I strongly believe that Bill Robinson is the most influential American car designer of the post-war era,” Vaughan said in an interview with Tom Murphy, Executive Editor of Autoweek, shortly after Bill’s passing. “Not because he designed the most famous or most beautiful cars, but because he taught every car designer to come out of CCS in the 1980s and ‘90s. It’s not hyperbole. He literally designed the design community. Every designer or design executive working today who was at CCS in that time owes something to Bill and we all adored him.”
Richard Vaughn
Life-long auto enthusiast and designer
About Richard: Richard has 30 years of experience in a variety of automotive product development roles, ranging from styling to perceived quality to human-machine-interface design.
He started his career as a designer for Ford Motor Company, where he was the exterior and interior designer of the original Lincoln Navigator. After moving to Visteon, he led the interior design and execution of the first Buick for China, the vehicle that cemented Buick’s position as a leading brand in China. In his role at EV maker Rivian, Richard led the teams responsible for Design Quality, Perceived Quality, and Craftsmanship execution for all Rivian vehicles, Adventure Products, and Charging Products.
Richard was educated at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies and is a lifelong car enthusiast. He has written six books on the history of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin and has produced two popular YouTube videos (Lagonda Exposed and Why I Drive: Lagonda).
He serves on the boards of several nonprofits including Equality Michigan, the Concours d’Elegance of America, the Detroit Concours, the Rolls-Royce Foundation Museum, and the 7000-member Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, where he is responsible for the club’s magazine.