{"id":45794,"date":"2026-09-03T11:39:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T09:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=45794"},"modified":"2026-09-03T11:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T09:39:13","slug":"exclusive-the-in-depth-interview-with-jean-pierre-ploue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=45794","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: the in-depth interview with Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In this interview, LIGNES\/auto wishes to pay tribute to the man and his phenomenal career, which has been virtually without a hitch. And to his unwavering loyalty, particularly to PSA\/Stellantis. \u201cThroughout my career, I\u2019ve done everything I could to earn the trust of my senior management, including Carlos Tavares. As long as you\u2019re respected and senior management trusts you, you retain a sense of calm, and above all, your creative freedom.<\/em>\u201d Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 left the Stellantis Group after the summer of 2025, following a long professional career at Renault, Volkswagen, Ford, Citro\u00ebn, PSA and then Stellantis, where he brilliantly rounded off his career as head of design for the European brands of this automotive giant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 joins Renault. Here he is (in a grey jumper) with Michel Velay on the left, and Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet and G\u00e9rard Asensio on the right. The model shown is of the 1988 M\u00e9gane concept car.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Jean-Pierre, almost everything began at Renault. He still vividly remembers his first day as a designer at the R\u00e9gie (yes, it was still the R\u00e9gie Nationale des Usines Renault\u2026), back in the mid-1980s. \u201cI joined Renault a year before my military service. The premises were very different from a modern design studio. There were no computers. We had drawing boards, large sketchbooks with blank pages and tracing paper, felt-tip pens, pencils and pastels. That was the \u2018tech\u2019 of the time!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet, on the left, one of Jean-Pierre\u2019s mentors. Pictured here at G-Studio during the modelling phase of the Argos (unveiled in 1994), designed by Plou\u00e9. Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment is at the \u2018wheel\u2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And straight away, Jean-Pierre mentions the team of designers\u2026 or rather, stylists! \u201cBack then, we felt we were the new generation. We were aware that we were a wave of young people, and we understood that we were joining a design studio alongside talented individuals who\u2019d been trained in a different era. Among them, there was one exception: Doudou<\/em> (Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet, pictured above left), my mentor, who had proper training as a designer. He\u2019d come from General Motors, from the American school, with genuine expertise. The others relied on older techniques. Jean-Fran\u00e7ois had Anglo-Saxon expertise.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 as a passenger in \u201chis\u201d Laguna concept car in 1990.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From this era at Renault, which lasted nearly a decade, several concept cars remain that would go on to become milestones in automotive history (notably the 1990 Laguna and 1994 Argos concept cars), designed under the leadership of Renault\u2019s new head of industrial design, who joined the company in 1987: Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment, pictured below. \u201cHe was my boss, a long time ago now! I have great respect for the role he gave to French designers. What happened subsequently at PSA and Stellantis is what he managed to bring to France in terms of design management. Under him, styling was no longer in the hands of artists directed by marketing, but of designers with a responsible leadership team.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Patrick le Qu\u00e9ment on the left, with Serge Van Hove and, on the right, Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9, gathered around the model of the Argos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As well as concept cars, one production model stands out: the Twingo. \u201cThierry M\u00e9troz and I designed it together.<\/em>\u201d Thierry, a friend of over thirty years \u2013 in fact, over forty \u2013 who trained as an interior designer. \u201cI met him whilst I was studying in Besan\u00e7on. And we\u2019ve hardly ever been apart since; he\u2019s now head of design at DS Automobiles. He\u2019s a passionate man who\u2019s fully committed to his work. He\u2019s refined, devoted to his brand and as stubborn as someone from Franche-Comt\u00e9!