December's Guests And Conversations

Friday, December 1 & December 8

Topic: Hyundai's First Black Designer Opens Up About His New Career Climbing Role At Icona Design (A Two Part Show)

Guest: Up until his recent departure from Hyundai, Andre Hudson proudly carried the weight of being known as their first Black car designer. And the impact he had on the automaker went well beyond his ethnicity. While at Hyundai, he played a key role in designing stylish vehicles for the automaker that led them for the first time to sell over 500,000 vehicles annually in the U. S., as a result of the breakout design of the 2011 Sonata he created. During its peak, the Sonata Hudson designed accounted for approximately 40 percent of the Korean automaker's annual U.S. sales. Hudson was also lead designer for the brand's new luxury flagship, the Genesis G90. The G90 competes against the Lexus LS and the BMW 7-Series.

Ironically, just on the heels of Hyundai launching its luxury brand, Hudson was eyeing some other opportunities. On “Auto Trends with JeffCars.com,” Hudson lets down his guard. In a very candid and personal two part-conversation, the easy going designer talks about his mixed race, family and culture, as well as his new dream role at Icona Design, where he serves as Chief Designer. In this role, he oversees the design studio for the Italian company only American-based office. 

Hudson now becomes one of eight Black designers in the world to break through
the upper echelon ranks of car designs in automotive history. And he is currently one of six Black designers in the world, who all happen to be in their forties, currently serving in one of three prominent design roles: senior vice president, design director or chief designer. 

After tuning in, you'll see why the historic city of Selma, Alabama, which is the birth place of the Voting Rights Movement, designated a day in his name as well as why the industry trade magazine, Automotive News, named him as one of forty, under forty to watch out for in 2014.


Friday, December 15

Topic: How Automakers Price Its Vehicles And How They Decide On Product Placement 

Guest: Orth Hedrick, the vice president of product planning and strategy for Kia, talks about how an automaker prices a car and decides on what vehicles to add to their portfolio. During the conversation, Hedrick talks about Kia's brand-new rear wheel drive vehicle, the Kia Stinger. Also for the first time we finally get a clear distinction and the partnership between Hyundai and Kia.

*Due to the holidays, the show on the 15 will reair for the remainder of the month.

Each weekly show reairs every Sunday and Monday.

Happy Holidays. New programming will resume January 2018.

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