Chuck Pelly’s story sticks closely to the familiar rags-to-riches theme: He started out by himself in the garage of his Malibu home 28 years ago. That first year, Designworks did not net a single cent of profit. By 2000, there were $1.2 million in net profits, nearly 100 designers bustling around a beehive of design studios in Newbury Park and a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative design shops. Now, from cell phones, office chairs and computer printers to high-speed trains, from public transit buses to high-tech medical equipment, Designworks focuses on projects and clients that demand imagination and intuition. “We try to define what is hot for clients,” said Bob Del’Ve, senior vice president, who lives in Thousand Oaks. “If you design something really well, and it’s so cool you have to have it, then it’s truly successful.” The studio became a wholly owned subsidiary of the BMW Group in 1995. Today, Designworks is BMW’s sole U.S. design studio. Along with designing everything from sunglasses, bike seats and ski goggles to 18-wheeler sleeper cabs and executive jet interiors, Designworks was recently instrumental in the design of the BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and the award-winning new BMW 3 series. Profits in 2000 were more than triple those for 1999 ($324,000), Del’Ve said, and are all re-invested in the company to strengthen existing technology and provide new learning tools. By company charter, the studio devotes half its energies to BMW-related projects and the other half to its eclectic client list in the trucking, consumer electronics, medical technology, aviation, rail and sporting goods industries. Designworks oversees about 45 projects annually, typically with 30- to 48-month timelines from inception to market. Design projects over the years have include the interior for the AASI Jetcruiser 500; the Allergan Sovereign Medical system, recognized in three major design competitions and used in cataract surgery; and a ski goggle, designed for Scott USA. One recent project is a virtual reality workbench that captures 3-D, hand-drawn figures in space and suspends them in real time, directly in front of and around the operator’s viewing capabilities. The user dons a pair of 3-D goggles and a motion-sensitive glove, then stands in front of a 6-by-8-foot rear-projecting screen. Any movements made using the goggles, glove and tools are tracked with a computer and a field motion tracker. The end result is a 3-D model viewable in virtual reality or on screen. “Since I was 3 years old, it was my lifetime dream to build my own design office,” said Pelly, 63, who lives in Woodland Hills. “I was determined to do this. It was either this or death.” A graduate of Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design who later studied industrial and furniture design in Sweden, Pelly is a 40-year veteran of the design industry. One of his early design accomplishments was the original Scarab sports car. Starting back at the top: in the early 1970s, Pelly went slowly, adding an employee or two each year. Eventually, he outgrew his Malibu garage and moved to a larger space in Van Nuys. In the early 1980s, Designworks moved again to a studio in Agoura, where it remained until a fire forced Pelly and his team out and on to Newbury Park 10 years ago. Pelly retired last year, but remains a consultant for the company. His successor is Henrik Fisker, a 10-year veteran of the German automaker who was named president and CEO of Designworks in January 2000. The influence of both European and American design on the company’s work prompted Switzerland’s Pilatus Business Aircraft to use Designworks for its showplane and paint renderings, said Thomas Bosshard, manager of completions for Pilatus. “They did a great job,” he said. Jeff Paul, engineering program manager for Kenworth Truck Company, said he was equally impressed with the styling concepts and models that Designworks completed for his company. Kenworth picked Designworks after visiting with several other design companies. “Their understanding of the automotive design process was a major factor,” Paul said. “Designworks’ association with BMW is also a factor because they are a strong engineering company we feel relates well to the work that we’re doing. We felt (Designworks) could offer us something we might not be able to generate on our own.” Marc Tappeiner started with the company eight years ago after graduating from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in industrial design. Today, Tappeiner is Designwork’s director of product design. “I’d be miserable if all I did was design remote controls all day,” said Tappeiner, who commutes to Newbury Park from Santa Barbara.