“We had this front view image of a swimmer doing a butterfly stroke coming out of the water. We used that image of the swimmer to explain how something could be lean and muscular yet graceful and have the feeling of speed at the same time.” – Ian Cartabiano, Studio Chief Designer

While change often seems risky, it is a necessary ingredient if the goal is to improve, innovate and re-imagine. Drawing inspiration from many sources, the 2013 Avalon represents a new phase in Toyota’s history.

Our CALTY designers, in collaboration with their counterparts in Japan, embarked on a journey to create an Avalon that illustrated a holistic design message: it should not only be beautiful on the outside but also stunningly beautiful on the inside.

To get a sense of some of the folks that worked on the Avalon, look no further than Studio Chief Designer, Ian Cartabiano. Ian comes from a long line of designers; his great grandfather was a sculptor, his grandfather was an aeronautical designer, his father was a toy a designer, and his mother a painter.

That’s the interesting story of just one of the many designers who made it their mission to create the most American designed and engineered vehicle in Toyota’s history.

The keywords that the designers focused on when designing the Avalon were elegant and athletic. Did they achieve their goal?

Learn more about the 2013 Avalon’s path toward achieving “elegant athletic” here.