Ian Callum
Encyclopedia
Ian Callum is a British
car designer who currently serves as Design Director for Jaguar
and is older brother to fellow car designer Moray Callum
. He is married, has two sons and currently resides in Oxfordshire, England.
, Scotland
, in 1954. In 1968 (at the age of 14) he submitted a car design to Jaguar in the hope of landing a job. Callum studied at Lanchester Polytechnic
's (now Coventry University
) School of Transportation Design in Coventry, Aberdeen Art College and the Glasgow School of Art
, where he graduated with a degree in Industrial Design. He subsequently graduated from the Royal College of Art
in London
with a post-graduate Masters degree in Vehicle Design.
, Italy
and Australia
, mainly working on ‘bits of cars, mostly steering wheels’. As well as working on bread-and-butter Fiestas
and Mondeos
, he contributed to image builders such as the RS200
and Escort RS Cosworth
, the last of which he is especially proud of and with which he collaborated with fellow RCA graduate Peter Horbury
. He was then appointed Design Manager responsible for the Ghia
Design Studio in Turin
and worked on the Via, Zig and Zag show car concepts.
After eleven years in a corporate environment, Callum left Ford in 1990 to join Peter Stevens and Tom Walkinshaw
to form TWR
Design. He said,
In 1991, he was appointed Chief Designer and General Manager of TWR Design. During this period he was partially responsible for designing the Aston Martin
DB7
, which is probably the design he is currently most famous for. He also designed the Aston Martin Vanquish, the V12-powered DB7 Vantage and Aston Martin's Project Vantage concept car as well as taking responsibility for a wide range of design programs for other TWR clients, including Volvo
, Mazda
and HSV
. He was awarded the Jim Clark
Memorial Award in 1995 in recognition of his styling work on the DB7. In 1998, he designed the Nissan R390.
In 1999, Callum was appointed to succeed the late Geoff Lawson
as Design Director at Jaguar, which had become a Ford Motor Company
subsidiary in 1990. For a short stint, Callum directed design at both Jaguar and Aston Martin and it is claimed that he laid the foundations for the DB9
which was later finished by Henrik Fisker
, though the extent of his contribution remains unclear. At Jaguar, since the Lawson designed 2001 X-Type
and 2002 XJ
were well advanced his influence was initially felt through a series of concepts, the 2001 R-Coupe and 2003 R-D6. The first production Jaguar to bear his influence was the 2004 facelift of the S-Type
followed by the 2004 X-Type Estate
, of which he was responsible for the tailgate design.
With the next generation of Jaguar models Callum succeeded in taking Jaguar away from the Lawson-era retroism, which produced the slow-selling X-Type, S-Type, and XJ towards a language that was more dynamic and modern. The first next-generation model which reflects this ethos was his first complete production Jaguar, the 2006 XK
, which bears striking similarity to the Aston Martin DB9, which Callum describes as being a result of modern safety legislation. This new direction is continued with the 2008 XF
as previewed by the concept C-XF, which Callum describes as the ‘next significant step forward’ in Jaguar's design direction, and the 2010 XJ
. He was also responsible for the 2010 C-X75
concept car.
According to Callum, ‘Jaguars should be perceived as cool cars and cool cars attract interesting, edgy people.’ The quality of Callum's work at Jaguar has been acknowledged by twice Le Mans 24 hours winner and fellow Dumfries native, Allan McNish
.
and was joint recipient with his brother of the Jim Clark Memorial trophy, awarded annually to Scots who have made a major contribution to the world of motoring.
Callum won the British Auto Express inaugural Person of the Year Award in 2009 due to his work on the Jaguar XK
, Jaguar XF
and the Jaguar XJ
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
car designer who currently serves as Design Director for Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
and is older brother to fellow car designer Moray Callum
Moray Callum
Moray Callum is an automobile designer from Dumfries in Scotland, currently design director for Ford's North American brands' passenger cars...
. He is married, has two sons and currently resides in Oxfordshire, England.
Early years
Callum was born in DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in 1954. In 1968 (at the age of 14) he submitted a car design to Jaguar in the hope of landing a job. Callum studied at Lanchester Polytechnic
Coventry University
Coventry University is a post-1992 university in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University...
's (now Coventry University
Coventry University
Coventry University is a post-1992 university in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University...
