Words: Charlotte Vowden
Photography: Volkswagen
As the first woman to work in Volkswagen’s design department, Gunhild Liljequist, who is responsible for some of the GTIs most iconic features, was a disruptor in the automotive space, says Charlotte Vowden
The sixties was a time when women were expected to become typists, secretaries, teachers and nurses. These were “respectable” jobs, but Gunhild Liljequist, who trained as a porcelain painter and chocolate box designer, didn’t condemn herself to a socially acceptable career choice. In 1964, at the age of 28, when nearly half of women of working age stayed at home, she joined Volkswagen’s Germany-based Department of Fabrics and Colours. Ten years later, she designed the Golf GTIs interior.
Her brief was simple: make it sporty. “Black was sporty”, Gunhild revealed during an interview in 2016, “but I also wanted colour and quality.” Taking inspiration from textiles she discovered on her travels, it was Scotland’s favourite fabric, tartan, that she marvelled the most. “I was always taken by high-quality fabrics with checked patterns,” explained Gunhild. She used a red, white and black pattern to upholster the GTIs seats. “You could say that there is an element of British sportiness in the GTI.” Thought it was woven into the GTIs DNA, its origin was lost in translation; the prototypical tartan trim is now referred to as “Clark Plaid.” Despite this mis-naming, it still serves as an unmistakable point of contrast between the standard Golf and its racier sibling.
The golf ball-style gear knob and three-spoke spitoon steering wheel were also Gunhild’s ideas. The former was initially dismissed as a joke. “At first, I was laughed at…,” she recalled, but to design a great car, she said, takes “a bit of courage.” Thankfully, she had the tenacity to see the concept through.
A disruptor as well as a visionary, Gunhild was the first woman to work in Volkswagen’s design department.
She braved a time when it was almost unheard of to bring a female into the automotive space. “Back then it was definitely unusual for a female to be working at that level in a very masculine, male-dominated industry,” said Mike Orford, head of PR and communications at Volkswagen UK. “I love her story, what an influential person,” he continued, “and that influence continues on today.”
Mike and I met at the Hagerty Clubhouse during a GTI at fifty birthday celebration. “Look at the Edition 50 GTI and the tartan seats are still there,” he enthused “people expect them because they’re uniquely Volkswagen.” Playful design cues like those Gunhild pioneered have become the “secret sauce,” as Mike puts it, that make the brand’s vehicles so special. Venture into the footwell of an ID.3 and ID.4 and you’ll see ‘play’ and ‘pause’ symbols on the pedals to illustrate accelerate and brake. Stare lovingly into the headlights of a Mk4 Golf and there’s a tiny Volkswagen emblem to be found. “These surprise features really mean a lot to people,” said Mike, “it’s a big factor in why they buy our cars.” Personality is important too. “It started with the Beetle, the shape of the wheel arches and bonnet made it look like it had a nice smile. We want our cars to look friendly and approachable, so any coming out now will have a slight smile, a slight curve that you can see in the grille.”
For three decades Gunhild lent her car tailoring skills to VW, during which time many of her concepts came to fruition. Four years before she retired, she helped style the limited-edition Etienne Aigner Mk1 Golf Cabriolet. Ensuring it stood out on the streets, Gunhild invented a pearlescent new paint. “I always looked for colours that didn’t exist,” she said. Gunhild’s epoch-making design cues have helped cement VWs into our collective consciousness, but as a role model and revolutionary icon, she deserves a place there too.
The best car designs are often the smallest details. Which subtle automotive design touches have always stood out to you? Let us know by emailing hdc@hagerty.co.uk