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thierry M\u00e9troz at the wheel of the Argos concept car with Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9. Photo taken at the big send-off party for Plou\u00e9 in September 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, the Twingo: \u201cWe created it together, but there was a period when we were separated by our year of military service. I had to go off first, so we didn\u2019t always work together, but we remained in competition with each other in the same studio, in Nanterre. Back then, I had ideas flying in all directions. For example, the frog-eye headlights \u2013 we used them in various sketches. The two of us really did work on that project together.<\/em>\u201d Jean-Pierre is keen to point out that Doudou helped them finalise the shape of this very distinctive silhouette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the left, the first model of the project, designed by Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9. On the right, the Twingo model, developed under Le Qu\u00e9ment\u2019s supervision by Plou\u00e9 and M\u00e9troz, with a team led by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Venet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After leaving Renault, Jean-Pierre had two international stints with German-linked companies: first at Volkswagen and then at Ford. He confirms that \u201cthese two experiences taught me a great deal. I\u2019d decided to leave France to discover other automotive cultures. At Volkswagen, it was in Spain. I left Renault brimming with creativity and arrived full of self-confidence. And in the end, what they expected of me in terms of creativity was far too radical for the brand to accept.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After leaving Renault, Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 \u2013 pictured here with the 1990 Renault Laguna project team \u2013 set out on an international adventure in Spain and Germany.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had to adapt, and in the end, I didn\u2019t really know why they\u2019d hired me because, ultimately, they didn\u2019t make that much use of my creative boldness. On the other hand, I learnt a great deal about the quality of a well-executed design, where you spend weeks working on a single line or the shape of a wing. I learnt to excel in the quality and purity of the object, and in the precision and construction of forms.<\/em>\u201d It\u2019s a different story following his time at Ford\u2026 \u201cWhat surprised me there was just how important marketing and customer testing were to them. You had to test, always test! At Ford, I was in charge of an entire studio, covering the whole European C\/D segment.<\/em>\u201d The start of his full-time role as a manager…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the end of 1999, Plou\u00e9 took over as head of design at Citro\u00ebn, a brand led by Claude Satinet. In his welcome pack, he found the C3 and C6 concept cars, as well as an early prototype of the future C4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And then came the transition to a new chapter in his life, which kept him loyally tied to the PSA Group \u2013 now Stellantis \u2013 for over a quarter of a century, ever since he took over as head of design at Citro\u00ebn in late 1999. \u201cI was a young bloke; I was only 37 when I accepted this role at Citro\u00ebn. I was probably the youngest design director of any car brand in the world! But I had no doubts, because I knew my own worth.<\/em>\u201d Twenty-five years later, following a steady and remarkable rise through the ranks, he will hand over the reins of the role of head of design for Stellantis\u2019s European brands to his mate Gilles Vidal in October 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gilles Vidal, on the left, joined Citro\u00ebn four years before Plou\u00e9. Plou\u00e9 went on to appoint him head of design at Peugeot in 2010.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gilles Vidal, the friend. The man who led a Stellantis-Renault stint that was as brilliant as it was short-lived. A man Jean-Pierre first met at Citro\u00ebn in 1999. \u201cI didn\u2019t know him before. He was part of the Citro\u00ebn design team<\/em> (then headed by Arthur Blakeslee). When I arrived, he was about to leave, like other colleagues who\u2019d had enough of the previous management. But in the end, they decided they\u2019d see \u2018what this young lad was going to get up to\u2019.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At Stellantis, until Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 left, he was in charge of design for the group\u2019s \u201cwider Europe\u201d brands, whilst his counterpart, Ralph Gilles, was in charge of the American brands (and Maserati). Ralph Gilles is now head of design for the entire Stellantis group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is the relationship like between Plou\u00e9 and Vidal these days? \u201cWe still keep in touch. Before he took up his post, I advised him and gave him an overview of what was going on, and of the changes that had taken place since he left for Renault. For him, the situation has changed slightly because I was reporting to Carlos Tavares, whereas Gilles will be reporting to Emanuele Cappellano<\/em> and will report to Ralph Gilles, the group\u2019s head of design. Gilles Vidal knows he can count on me and give me a call.