AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNER TOM MATANO REMEMBERED
As AutoDesignO Director, LA Car’s John Grafman has fond memories of working with legendary designer Tom Matano, who served as the former Mazda Director of Design and Academy of Art Chair.
By John Grafman
Thu, Sep 25, 2025 06:00 AM PST
Featured image above: Tom carved a path that is to be admired and followed. Certainly, Tom’s signature sign-off, ‘Always Inspired’ should live within us all (Mazda North American Operations image).
Tsutomu "Tom" Matano, October 7, 1947-September 20, 2025
The message came from Mazda North American Operations with a heavy heart:
"It is with profound sadness that Mazda North American Operations shares the passing of our beloved former Director of Design, Tom Matano, who left us at the age of 77 years old. ...Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire Mazda community during this difficult time."
Matano elevated the Mazda’s style from 1983-2002, and he eventually oversaw the Global Advance Design team (Three locations) and Chief Designers Group at Mazda HQ Design Division.
In 2008, the first of numerous automotive design related Motor Press Guild (MPG) meetings came to life. This initial gathering featured the Chairs for the Transportation Departments at the top schools in the country. Tom Matano (Academy of Art), Stewart Reed (Art Center College of Design), and Mark West (Center for Creative Studies) came to Los Angeles, providing a brilliant, colorful look into the industry.
Expert moderation was provided by Eric Noble of The CARLAB. I was fortunate to oversee the event coordination in my role with AutoDesignO. The attending press members of the MPG were both informed and entertained by the trio of design professionals. This became the template for the various other successful design-centric meetings that followed, and those programs became must-see opportunities for the guild members.
Tom was, at that time, instructing at Academy of Art following his years with Mazda. It takes a certain type of person to get in front of a room full of journalists on behalf of an educational institution, an automotive company, the design industry, as well as expressing his own beliefs, and deliver on the importance of design.
There’s a word for that kind of an individual; it’s called being a leader!
Tom carved a path that is to be admired and followed. Certainly, Tom’s signature sign-off, ‘Always Inspired’ should live within us all. - John Grafman
* When he’s not writing for LACar, John Grafman serves as the Executive Director of AutoDesignO, otherwise known as the Automotive Design Organization.
(Mazda North American Operations image)
The Announcement
"It is with profound sadness that Mazda North American Operations shares the passing of our beloved former Director of Design, Tom Matano, who left us at the age of 77 years old.
Tom was more than a designer, he was a true icon and a warm, approachable individual whose passion for creating vehicles that inspire joy, and connection fundamentally shaped our design philosophy at Mazda.
Under his visionary leadership, the world was introduced to the original Mazda MX-5 Miata (NA). He captivated drivers with a pure, back-to-basics vehicle that was fun to drive and accessible to many, all through a timeless design that perpetually brings joy.
His philosophy of elegant purity and driver-centric design continues to resonate in every Mazda today. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire Mazda community during this difficult time."
– Mazda North American Operations
About The Author
John Grafman spent far too much of his youth thriving on the canyons that connect the valley to Malibu. This antisocial behavior has evidentially scarred him for life. Nevertheless, using his powers for good rather than evil, John has spent the past dozen or so years working on models for numerous automotive design studios on the west coast. You’ve seen his work on the exterior and interiors of some of your favorite concept and production cars. You can now see his imprint throughout LA CAR.
