Hartnell dies after complications

Ford Motor Company has not decided if it will appoint a direct replacement for former director of global colour, trim and product design John Hartnell, who died last week from complications relating to a recent bone marrow transplant.

Hastings-born Hartnell, who was 55 years’ old and based in Detroit, held several senior design positions at the company before his appointment to director of global colour, trim and product design January 1999.

No temporary replacement has been made for Hartnell, who had been out of work for ‘a couple of months’ and no timeframe has been given for a decision on whether he will be replaced permanently.

‘Hartnell played a fundamental role in looking at our interiors, colour and trim concepts. It would be a disservice to him to say he made a single great contribution as he had a very successful career in terms of his impact on the company,’ says a Ford Motor Company spokesman.

Before taking up his last role Hartnell was design manager in the Advanced Design Studio at Ford, where he was responsible for the development of several concept vehicles, including the Ford Indigo and Mercury MC4.