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019d like to take this opportunity whilst Jean-Pierre is mentioning Carlos Tavares, pictured above with Luca de Meo. I remain convinced that his departure is a consequence of that of the Stellantis boss. \u201cNo, my departure isn\u2019t linked to Carlos\u2019s, as he\u2019d already left nearly a year earlier. I was getting very close to retirement, and there were major changes about to take place within the group. The situation had become complex, with the selection of a new CEO taking a long time to finalise, and the establishment of the \u2018Greater Europe\u2019 and \u2018United States\u2019 regions, which were to be given greater autonomy\u2026 It was the right time, as I wanted to make the most of my time a little more. As long as I was enjoying myself, I didn\u2019t give leaving a second thought. The time had come because there\u2019s no point in clinging on beyond what\u2019s reasonable. I\u2019m leaving proud of what has been achieved.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With the appointment on 28 May 2025 of the Neapolitan Antonio Filosa, mentioned above, as head of Stellantis, it seems that a trend is emerging towards appointing Italians to key positions. How is the Peugeot family reacting to this? \u201cThe Peugeot family is not simply sitting back and accepting this, as they are also at the helm. Stellantis has simply undergone a change, just as PSA did with the arrival of Carlos Tavares and his team in 2014. Before his departure from Stellantis, the situation wasn\u2019t exactly great, so this change is understandable.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since May 2026, Stellantis has reorganised its brands. There are four flagship brands (RAM, Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot) and a separate division comprising the remaining brands, each with defined geographical scope. The three brands \u2013 DS, Lancia and Vauxhall \u2013 are now attached to Citro\u00ebn, Fiat and Opel respectively.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In his book (*), Carlos Tavares discusses scenarios that are, for the time being, fictional, one of which involves a Chinese giant taking over the group\u2019s European brands. \u201cWhat remains clear about the success of a multi-brand group is the need for a strong and distinctive design, and Carlos has always safeguarded that, even though the scope for differentiation had become rather limited.<\/em> I think the group did not have the resources to sustain so many brands.<\/em>\u201d (*) Carlos Tavares \u2013 A Skipper in the Storm. Plon.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 acknowledges that the group pushed the boundaries of carry-over too far due to economic constraints. Shown above are two different brands and two different vehicles for the same market \u2013 and two cars that are ultimately very similar in appearance from DS and Lancia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was time to open things up a bit because it was getting complicated. But it\u2019s the same for all the major multi-brand groups, starting with Volkswagen. We may have taken things too far with certain body styles. Initially, we had a classic, logical carry-over defined by the platform. Then we had to factor in even stricter constraints: the windscreen, the side windows, the front doors\u2026 The problem was that the financial constraints were such that, without taking this approach, we could no longer support each of our brands. We had to make these choices, relying on the strength of the design to set ourselves apart, pushing the boundaries of what was possible, because it was the only way to produce Lancias, Fiats, Citro\u00ebns and others…<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 was instead advocating for a \u2018Tesla-killer\u2019 at DS Automobiles\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ah! Lancia\u2026 Jean-Pierre was the head of design for the launch of the three planned models (Ypsilon, Gamma and Delta), but the start seems to have been a bit of a struggle. As with DS Automobiles, one can imagine that the European market alone cannot sustain a brand. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s the problem. If, for Lancia, you\u2019ve got a superbly executed Delta \u2013 an incredible product \u2013 and for DS you\u2019ve got a Tesla-killer, where\u2019s the problem?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2026 and would have liked to design just one model for Lancia: the Delta; but once again, financial constraints and the brand\u2019s revival strategy meant this was not possible.