[4] The second part in this effort was the new communication system that allowed conflicts to be resolved faster, as well as reducing costly engineering changes because all drawings and documents were in a central database.

The acquiring company was in desperate need to replicate the culture at AMC and Renault where work was conducted in an atmosphere "of constant change".

Not only was Castaing made Chrysler's point man for fighting the Japanese automakers, but he was also called to engineer a variety of products to fit a growing number of market niches.

[9] The use of these platform teams at Chrysler was first suggested by Castaing, it was the automaker's president, Robert Lutz who understood the potential of this change and had the leadership power to make it happen.

"I am a firm believer that teams are the way to improve," said Francois Castaing, vice president for vehicle engineering and a prime mover behind Chrysler's platform-team structure.

Castaing deservedly gets major credit for developing the all-new line of cars and trucks that paced Chrysler's surging success in the 1990s.

[14] He worked on minivan designs using the science of maximizing space usage and was praised by Chrysler's president, Bob Lutz, "as the best packager I've ever known.

"[15] The success of Castaing's system was exemplified not just by the attraction of Daimler-Benz as the suitor for Chrysler, but by more than just a passing interest from General Motors and Toyota.

At that time, the automaker's executives such as Robert Lutz, Thomas Stallkamp, and Francois Castaing "made Chrysler the most nimble of Detroit's three carmakers.

"[16] In 1993, Castaing founded the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), joining Chrysler with General Motors and Ford.

Castaing was among the creators of the sport utility vehicle trend that propelled the North American automotive industry during the 1990s[17] and has transformed European automobile markets in the early-2000s.

From 1994, Castaing also served on the board of directors for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST),[20] the robotics competition for high school students created by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen.

[21] Castaing was named "Man of the Year" by the French publication Le Journal de l'Automobile for his exemplary success in the United States.

[22] Castaing was elected a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering in 1995 for the development of highly reliable, high-performance automobiles and for their successful production through innovative organizational structures.