Francois Castaing, engineering ace behind Chrysler’s 1990s hits, dies at 78

Paul Wilbur, a product planner who worked with Castaing on the cab-forward LH cars — the Chrysler Concorde, Eagle Vision and Dodge Intrepid — that debuted in 1993, said the platform team approach changed everything. “The whole company was split from chimneys and silos into platform teams, and it was really revolutionary,” said Wilbur.

“I remember very vividly talking about line rates with manufacturing guys and color choices and how many colors we should have. These were discussions that typically product planning and marketing wouldn’t have … with manufacturing,” Wilbur said.

“Between Lutz, Gale and Castaing, Chrysler would not have been the same without one of the three. It took all three to make legendary greatness,” said Wilbur.

Another 1990s Chrysler executive, Bud Liebler, head of marketing and communications, said Castaing’s heavy French accent did not impede his ability to get things done.

“He was ambitious, hardworking, aggressive and strong. When he had something to say, he said it loud and clear. He didn’t care who was bothered by it,” Liebler said. “He caught Lee Iacocca’s eye pretty fast. Castaing was probably the main guy setting up the platform teams, a huge innovation for the industry.”

Castaing, along with many other executives, didn’t stick around for the DaimlerChrysler merger in 1998. After he retired, Castaing’s love of engineering and racing never waned. He raised around $30 million to rebuild the Detroit Science Center and served on numerous corporate boards as well as the board of FIRST, the high school robotics competition founded by inventor Dean Kamen.

He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2010.