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Isn\u2019t the problem that they started with the little Ypsilon when everyone was expecting a Delta? \u201cYes, but that\u2019s a different matter; it\u2019s not the designer\u2019s problem. I had recommended producing just one model at Lancia: the Delta. A strong model in a streamlined showroom. I\u2019d also recommended fewer models for certain brands, or even just one model per brand. But for Lancia<\/em>, it was obviously more cost-effective to start with a variant of the 208. But those were decisions that were beyond my remit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At Citro\u00ebn, the Plou\u00e9 team\u2019s first major project was the revamp of the C5 II: and things got off to a rather rocky start\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look back at this exemplary career, particularly at PSA\/Stellantis, where he served for a quarter of a century. A loyalty that, however, nearly came to an end almost right at the start\u2026 \u201cFrom the moment I joined PSA, I knew that if I got a design wrong, my future would be over. In fact, I went through a difficult period with the replacement of the C5, which had been launched before I arrived. Claude Satinet, the boss, trusted me, but he didn\u2019t seem particularly enthusiastic about the project my team and I were working on. (above) Robert Peugeot then commissioned an alternative proposal from Pininfarina\u2026 And I didn\u2019t like that, even though I understood the need for it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whilst Pininfarina had already worked for Citro\u00ebn on the C6 project (pictured above at the Italian firm) prior to Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9\u2019s arrival, he was set to face competition from the Italians on the C5 project\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was building my team from scratch, and I felt it was unfair to be competing against a major agency that didn\u2019t have the big picture of where we were heading. So the Italian studio entered the competition, and that was the first time that had ever happened to me. If I\u2019d lost the project, I would have left the group. I was in the process of developing my design strategy, and if I\u2019d suffered that setback on my very first real project, I would have taken it to mean that the brand hadn\u2019t understood what I was trying to achieve\u2026 I would have left, not because I was a sore loser, but because I would have felt I no longer had the confidence of my senior management. But my team won!<\/em>\u201d Phew!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Pierre is always highlighting his teams, as we can see above alongside the team working on the C5 estate project. But success often hinges on a single person. Or rather, on three, according to him. \u201cTo make a project a success, you need alignment. Ideally, you need a solid, close-knit trio comprising the brand director, the head of design and the head of marketing. That\u2019s what happened when I joined Citro\u00ebn with<\/em> Vincent Besson, the brand\u2019s product director.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the early 2000s, Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 formed a dynamic duo with Vincent Besson, the product manager: \u201cWithout him, I would never have been able to achieve what we did at Citro\u00ebn.<\/em>\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I joined Citro\u00ebn, there were senior figures such as Dan Abramson and Donato Coco, who were older and more experienced than me. Those blokes weren\u2019t exactly expecting me \u2013 quite the opposite, in fact \u2013 because Arthur Blakeslee had promised them the post of design director, and I wasn\u2019t exactly welcomed with open arms. But I knew what I wanted to put in place; I had a clear vision. Without Vincent Besson (<\/em>pictured above), I could never have achieved what we did at Citro\u00ebn<\/em> (the early days with the C2, C4, Picasso, the concept cars\u2026). Those were magical years because we really worked together. At first, Vincent was supposed to take charge of the design, no doubt because Claude Satinet had asked him to, but then he became a friend and we worked as equals. We then came up with the DS range.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Plou\u00e9-Besson duo launched the \u201cDS range\u201d within the Citro\u00ebn line-up. The young designer Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Soubirou brought the vision of this \u201cpremium\u201d range to life with the 2009 DS Inside.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The inseparable pair sometimes travel to Brazil for meetings about Citro\u00ebn products for the AMLAT market. \u201cWe even nearly drowned on Copacabana beach, where, over a weekend before the working week, we\u2019d gone to shake off the jet lag. Whilst Vincent was asking for a break to have a cigarette, I was practically with my feet in the water when a lifeguard ran towards me waving large banners saying \u2018No Swimming\u2019: the ocean suddenly went wild and we came very close to disaster!