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Woman-designed concept car raises some hackles

By: Staff

Date: 2004-03-16

Volvo insists it's not a "women's car" but rather a car designed from women's perspective. Nevertheless, the concept car unveiled last week at the Geneva International Auto Show is raising some hackles.

Concept cars are a good way to 'trial balloon' design ideas and test public reaction. The Volvo car was designed by a group of women selected from Volvo's corporate structure and it wasn't intended to be a "women's car" but rather a car designed with women's input. It may be played up in some press as a "women's car," explained Volvo spokesman Dan Johnston, but it was really design perspective rather than women buyers that the women wanted to address.

Some of the features are novel and many are a departure from the conventional in car design:

Functionality and simplicity are the hallmarks of the car's design. Volvo, which is part of Ford Motor Co., had no difficulty recruiting a female design team, since about 20% of the Swedish company's 28,159 employees world wide are women.

The project team included five female managers and an additional 20 or so who made all decisions regarding interior and exterior design.

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