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Adding A Fine Designer's Touch Refines Lincoln Zephyr's Interior Review

June 2006
Filed under: LINCOLN Car News | LINCOLN Headlines

By Chris Kassab, FCN

Some designers create exciting new vehicles. Others take existing vehicles and make them look new and even more appealing. Designer Anthony Prozzi is putting his touch on a new interior for the next-generation Lincoln Zephyr (to be called the MKZ). It's quite a challenge -- especially considering that the current model has won accolades for interior design.
"You have to just build on it," said Prozzi, who also designed the interior of the Ford Freestyle and the unique blue-sky interior of the 2005 Meta One concept vehicle. "You don't throw the baby out with the bath water. You start with what you know is good, and then you refine it."

For Prozzi, the design process starts by looking at current trends.

"You have to think to yourself, 'What are the trends that are happening right now? What do those trends mean to the Lincoln brand? How do they affect the customer who’s going into the Lincoln showroom?' " he said. "And then you take all of that and create an interior that embodies those things."

Designers often take cues from the fashion industry, says Prozzi, who worked for Donna Karan before joining Ford.

"When I look at clothes from the trendsetters -- like the Pradas of the world -- they're making things look more touched by a human -- not so rigid," he said. "You see a lot more handwork. All of a sudden, the shoulders have softer edges, and the pants are a little looser."

So how does that "softer" look in fashion translate into the Zephyr’s new interior design? While Prozzi can't talk specifics, he did offer up a few clues.

"We can soften the interior by taking some of the blockiness out of it," he said. "We can make it a little more inviting and a little sexier without disturbing the Lincoln look. And I think that will make it a lot more attractive to more people."


2007 Lincoln MKZ interior

According to Prozzi, attention to detail is something that people recognize and appreciate.

"I think all of the interior's little intricacies -- air vents, shifter knob, air conditioning controls -- have to blend seamlessly into the other surfaces and shapes around them," he said. "I can't tell you how many times I've seen people sit inside an interior, and they're drawn to a detail as simple as a clock. But it's handled so well that they look at it -- and it makes them want to buy the car."

At the end of the day, it takes a gifted designer to take something beautiful and make it better.

"As a designer, you’ve got to trust your instincts," said Prozzi. "It's one of those nonverbal intuitive things that you've got to just feel your way through. You just look at something and know if it looks good."

Source: Ford Motor Company

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