# Jan Wilsgaard > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jan_Wilsgaard > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jan_Wilsgaard.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Wilsgaard > Source revision: 1338589484 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Scandinavian car designer (1930–2016)}} {{Infobox person/Wikidata|fetchwikidata=ALL|noicon=on}} [[Image:1966 Volvo 122 two-door in Black, front right.jpg|thumb|250px|The [Volvo 122 coupe](/source/Volvo_122), designed by Jan Wilsgaard]]'''Jan Wilsgaard''' (23 January 1930 – 6 August 2016) was an American-born Norwegian automotive designer. He was the head of design at [Volvo Cars](/source/Volvo_Cars) from 1950 to 1990. Wilsgaard was one of twenty-five designers nominated for [Car Designer of the Century](/source/Car_Designer_of_the_Century).{{CN|date=September 2024}} == Background and career == Wilsgaard studied at the Gothenburg School of Applied Arts (now [HDK](/source/HDK_(school)), Högskolan för Design och Konsthantverk, at the [University of Gothenburg](/source/University_of_Gothenburg)) before joining Volvo when co-founder [Assar Gabrielsson](/source/Assar_Gabrielsson) still headed the company.{{cite press release |title=Jan Wilsgaard, Designer – the man who turned the van into a station wagon |publisher=Volvo Press Release, 50250-HR, 38400-JTR/ kse, Sep 2, 1985 |url=https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/press/pdf/JanWilsgaard.pdf}} As Chief Designer, Wilsgaard designed all Volvo's projects during his tenure, with few exceptions (e.g., the Volvo P1900 Sport and P1800 Coupe). One of Wilsgaard's first jobs was to design better rear windows for the [PV Duett Van](/source/Volvo_Duett), a prophetic project, given that Wilsgaard went on to design the estate versions of the company's Amazon, 145, 245, 760 and 850 Series — during a period which saw Volvo become closely associated with the [station wagon / estate](/source/station_wagon) body type.{{Cite web |last=Petrany |first=Mate |date=2 September 2016 |title=There Are Still More Than 24,000 Volvo Amazons on Sweden's Streets |url=https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/a30656/sweden-still-has-24282-volvo-amazons-registered/ |access-date=18 September 2024 |website=[Road & Track](/source/Road_%26_Track)}} In addition to designing the Amazon, and 144, Wilsgaard also designed the highly regarded [Volvo 164](/source/Volvo_164), as well as his successful estate adaptation, the 1800ES, of the company's [P1800](/source/Volvo_P1800) Coupe. According to Simon Lamarre, chief studio designer, "the 1800ES has become one of the icons for Volvo",{{cite news|title=From the Past: Volvo 1800ES, Combination of a Wagon and Sports Car Flopped in the Market, but Became Influential |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal, Dan Carney, June 30, 2007 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118157635963731249 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416040341/http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB118157635963731249.html |archivedate=April 16, 2008 }} inspiring the design of the [Volvo C30](/source/Volvo_C30). When he designed the [Volvo 140 Series](/source/Volvo_140_Series),{{cite news | title = So good a million people bought one | newspaper = The New Zealand Herald | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/location/story.cfm?l_id=99&objectid=10396902 | date=August 19, 2006}} Wilsgaard employed a credo, "simple is beautiful". {{cite web | title = Volvo 760 – the car that formed the foundation for the modern Volvo | date = 6 February 2007 | publisher = Topspeed, 02.6.2007, by Simona | url = https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/volvo-760-the-car-that-formed-the-foundation-for-the-modern-volvo/}} The design symbolized the car's robust, restrained quality. Regarding the enormous success of the Volvo 240 series in worldwide, Wilsgaard is said to have remarked ''"It might be because the car is a little square and sluggish, just like the Swedes themselves."'' He was followed at Volvo by the British designer [Peter Horbury](/source/Peter_Horbury).{{CN|date=September 2024}} Wilsgaard died on 6 August 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.klassiker.nu/reportage/jan-wilsgaard-ar-dod|title=Jan Wilsgaard är död|date=23 August 2016}}{{Cite web |title=in memoriam of Jan Wilsgaard |url=http://www.volvocars.com/intl/about/our-company/heritage/heritage-news/in-memoriam-of-jan-wilsgaard |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915104826/http://www.volvocars.com/intl/about/our-company/heritage/heritage-news/in-memoriam-of-jan-wilsgaard |archivedate=September 15, 2016}} === Volvo cars styled by Jan Wilsgaard === * P179, better known as the 'Margaret Rose' * [Volvo Philip](/source/Volvo_Philip) (1950) * PV 179 (1952) * [Volvo Amazon](/source/Volvo_Amazon) (P1200/120) * Volvo P1400 (1967)(Volvo 140) * [Volvo 164](/source/Volvo_164) * [Volvo 140](/source/Volvo_140) * [Volvo 240](/source/Volvo_240) * [Volvo 262C](/source/Volvo_262C) * [Volvo 740](/source/Volvo_740) * [Volvo 760](/source/Volvo_760) * [Volvo 780](/source/Volvo_780) * [Volvo 850](/source/Volvo_850) == Personal life == Wilsgaard was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1930, to a Norwegian mother and father.{{cite web|title=Jan Wilsgaard,Presentation of new Honourable Member, 2005|publisher=Volvo P1800 Club of Sweden|url=http://www.volvop1800club.se/jan/hedersmedlem_2005_en.htm|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100827053557/http://www.volvop1800club.se/jan/hedersmedlem_2005_en.htm|archive-date=2010-08-27|df=mdy-all}} His father was a [Norwegian](/source/Norway) sailor. During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), his family fled from Norway to Sweden. Wilsgaard died on 6 August 2016. == Gallery == File:Volvo 145 green vr TCE.jpg|The [Volvo 145](/source/Volvo_145), designed by Jan Wilsgaard File:Volvo 144 ca 1968 Schaffen-Diest more cropped.jpg|The [Volvo 144](/source/Volvo_140_Series), designed by Jan Wilsgaard File:Volvo 164.jpg|The [Volvo 164](/source/Volvo_164), designed by Jan Wilsgaard File:Volvo 1800ES gold (cropped).jpg|The [Volvo 1800ES](/source/Volvo_P1800), adapted to an estate by Jan Wilsgaard File:1972 Volvo 1800 ES shooting brake (8720793190).jpg|Rearview of the Volvo 1800ES, as adapted to an estate by Jan Wilsgaard File:Volvo 740 GL Estate VS740.jpg|The [Volvo 740](/source/Volvo_740), designed by Jan Wilsgaard File:Volvo-850.jpg|The [850](/source/Volvo_850) was Wilsgaard's last design at Volvo == See also == * [Volvo Cars](/source/Volvo_Cars) * [Peter Horbury](/source/Peter_Horbury) == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [https://www.hdk.gu.se/ HDK Högskolan för Design och Konsthantverk ''(Highschool for Design and Construction)''] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20010815230233/http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Lot/6206/b30.html Photos history of the design conception of the Volvo 164] {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilsgaard, Jan}} Category:1930 births Category:2016 deaths Category:Swedish automobile designers Category:Norwegian automobile designers Category:Volvo people Category:Designers from Brooklyn Category:Norwegian expatriates in Sweden Category:Industrial designers --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jan Wilsgaard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Wilsgaard) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Wilsgaard?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.