Edgar Chu: From Mercedes-AMG Designer to Entrepreneurial Car Visionary
Edgar Chu, a former senior exterior designer at Mercedes-AMG, has embarked on a bold new journey after spending 13 years (2010-2023) crafting some of the world’s most celebrated performance vehicles. During his tenure at Mercedes, Chu contributed to iconic models like the GT sports car and E63 S that garnered widespread acclaim from automotive experts. But beyond his professional design work, Chu developed a profound personal connection with driving that would ultimately shape his career trajectory. Speaking at the Car Design Event CDE Classic, he revealed his impressive achievement of completing approximately 1,000 laps around Germany’s legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife racing circuit—a journey that began not with a high-powered AMG, but with a modest 2008 Lotus Elise. “My logic behind it was I wanted to first improve myself, to become a better driver, before I purchase anything expensive, just in case I crash,” Chu explained. This humble approach reflects his methodical personality and commitment to mastering fundamentals before pursuing bigger challenges.
The Nürburgring became Chu’s weekend sanctuary, a place where he could not only hone his driving skills but also develop a deeper understanding of automotive engineering. What started with basic track days evolved into a comprehensive project as he gradually modified his Lotus—upgrading brakes, tires, and various components. This hands-on experience proved invaluable, bridging the gap between aesthetic design and practical functionality. “When you just look at design, you only see the design part, but when you move out of design, you start to get involved with the technique and how the car has to be driven. You start to have a different understanding and start to see a broader picture,” Chu reflected. These weekend racing sessions, while expensive and time-consuming, provided Chu with insights that would later inform his holistic approach to automotive creation—understanding cars not just as artistic expressions but as complex machines meant to be experienced and driven.
This fusion of design expertise and driving passion has culminated in Chu’s latest endeavor as founder and chief design officer of Rev Auto Design. His flagship project, the HWA EVO, pays homage to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190 EVO II while establishing its own distinct identity. Chu is adamant that his creation isn’t simply a restomod—a restored classic with modern components—but rather an entirely new vehicle that carries forward the spirit of its inspiration. The challenge of reimagining an icon weighs heavily on Chu’s mind: “I always feel like doing such a design is like you’re making a sequel movie. The second one always has bigger shoes to fill than the first one. How do you make it exciting, and what happens if you did not match the spirit or content of the first one?” This creative tension—honoring the past while pushing boundaries—exemplifies the delicate balance designers must strike when working with established automotive legacies.
Despite his apprehension, Chu approaches this daunting task with a designer’s fundamental wisdom: “It is just paper; it won’t bite.” This simple mantra, learned years ago, continues to guide his creative process, encouraging experimentation without fear of failure. “I think it’s important for design, as a designer, to keep your mind open, to try things, and then you can always bring it back to reality, and not to wait or fear of that you might make a mistake,” he explained. Though he openly acknowledges the challenge of designing “a better car than the original EVO,” his solution involves both reverence and innovation. The HWA EVO features a completely new carbon fiber body—maintaining only the cant rails from its predecessor for structural integrity at roof level. The result is a vehicle with familiar visual cues but thoroughly modern engineering, targeted at discerning enthusiasts willing to invest in exclusivity, with pricing starting around $770,000.
Chu’s career shift represents more than just a new design project—it embodies a profound personal crossroads. Leaving the security and prestige of Mercedes-AMG meant abandoning a clear path to advancement, financial stability, and retirement benefits. “I had a lot of mixed feelings. If I stayed at Mercedes-AMG, I would have probably slowly climbed the [corporate] ladder. They had offered me that before I tried to leave—that level had a decent salary and retirement plan,” Chu revealed. The decision to forgo this security for the uncertainties of entrepreneurship didn’t come lightly. At 48 years old, Chu recognized that opportunities for such dramatic reinvention grow scarcer with time. His disciplined approach to finances provided a safety net that made the leap possible: “I know that I’m a quite disciplined person, so I also have some savings set aside. So, I thought, ‘Why not now?’ I’m already 48, if I don’t do it now, the opportunity will probably never come again.”
Perhaps most revealing about Chu’s character is his perspective on comfort and growth. “I think it’s scary, at least for me as a designer, to be comfortable,” he confessed. This counterintuitive view—finding security threatening rather than reassuring—speaks to the creative restlessness that drives innovation. For Chu, professional comfort represents stagnation, while calculated risk offers the possibility of continued evolution. As the HWA EVO undergoes final testing and calibration before deliveries begin, Chu stands at the intersection of his extensive corporate design experience and newfound entrepreneurial freedom. His journey from sketching Mercedes-AMGs to crafting his own automotive vision exemplifies a career guided not by safety or convention, but by an unwavering commitment to passion and personal growth. In trading corporate security for creative autonomy, Edgar Chu hasn’t just designed a new car—he’s redesigned his entire professional identity.