<\/em> ” With that, the two Frenchmen drifted off peacefully to sleep on the quiet beach, only to turn up at the meeting the next day, burnt to a crisp like lobsters…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don\u2019t go thinking, however, that this legendary duo from the early 2000s at Citro\u00ebn are taking it easy. Their discussions invariably centre on products, design, progress and innovation. \u201cOn a flight to the Belchamp test centre, Vincent and I were in the boarding lounge, and we were so engrossed in our conversation that the boarding process went ahead\u2026 without us. We turned round at one point, and there was no one left.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Is Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 easy to work with? These four designers would certainly say \u2018yes\u2019! From left to right: Thierry M\u00e9troz (DS), Gilles Vidal (who has taken over from JPP), Matthias Hossann (Peugeot) and Pierre Leclercq (Citro\u00ebn). Photo: Stellantis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A partnership, good rapport, teams that are growing in size\u2026 Human relationships are always one of JPP\u2019s priorities. But is it easy to work with him? \u201cI think so, once people have figured me out! When you understand what I want and share that vision, there\u2019s no problem. What isn\u2019t easy is that I\u2019m demanding \u2013 first and foremost of myself. I never let up, right to the very end. I\u2019ve always acted like that at PSA and Stellantis, because the future of the company \u2013 but also that of the teams and my freedom of expression \u2013 depended on it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 is a driving force: you really had to hang on, and if you managed to keep up with him, he\u2019d support you. Even outside his job, as here with the great and much-missed photographer Patrick Sautelet, for the print magazine LIGNES\/auto<\/em> in 2008\u20132009\u2026 Photo : Laurent Nivalle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the 2000s, Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 charged ahead like a bulldozer, and nothing seemed able to stop him since he had revived the chevron-badged brand alongside Vincent Besson. Until the day he took charge not only of Citro\u00ebn\u2019s design department, but also that of\u2026 Peugeot, then headed by J\u00e9r\u00f4me Gallix, G\u00e9rard Welter\u2019s successor. \u201cIt\u2019s simple: we were working miracles with the whole Citro\u00ebn team. Every year we\u2019d present the two upcoming ranges for Peugeot and Citro\u00ebn at La Fert\u00e9 Vidame<\/em> (then one of the group\u2019s test centres). All the bosses were there, with the Citro\u00ebn products on one side and the Peugeots on the other. We had to ensure that the styling themes of the two brands were distinct. <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Towards the end of the 2000s, Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 also took over as head of design at Peugeot, a role previously held by J\u00e9r\u00f4me Gallix, who was considering a revival<\/em> of the 204 convertible!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring my first challenge of this kind, I simply had to step up and deliver, whilst waiting for my team\u2019s creations to finally be unveiled. Year on year, we\u2019ve gone from strength to strength. Then there was a meeting that acted as a turning point for the Peugeot family. They felt that things were going nowhere with Peugeot\u2019s products, and that\u2019s when I was appointed head of design at Peugeot as well as Citro\u00ebn. Gr\u00e9goire Olivier, who was in charge of design for both brands, called me in to tell me the news. They had decided on my appointment together with the Peugeot family. <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The \u201c5 by Peugeot\u201d concept car, which foreshadowed the 508, was Plou\u00e9\u2019s first project at Peugeot: revising this design from the previous team led by J\u00e9r\u00f4me Gallix\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But within the Sochaux-based manufacturer\u2019s design department, there are still quite a few projects under way, notably the large saloon set to replace the 607 (W35) and the B-segment Urban Distinctives. Why did they put everything on hold? \u201cBefore that, G\u00e9rard had been slow to hand over the reins of design to J\u00e9r\u00f4me Gallix, who had waited a long time <\/em>(five years). They were both working in the design department, each with what I imagine were different approaches. And then there was that meeting where Peugeot\u2019s design team presented the first generation of the 508, which didn\u2019t go down well with the management. So I took charge of the car again within a few months, with a budget of just a few tens of millions of euros, and we overhauled the design. <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Matthias Hossann, Peugeot\u2019s head of design. \u201cA brilliant lad<\/em>\u201d, according to Plou\u00e9!