At the 2012 Geneva motor show, I saw the wonderful SsangYong XIV-2 concept car with its surprising headlamps and rear lamps. Having seen the XIV-1 concept at IAA in 2011, I was so impressed by what I saw in Geneva that I decided to visit the I.DE.A Institute in Turin. I met with Andreas Spielgelberger, a former Valeo colleague of mine located in Spain. I remember his passion when talking about lighting. I spent with him and Duilio Romano, IDEA general managers, a fantastic day discovering the nifty products developed and under way at the I.DE.A Institute
Styling companies like I.DE.A are highly useful in a period like now when styling differentiation is so important. There are so many details to work on headlamps, size and shape, 3D, special signature, bezels, on lighting rendering effect, headlamp pattern, and lighting itself.
Benoist Fleury explained that very well at his lecture at our DVN Tokyo workshop and this lecture was a great complement to what I discovered at I.DE.A. The cherry on top was viewing several concept cars exhibited in a special room. What a nice spectacle!
IDEA has a long history of distinguished VIP members working in this company. The greatest was Walter de’ Silva who spent 11 years at IDEA before leaving to take a very high position with VW Group.
Lighting players are working very hard to develop technology, including lighting performance and energy reduction, but an equaly important target is—and will be—styling differentiation. Companies like I.DE.A can greatly help adding perceived value to any lighting project.
Learn more about I.DE.A in this week’s Driving Vision News.
Sincerely yours
DVN Editor in Chief