Patrick Le Quément

Patrick Le Quément (born 1945) is a French automotive designer known for reshaping the design identity of Renault during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Educated at the Birmingham College of Art and later the Royal College of Art in London, he began his career at Ford in 1968, contributing to projects within Ford of Britain, Ford of Germany, and later Ford’s global advanced design programs. In 1985 he moved to Volkswagen–Audi, where he briefly directed advanced design strategy.

Le Quément is best known for his tenure at Renault, which began in 1987 when he was appointed head of design. He reorganized Renault’s design operations, centralizing creative decision-making and establishing a strong, unified design philosophy. Under his leadership, Renault adopted a more experimental and expressive design language, prioritizing architectural form and functional clarity. Major production models developed during his period include the Twingo, Clio II, Mégane, Laguna II, Scénic, Espace IV, and the Avantime. He also played a role in shaping concept vehicles that defined Renault’s forward-looking identity.

Across his career, Le Quément emphasized design as a strategic corporate asset rather than purely a styling function. He retired from Renault in 2009, leaving a legacy of distinctive, coherent, and influential European automotive design.