Philippe Charbonneaux

Philippe Charbonneaux (1917-1998) was a French product designer, best-known for car and truck design, but also known for other products such as television sets. Many of his works are now exhibits in places such as Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, or Museum of Modern Art in New York. He specialised in car design studies, so he has left many inventive prototypes. The prototype Ellipsis, he released just two years before his death, is still very fresh and modern. He designed for Renault, Ford, Delahaye, Berlet, Bugatti, and others.

Famous pieces include the Téléavia Panoramic III TV set; the Renault 8 in 1962; the Renault 16 in 1965, which was a top-of-the-line family luxury car and Europe's Car of the Year for 1965; and the Renault 21 1986.

His private collection of approximately 160 vintage cars, including racing cars, and 40 motorcycles, donated to S.C.A.R. (Salon of Vintage Car Club Collectors in Rheims) is a basis of a Rheims [http://www.musee-automobile-reims-champagne.com Automobile Museum] , established 1985.