Zac Quinn 
The Detroit Institute of Opthalmology (DIO), a division of the Department of Opthalmology, Henry Ford Health, have bestowed Stellantis Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles with the 2023 EyesOn Design Lifetime Design Achievement Award. EyesOn Design celebrates automotive design excellence of the past, present, and future by drawing attention to the importance of design in the industry.
The recipient of this prestigious award, now in its 36th year, is selected by previous winners. That elite list includes noted designers Chris Bangle, Peter Brock, Wayne Cherry, Willie G. Davidson, Walter de’Silva, Leonardo Fioravanti, Tom Gale, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Patrick LeQuement, Syd Mead, Shiro Nakamura, Stewart Reed, Peter Schreyer, Jack Telnack and Ed Welburn.
Who Is Ralph Gilles?
Ralph Gilles is a respected automotive design leader, and his passion for cars is reflected in his work. He understands the market, trends, and car culture and uses that knowledge for his work, positioning himself at the forefront of the automotive design profession. In 2022 Gilles, 52, celebrates 30 years with Stellantis and its previous companies. He has overseen and contributed to the creation of a vast portfolio of eye-catching designs and turned out some of the most exciting vehicles on the road today, wearing badges of the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram Truck brands. These include the Chrysler 300, Dodge Viper SRT, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and concept vehicles with the Chrysler Portal, Chrysler Airflow, and the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee concepts.
The Vision Honored award will be presented to Gilles by Tom Gale, who served as Chrysler Corp. head of design from 1985 to 2000, and helped to transform the automaker into a leader in automotive design. Gale was a mentor for Ralph Gilles, helping to shape who he is today through leadership and guidance. Vision Honored, the EyesOn Design awards dinner will be held on June 16, 2023, at Conner Center, the former Dodge Viper assembly plant in Detroit. The event kicks off the EyesOn Design weekend, culminating with the annual car show in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan: EyesOn Design at The Ford House.
