Jan Wilsgaard

Jan Wilsgaard (23 January 1930 – 6 August 2016) was an American-born Norwegian automotive designer.

[citation needed] Wilsgaard studied at the Gothenburg School of Applied Arts (now HDK, Högskolan för Design och Konsthantverk, at the University of Gothenburg) before joining Volvo when co-founder Assar Gabrielsson still headed the company.

One of Wilsgaard's first jobs was to design better rear windows for the PV Duett Van,[1] a prophetic project, given that Wilsgaard went on to design the estate versions of the company's Amazon, 145, 760 and 850 Series — during a period which saw Volvo become closely associated with the station wagon / estate body type.

[4] When he designed the Volvo 140 Series,[5] Wilsgaard employed a credo, "simple is beautiful".

Regarding the enormous success of the Volvo 240 series in worldwide, Wilsgaard is said to have remarked "It might be because the car is a little square and sluggish, just like the Swedes themselves.