotics competition for high school students created by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen.
Castaing was named “Man of the Year” by the French publication "Le Journal de l'Automobile" for his exemplary success in the United States. He was noted for developing the Renault-AMC structure, the launching of Renault Alliance and Encore (Renault 9 & 11), for being the father of the Jeep Cherokee (XJ), as well as being one of the craftsmen of the rescue of Chrysler.[4]
He is a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Castaing was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame on October 12, 2010 in Dearborn, Michigan.
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