An enduring legacy

Marc Lichte’s vision for the Audi brand has been there for the world to see for the past 10 years as the 54-year-old German designer has steered the brand as Audi's Head of Design. Now, he is heading for his next design challenge as Massimo Frascella takes over the reins of Audi’s design future, but the impact of Lichte’s vision and the way he has translated so many of the brand’s values into metal will continue for a long time to come.

Although Lichte spent a decade in the top design job at Audi, his career today stands at 28 years and a staggering 150 vehicles.

On starting with the Ingolstadt brand, Lichte presented his first vision of future Audi with the prologue concept in 2014 – a stunning saloon with a coupe-like silhouette that would contribute numerous elements to so many of his designs from that point forward. He also penned the Audi Q8 concept which of course went on to become the series production model that now sits atop the brand’s large, luxury SUV class.

His touch has been seen in everything from the benchmark Audi A8 to the fire-breathing RS 6 Avant models and the groundbreaking ‘sphere’ concept series. But in his time at Audi, without doubt Lichte’s crowning glory has been the production of the brand’s first all-electric GT, which was unveiled to the world in 2021 almost unchanged from the design concept that had won international praise at the LA Auto Show in 2018.

Famously Lichte called it 'the most beautiful car I ever designed’ and with good reason, its sweeping lines and timeless elegance heralded in a instant automotive classic.

Not surprisingly the Audi e-tron GT won the Golden Steering Wheel in the Most Beautiful Car category the very year of its release. Certainly there has been no shortage of design awards for the brand under Lichte’s stewardship, and the new approach which he ushered in, that of imagining cars from the inside out for the electric age, received significant international recognition and won the EyesOn Design Award at the Detroit Auto Show in the Best Interior category in 2022 and 2023 with the aforementioned Audi sphere concept cars – grandsphere and activesphere. 

“For 10 years, Marc and his team have done great things for the Audi brand and its design,” said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner of Marc Fichte’s legacy.

"He transferred series vehicles, including numerous market leaders, into new and attractive generations. At the same time, he accompanied the brand’s technical transition to electric mobility with his innovative design language and set the course for everything that is to come during the most exciting period in automotive design.” 

Now Lichte is moving on to his next challenge, but his legacy will long be felt at Audi.

“It always takes a team to do something great. I am more than proud to have worked with such inspiring people for so long,” says Lichte. “But when it comes to design, the most important project is always the next one. The only way to remain relevant is to move – to move something and make a difference. But good design remains.”