The Volkswagen Group has initiated a changing of the guard in its most visible department. Andreas Mindt, currently the design chief for the Volkswagen passenger car brand, has been appointed Head of Group Design. He succeeds Michael Mauer, who is leaving the company as part of a planned generational transition.
In his new role, Mindt (56) will be responsible for the global design strategy of all brands within the colossal Volkswagen Group empire.
This includes not just the core volume brands like VW, Skoda, and SEAT/Cupra, but also the premium and luxury heavyweights: Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini… and Ducati. It is a position of immense influence, shaping the visual identity of millions of vehicles each year.
In a dual role
Crucially, Mindt will retain his current position as Head of Design for the Volkswagen brand. So he takes on a dual role, signaling not only how critical the main brand’s turnaround is to the car group’s overall health, but also how management must be organized more leanly in the wake of increased cost-cutting.
However, Mindt’s primary task will be to ensure the distinct identities of the Groups don’t blur, while steering the design language through the transition to a software-defined vehicle.
Mindt’s ascent to the top job has been defined by a philosophy he calls himself ‘stable and likable’. A Volkswagen Group lifer, he began his career in Wolfsburg in 1996, straight after graduating from Pforzheim University.
His portfolio includes practical hits like the first-generation VW Tiguan and the Golf Mk7, the latter widely regarded as a high-water mark for VW build quality and timeless styling.
Moving up the ladder
His career accelerated when he moved to Audi in 2014 as Head of Exterior Design. There, he oversaw the transition to a sharper, more technical aesthetic, leading the exterior design of the e-tron GT – arguably one of the most beautiful electric sedans on the market – and the Q8 SUV.
In 2021, he was tapped to lead design at Bentley in Crewe. In just two years, he transformed the British marque’s language, moving it away from ‘bling bling’ toward a cleaner, more muscular elegance.
His crowning achievement there was the Bentley Batur, a limited-run coupé that previewed the brand’s future electric design language.
Back to basics
Mindt was summoned back to Wolfsburg in early 2023 to fix a crisis. The Volkswagen brand’s design language under his predecessor, Jozef Kabaň, had received a lukewarm reception. The ID. Life concept was scrapped, and the dubbed ‘soap bar’ aesthetic of the ID.3 and ID.4 was failing to resonate with loyalists.
Mindt’s impact was immediate. Within weeks, he presented the ID. 2all concept, a small EV that ditched amorphous shapes for classic, more predictable Golf-like proportions, a solid C-pillar, and a friendly face.
It was a clear signal that VW was returning to its roots. His promotion to Group Head suggests that the board sees this back-to-basics approach not just as a fix for VW, but as a stabilizing philosophy for the entire Group.
The Groupe reason has been rumored as the explanation for long-time designer Gordon Wagener leaving Mercedes. CEO Ola Källenius demanded a design style applauding the heydays of the brand, but Wagener had a more future-oriented direction in mind.
After the clash between Gerry McGovern and Jaguar-Land Rover, ripples in the automotive design section are multiplying. The failing reinvention of legacy brands in a modern, electrified world is creating casualties across all departments.
Mauer’s departure
Mindt replaces Michael Mauer (63), a giant in the industry who has shaped Porsche’s look for two decades and has led the VW Group since 2016. Mauer’s departure is amicable and is described as a “generational handover.” He leaves behind a legacy that includes the modern 911 lineage and the daring Porsche Taycan.
