{"id":45303,"date":"2026-06-09T14:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=45303"},"modified":"2026-06-09T14:56:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:56:08","slug":"a-tribute-to-jean-francois-venet-a-true-giant-of-the-design-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=45303","title":{"rendered":"A tribute to Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet, a true giant of the design world."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet (1946\u20132015) was one of those great French designers whose modesty was matched only by his talent. Now that Renault\u2019s design department has been led since January by a new director\u2014Alexandre Malval, also French\u2014and has been joined by Romain Gauvin as head of Advanced Design, we thought it was time to pay tribute to Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet: he, too, was once in charge of concept cars at Renault during the golden age of Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment. This tribute, a little over ten years after his passing, extends beyond the realm of automotive design alone. Let\u2019s go back in time, once again\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That morning, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet left his home in Vauhallan early, as usual. \u201cHe was the first to turn on the lights in the morning and the last to turn them off at night<\/em>,\u201d recalls his daughter C\u00e9line. In his car, there were no design documents or sketches of future Renault models. That day, the designer was loading… bales of straw! Upon arriving in Boulogne at the Renault design offices, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois joined his prank-playing buddies to turn Jean-Paul Manceau\u2019s office (head of commercial vehicle styling) into a chicken coop: live chickens took up residence there, while eggs were smashed on the furniture and straw was scattered across the floor! We really knew how to let loose back then at Renault Design!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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C\u00e9line confirms that they didn\u2019t hesitate to pull off some huge pranks back then: \u201cI remember they turned one of their colleagues\u2019 offices into a not-so-welcoming place by salvaging squat toilets from the abandoned factory on \u00cele Seguin.<\/em> \u201d Imagine the look on the guy\u2019s face when he walked in and found that! Retirement parties were also celebrated in a big way. When Jean-Fran\u00e7ois retired in 2006, his office was turned into a golf green\u2014a passion shared by the whole family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Martine, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois\u2019s wife, recalls, \u201cEven though he had no regrets about leaving, it wasn\u2019t easy for him because he was so dedicated to his work! So he took advantage of his retirement to return to his first love. He took up drawing again, especially watercolors.<\/em> He was so consumed by his passion that even at home when there was construction work going on, he\u2019d go talk to the workers and steer the conversation toward cars. Even with the mail carriers\u2014everyone! Sure, there were good sides to it, but for a wife, it wasn\u2019t easy every day!<\/em>” Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet had two deep-seated passions. Cars, of course, but we mustn\u2019t forget his classical training in fine arts. His watercolors (above) are based on very specific themes. Cars, notably featuring unique greeting cards personalized for each recipient (\u201che would start drawing each one two months in advance<\/em>,\u201d recalls C\u00e9line); Morocco, a favorite of the Venet couple; and Japan (below), where his daughter C\u00e9line and Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Duvernier would spend three years at Nissan Design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s also mention his passion for cats, which he\u2019ll take the time to sketch during his retirement! And then there\u2019s HIS Citro\u00ebn Traction below, a car that Martine gave him when the couple had just returned to France after starting their careers in Germany. \u201cIn 1976, I had a colleague at Air France who owned a Traction in which he\u2019d gotten married. When I heard he was selling it, I mentioned it to Jean-Fran\u00e7ois. It was in impeccable condition, and I gave it to him, telling him that this gift was just the start of a collection, and that we\u2019d have to move up in class next! But he never wanted to part with it! <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On December 6, 2020\u2014more than five years ago at the time of our visit\u2014the Traction was still there, clean and without a single scratch, just as Jean-Fran\u00e7ois had kept it. You almost expect to see him behind the wheel and hear the Citro\u00ebn\u2019s \u201crotisserie\u201d engine start up with a cough for a drive through the streets of Vauhallan\u2026 Unable to live out his passion through a collection\u2014something his wife had encouraged him to pursue\u2014Jean-Fran\u00e7ois would live it a hundredfold in the design offices he would frequent throughout his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some of the big names at the Renault Design Center in 1977: from left to right, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet, Robert Opron, Marcello Gandini, and Gaston Juchet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1969, he first joined Opel\u2019s design department in R\u00fcsselsheim, spending some time in the United States under the direction of Bill Mitchell. He had the good fortune to work in the \u201cCorvette Studio.\u201d In Europe, he is known for his work on the 1973 Opel GT\/2 concept, but Jean-Fran\u00e7ois also worked on the Senator and the fourth-generation Kadett. It was at that point that he attempted a return to France, as Martine reveals: \u201cWe were in Germany, and right after his work on the Opel GT\/2, he had an opportunity to join Citro\u00ebn. But that was just before Robert Opron stepped down as head of design at the French brand…<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was only a matter of time\u2014not before he joined Citro\u00ebn, but before he reunited with Robert Opron, who hired him at Renault in 1977. From Rueil-Malmaison, where he worked on the Supercinq, R25\u2014with his marvelous Rafale project\u2014and established the link between Renault and AMC, all the way to the 2005 Radiance concept truck, he remained loyal to the automaker, with the high point of his prolific career coming between 1988 and 1995 when he led the team behind the first concept cars of the Le Qu\u00e9ment era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Early in his career at Renault, he worked alongside bosses as different as Robert Opron and Gaston Juchet. But a fantastic partnership would soon form with his friend Michel Jardin. Michel was a man of few words, discreet, reserved, and talented. \u201cYou could sense a real camaraderie between them,<\/em>\u201d recalls Martine Venet. \u201cThe two complemented each other and held each other in high regard. In fact, they were two passionate people, not careerists. There was a sincere friendship between them, without any ulterior motives.