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before leaving the Stellantis Group, Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 was once again involved with Peugeot in one of the final concept car projects: the Polygon, created by Matthias Hossann\u2019s team (pictured above). \u201cMatthias is a brilliant lad. Yes, he looks like a lad, but he\u2019s a highly motivated, extremely demanding, very talented lad, and above all, he\u2019s incredibly committed.<\/em>\u201d Today, Matthias has a new rival: Renault\u2019s head of design, Alexandre Malval…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alexandre Malval is the only designer in the world, alongside Robert Opron, to have headed up the design departments at Citro\u00ebn (2012\u20132018) and Renault (since 2026).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 knows Alexandre Malval, the former head of design at Citro\u00ebn (pictured above), well. \u201cAlex is incredibly sensitive, but so incredibly talented! In fact, I\u2019ve realised that all the lads who\u2019ve worked with me have been absolutely lovely, and above all, very creative.<\/em>\u201d It\u2019s worth noting that Alexandre Malval made his return to Renault this year, taking the helm of the brand\u2019s design department, replacing Gilles Vidal. Further proof that the French excel at managing automotive design!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Three Frenchmen and one Belgian hold director-level positions in the design world within the Stellantis group. Let\u2019s not forget Fran\u00e7ois Leboine, head of design at Fiat. France certainly knows how to nurture great talent! Photo: Stellantis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And yet, French design teams draw on talent from countless different countries. That\u2019s why there\u2019s a Belgian at the helm of Citro\u00ebn\u2019s design department: Pierre Leclercq. And as it\u2019s a small world, Jean-Pierre tells us that \u201cit was Gilles Vidal who first told me about Pierre, and so it was thanks to him that I went and recruited him whilst he was working as a designer for the Hyundai-Kia Group. He brings a different cultural perspective and international experience. Above all, he has a great sense of humour and a clear, personal vision of what he wants to achieve. The results speak for themselves, and Citro\u00ebn is back on the road to success, notably with the C3<\/em>” shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Working in a good environment and having a good working relationship with one\u2019s teams is the key to success. But what about artificial intelligence, given that it will inevitably eat into jobs in the design sector? \u201cThere are many different roles in design, not just creative ones. Inevitably, in these other roles, AI could replace certain positions. AI is a tool for enhanced creativity. At first, it was the less creative people who embraced it, as they saw it as an opportunity to strengthen their ideas. However, now that the tool has evolved considerably, the most creative people are using it and managing to imbue it with their own sensibility.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AI or no AI, Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 notes that \u2018Renault\u2019s design has drawn heavily on that of Peugeot and DS in recent years<\/em>.\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

AI is gobbling up all the data on the planet, and the aim is to ensure that it does not disseminate what Stellantis designers feed into its memory through their work. \u201cIf we work with open-source AI, it is indeed dangerous, even if it provides us with interpretations drawn from all over the world. For the past two or three years, Stellantis has had agreements with AI providers to retain full ownership of its network. The designs don\u2019t leave the company. <\/em>\u201d Is there no risk of Renault stealing ideas, and vice versa? \u201cThat doesn\u2019t change anything in that respect; there will always be similarities here and there. We\u2019ve seen that Renault\u2019s design has drawn heavily on that of Peugeot and DS in recent years!<\/em>\u201d as shown above with the Renault Rafale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One car that\u2019s unlikely to be accused of being a copycat is the new Renault Twingo E-Tech pictured above, which is essentially a copy of itself. What does one of the designers behind the first generation \u2013 which served as the model \u2013 think of it? \u201cIt\u2019s perfect<\/em>,\u201d says Jean-Pierre. But is clinging to the past today a sign of a fear of the blank page? \u201cNo, today it\u2019s an opportunity for European design to stand up to the Chinese. <\/em>\u201d Is this enough to counter them more effectively? Only time will tell. Speaking of China, I tell JPP how surprised I am that he hasn\u2019t apparently been approached by any of these giants. His response is astonishing, to say the least!