It’s easy for high-ranking executives to isolate themselves from more granular public feedback towards their models, but for designers there can be no hiding place.
Few of them need to be more in tune with public perception than Ford of Europe design boss Amko Leenarts, who is trying to change so much of what we know about the brand while at the same time bringing back revered nameplates.
From “the death knell of Ford” to “sign me up! I can’t wait to be a Capri owner again”, these were the extremes of views just on our own letters page when the new Capri was revealed a few weeks ago.
I met Leenarts at the Car of the Year ‘Tannistest’ in Denmark, wearing a bright yellow Capri jacket and matching yellow trainers.