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When this article was written in 2020, Michel Jardin (pictured above left with Jean-Fran\u00e7ois) sent us the following message: \u201cJean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet was a true giant of automotive design for whom I have immense admiration. From the moment he joined Renault in 1977, I was impressed by his creative and graphic talents. He applied and elevated design methods drawn from his experiences in the General Motors studios.”<\/em> Below is the Mini designed by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois\u2019s team during his time at General Motors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“His personal vision ensured that his projects were always outstanding and well-received. He was at once compassionate, generous, sensitive, and modest, qualities that made him particularly endearing to everyone. His leadership of young designers was universally recognized. He mentored many of today\u2019s talented designers. On a personal level, he was also a great watercolorist… I had the privilege of spending time with him privately with the same pleasure. We knew each other for over 30 years, and I feel I have lost my most talented and dearest friend…<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Final stylistic tweaks to the model of the Initiale Paris concept car, designed by Florian Thiercelin and overseen by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois, pictured here with Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1996, and for just two years, Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment \u2014 who, in addition to heading up Renault\u2019s design department, also took charge of quality control \u2014 asked Jean-Fran\u00e7ois to take over the interior design studio. Martine remembers perfectly the evening her husband came home: \u201cIt was a real chore for him, and even a shock after his eight years working on concept cars. He came home completely disheartened because, for him, interiors just didn\u2019t have the same appeal as exteriors.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But it was with the same talent as a designer and manager that Jean-Fran\u00e7ois breathed new life into this department, ably assisted by seasoned designers, foremost among them Fabio Filippini: \u201cHe was a delightful person, with a natural gift for communication and tremendous warmth. Working alongside him was an honor for me <\/em>(and for many other young designers at the time).\u201c Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment told us that \u201dChuck Jordan, one of the legendary Vice Presidents of Design and a worthy heir to Harley Earl, spoke of Jean-Fran\u00e7ois with great affection and respect.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The studio led by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois was a veritable breeding ground for talent, many of whom went on to become leading figures in contemporary automotive design. That was precisely Jean-Fran\u00e7ois\u2019s greatest strength, beyond his natural talent as a designer and his keen sense of proportion: he could immediately recognize talent in young people and help them flourish. More than a boss, he was a friend, with whom there was a deep sense of camaraderie. In 1996, when he was appointed Head of Interior Design, he insisted that I follow him to Rueil. I have fond memories of the journey I took with him… <\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Martine Venet confirms, \u201cHe loved passing on his knowledge; he was an excellent teacher.<\/em>\u201d While Jean-Fran\u00e7ois was undoubtedly disappointed that his daughter C\u00e9line (pictured above with her Lacoste concept car) couldn\u2019t join Renault\u2019s design team \u2014 despite an excellent internship at the Renault studio in Barcelona with Thierry M\u00e9troz \u2014 he was able to put that regret behind him when he saw how far C\u00e9line had come. Because being the \u201cdaughter of a designer\u201d isn\u2019t easy! \u201cIt was hard to accept that I couldn\u2019t join Renault,\u201d C\u00e9line confides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Duvernier during his time at Lancia as the Italian brand\u2019s director of exterior design. Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric has since returned to Stellantis in France.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was told to go prove myself elsewhere, even though at PSA, HR had apparently blocked my application because my father was still working at Renault! After my internship in Barcelona, I found another one at Seat, and since my prospects in France were limited, I left with Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Duvernier (above) for Japan, to work at Nissan. And there, no one made the connection between my father and me! <\/em>\u201d Today, the Venet name continues to thrive in a design studio, with C\u00e9line and Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric at Stellantis. And for the future, at Renault this time, the legacy left by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet still permeates every wall of the design studios. Even if the teams have obviously changed. And perhaps there are fewer chickens and straw there today…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet spent a long time working on a Mini concept at Opel. It was a sort of precursor to the Twingo, which he would eventually bring to production a few years later.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet (1946\u20132015)<\/strong>
–1969: Joined Opel AG\u2019s design department in R\u00fcsselsheim under the leadership of Jordan, Holls, and Haga.<\/strong>
–1969\u20131971: Designed the Kadett and Manta, followed by the Ascona.<\/strong>
-1973: Assistant Chief Designer in Advanced Design. Exterior design of the Senator and Kadett Series 4<\/strong>
-Exterior designer of the Opel GT-2 concept car for the 1974 Frankfurt Motor Show.<\/strong>
-1977: Joined Renault Design under the direction of Gaston Juchet and Robert Opron (Supercinq, Renault 25, Renault 21, Premier, design of the Fuego dashboard, Vesta prototype)<\/strong>
-1984: Head of Design Studio B under the direction of Jacques Nocher in Nanterre (Safrane, Twingo, Laguna 1)<\/strong>
-1988: Head of Advanced Design under Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment (concepts: M\u00e9gane, Laguna, Sc\u00e9nic, Racoon, Argos, Initiale, Fiftie)<\/strong>
-1995: Interior Design, managing a team of 60 people.<\/strong>
-2000: Head of Mack Trucks Design, Renault Sport Technology, and, until 2003, Dacia Design (W16 Project, Clio RST, Logan, Magnum, Radiance, Premium, Middium)<\/strong>
-2005: Left Renault.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text excerpted in part from the LIGNES\/auto #02 Winter 2020\u20132021 booklet.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet (1946\u20132015) was one of those great French designers whose modesty was matched only by his talent. Now that Renault\u2019s design department has been led since January by a new director\u2014Alexandre Malval, also French\u2014and has been joined by Romain Gauvin as head of Advanced Design, we thought it was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45303"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45303"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45342,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45303\/revisions\/45342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}