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOf course, I was contacted, but\u2026 I only found out very late on, thanks to Thierry M\u00e9troz. One day he sent me a document via LinkedIn and asked me to have a look at it. I had an account, but I wasn\u2019t active on it. So I retrieved my login details and logged in\u2026 and there I discovered a string of about ten messages from Chinese headhunters offering me jobs, some of which were over ten years old!\u201d<\/em> Remember these words from Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9: \u201cAs long as you\u2019re respected and top management trusts you, you retain a sense of calm, and above all your creative freedom.\u201d<\/em> Seizing one\u2019s freedom. Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 couldn\u2019t leave Stellantis and his teams without popping in to say goodbye to a few of his friends at ADN (Stellantis\u2019s design centre), where he\u2019d spent so many hours. So many cherished moments from a wonderful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A highlight of Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9\u2019s career: in the late 2000s, he took charge of design at Peugeot as well as at Citro\u00ebn. He appointed Vidal as head of design at Peugeot and M\u00e9troz as head of design at Citro\u00ebn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The meeting was arranged for a Friday in September 2025 in the covered dome of the presentation hall. But the people who had come to welcome him weren\u2019t five, ten or fifteen. There were more than 200 designers waiting for him! \u201cIt was incredible<\/em> and magical. Impressive, unexpected\u2026 Normally, on a Friday afternoon, a lot of people work from home, but they were all there, having come from Italy, Germany\u2026 The dome was absolutely packed; it was honestly very moving. Everyone was in tears, and so was I!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thank you to Laurent Nivalle for this exceptional document! Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9, surrounded by some of his close friends and designers working in France, Italy and Germany. A fitting and well-deserved tribute\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another surprise within a surprise: the Argos concept car is here, on loan from Renault. Thierry M\u00e9troz joins JPP in the driver\u2019s seat. \u201cI was moved and proud at the same time. I\u2019m a modest person by nature, but seeing them all there, I felt satisfied with what we\u2019d achieved. Personally, I\u2019ve had a great career, almost without a hitch. It\u2019s been a brilliant journey. I\u2019ve helped transform the brands alongside the teams.<\/em>\u201d And the designers have put their mark on the bonnet of a 2CV, from the same year as the one Jean-Pierre owns \u2013 a 1957 model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After this whirlwind of an exceptional afternoon and an equally brilliant career, what does the future hold for JPP? \u201cI\u2019m living in Corsica now. I\u2019ve got some opportunities, but nothing\u2019s set in stone. I\u2019m trying to manage the transition and make the most of my free time. We make life too complicated for ourselves all too often. These days, I\u2019m actually looking for simpler things\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JPP is taking it (a bit) easier. And since he\u2019s in the mood for \u201csimpler things<\/em>\u201d, we reckon getting back behind the wheel of his 2CV should delight him. Have a safe journey!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Interview by Christophe Bonnaud <\/strong><\/em>
Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9\u2019s loyalty has never been feigned. He has also shown it to certain journalists who have followed him since his early days, chronicling his career and his creations, and sharing his insightful comments. I am delighted and grateful to him that LIGNES\/auto (through the late photographer Patrick Sautelet and the ever-insightful Nicolas Langlois, too) is among those people. Thanks also to Laurent Nivalle and Thierry M\u00e9troz, as well as to the photographer(s) who will recognise themselves even without being named…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo : Christian Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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In this interview, LIGNES\/auto wishes to pay tribute to the man and his phenomenal career, which has been virtually without a hitch. And to his unwavering loyalty, particularly to PSA\/Stellantis. \u201cThroughout my career, I\u2019ve done everything I could to earn the trust of my senior management, including Carlos Tavares. As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45669,"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\/45794"}],"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=45794"}],"version-history":[{"count":66,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45860,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45794\/revisions\/45860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}