Ex-BMW design head joins Indian Motorcycle

The man behind the design of the iconic BMW R-nineT, Ola Stenegard, joins Indian Motorcycle as the Director of Product Design.

Indian Motorcycle has managed to pull off a coup as they hired motorcycle industry design veteran Ola Stenegard as its Director of Product Design. Even though Stenegard was with BMW Motorrad for 15 years, the Swede confesses that he's been a life-long admirer of American V-twins.

Stenegard brings Indian nearly two decades of product-design experience. He is also the one who was responsible for the BMW S1000RR and BMW R nine T. The veteran designer is not new to the ethos and DNA of Indian Motorcycle, as he has had a two-year stint with the American company from 2001 to 2003. His unique combination of domestic and global expertise aligns perfectly with Indian’s long-term strategy of driving global growth.

‘Ola has been incredibly successful in helping brands expand into new product categories and appeal to a wider variety of riders, which is exactly what Indian will be focused on in the coming years,’ said Steve Menneto, President, Indian Motorcycle Company. ‘It’s rare to find a designer with Ola’s unique experience, and we are thrilled to have him on board at such an exciting and important time for our business.’

As a young boy in Sweden, Stenegard was heavily influenced by his elder brother who had a passion for choppers and hot rods. In the words of his brother, ‘If you want to be into bikes, there are only choppers,’ and thus was born his lifelong love for designing and customising American V-twins. By the age of seven, he had learned to weld and was chopping and customising anything he could get his hands on – from bicycles to mopeds.

Stenegard said, ‘I couldn’t be more excited to join Indian Motorcycle at a time when the brand has successfully returned to its prominence and is powered by an increasing level of momentum.’ He added, ‘There is no brand any more historic to American motorcycling than Indian, and I’m thrilled to build on the brand’s momentum going forward. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.’