Commentary: A Celebration of Ralph Gilles
To me, Gilles is the pen that crafted Stellantis’ North American vehicles. Rather, he has the final say in everything you have seen since his arrival.
Ralph Gilles have been featured on this site before plenty of times. He is, after all, one of the coolest persons you will meet in the automotive industry.
To me, Gilles is the pen that crafted Stellantis’ North American vehicles. Rather, he has the final say in everything you have seen – or driven – since his arrival in 1992 at Auburn Hills.
The New York-born son of Haitian immigrants rose through his Montreal upbringing with a dream of being an automotive designer. At 14, Gilles sent drawings to Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca. He certainly impressed the team at Chrysler, as their design chief suggested three schools for Gilles to attend to hone in his talent and craft.
He would eventually attend the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. This is the finishing school for aspiring designers who want to work in Southeastern Michigan’s primary industry. From there, Gilles landed in Auburn Hills. The rest is history.
The eventual design boss was also groomed for leadership. After achieving his Executive MBA at Michigan State University, Gilles would take on greater roles within DaimlerChrysler. The result was a trajectory and a portfolio that has set his career on a path that is the stuff of legends.
Gilles was the guy who stood next to one of his creations, the 2005 Chrysler 300. That photo became legendary every time I appeared in the buff books. He has seen the company go through mergers – equal and unequal – with European partners and private equity firms. In 2008, Gilles became the Vice President of Design at Auburn Hills.
A few years later, Gilles assumed the roles of CEO for both Dodge and the Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brands. His duties also included heading up the brand’s racing efforts – especially the Vipers that ran in IMSA. When Fiat and Sergio Marchionne arrived at Auburn Hills, Gilles was elevated to the lofty position as Head of Design for the then-combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Under the Stellantis corporate banner, Gilles responsibilities include overseeing design for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Maserati, and Fiat’s Latin American unit as Chief Design Officer.
With that position alone, Gilles remains one of the highest ranking active automotive executives in the world. Only Marques McCammon is ranked higher as President of Karma Automotive.
However, Gilles is my guy. The guy I root for all the time. The guy who pops up on my Instagram feed with photos of his restoration projects and world travels.
I met Gilles at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show. He gave us a tour of the Dodge and SRT booth. My first impressions in person were his passion for the automobile and his thought process on how to push the envelope of performance in them. Gilles was also welcoming, accessible, and honest.
I remember one discussion at another Chicago Auto Show about the Viper’s issues at the St. Petersburg, Florida street race in the American Le Mans series (the name for IMSA when the Panoz family ran the racing series). Gilles has no qualms talking about the problems his team had during the race and what they are learning for the next one that season.
To honor Gilles during Black History Month is a way to celebrate the excellence we have seen and experienced of the many men and women who worked this industry. From the assembly line to the media room and the board room, representation is an important component that drives the business.
Gilles, McCammon, and Olabisi Boyle – Hyundai Motor America’s Senior Vice President, Product Planning and Mobility Strategy – are the reasons why we dream. Their trajectory to their positions within the automotive industry are shining examples of Black Excellence that should be celebrated daily – not just during a single month.
All photos courtesy of Stellantis North America