) School of Transportation Design in Coventry, Aberdeen Art College and the Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
, where he graduated with a degree in Industrial Design. He subsequently graduated from the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with a post-graduate Masters degree in Vehicle Design.
Ford
From 1979 to 1990 he worked at Ford working between Dunton, JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, mainly working on ‘bits of cars, mostly steering wheels’. As well as working on bread-and-butter Fiestas
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
and Mondeos
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
, he contributed to image builders such as the RS200
Ford RS200
The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined, four-wheel drive sports car produced by Ford from 1984 to 1986. The road-going RS200 was based on Ford's Group B rally car and was designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations, which required 200 road legal versions be built...
and Escort RS Cosworth
Ford Escort (European)
The Mark I Ford Escort was introduced in the United Kingdom at the end of 1967, making its show debut at Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. It replaced the successful long running Anglia. The car was presented in continental Europe as a product of Ford's European operation...
, the last of which he is especially proud of and with which he collaborated with fellow RCA graduate Peter Horbury
Peter Horbury
Peter D. Horbury is a British car designer who is currently Vice President, Design of Volvo. He is probably best known for his design work for Volvo, but has worked in a variety of roles in the automotive industry, including as Executive Design Director, Americas for Ford between 2004 and 2009...
. He was then appointed Design Manager responsible for the Ghia
Carrozzeria Ghia
Carrozzeria Ghia SpA is one of the most famous Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firms, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio, located at 4 Corso Valentino in Turin....
Design Studio in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and worked on the Via, Zig and Zag show car concepts.
TWR
Tom Walkinshaw
Tom Walkinshaw was a Scottish racing car driver and the founder of the racing team Tom Walkinshaw Racing...
to form TWR
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Tom Walkinshaw Racing , was an auto racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.-History:TWR started by modifying BMW 3.0 CSLs, but soon was contracted to head Mazda's works program in the British Touring Car Championship. The TWR developed RX-7, with Win...
Design. He said,
In 1991, he was appointed Chief Designer and General Manager of TWR Design. During this period he was partially responsible for designing the Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
DB7
Aston Martin DB7
The Aston Martin DB7 is a grand tourer which was produced by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. The grand tourer was available either as a coupé or a convertible. The prototype was complete by November 1992, and debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 1993, the car was styled by...
, which is probably the design he is currently most famous for. He also designed the Aston Martin Vanquish, the V12-powered DB7 Vantage and Aston Martin's Project Vantage concept car as well as taking responsibility for a wide range of design programs for other TWR clients, including Volvo
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
, Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
and HSV
Holden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles is the officially designated performance vehicle partner of Australian automobile manufacturer Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the company modifies Holden models such as the Commodore, Caprice and Ute and markets them under the HSV brandname.-...
. He was awarded the Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
Memorial Award in 1995 in recognition of his styling work on the DB7. In 1998, he designed the Nissan R390.
Jaguar
Geoff Lawson (designer)
Geoff Lawson was a British car designer who is best known for serving as Design Director for Jaguar between 1989 until his death. He died in June 1999 and is survived by a wife and two children. He was succeeded at Jaguar by Ian Callum.-Background:...
as Design Director at Jaguar, which had become a Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
subsidiary in 1990. For a short stint, Callum directed design at both Jaguar and Aston Martin and it is claimed that he laid the foundations for the DB9
Aston Martin DB9
-DB9 Volante:The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupe. It is built by hand in limited numbers and has enhanced styling. It is powered by the same 6.0 litre, DOHC 48 valve V12 as the DB9 and is completed with 470 bhp and a top speed of 186 mph...
which was later finished by Henrik Fisker
Henrik Fisker
Henrik Fisker is a leading automobile designer and CEO of Fisker Coachbuild. He has lived and worked in Germany, London, and in Southern California. Henrik Fisker graduated from the short-lived Swiss campus of California's Art Center College of Design in 1989...
, though the extent of his contribution remains unclear. At Jaguar, since the Lawson designed 2001 X-Type
Jaguar X-Type
The X-Type is a compact executive car manufactured and marketed for model years 2001-2009 by Jaguar Cars. The smallest of the Jaguar model range, the X-type was marketed in saloon and wagon variants and was the only estate ever manufactured in series production by the company...
and 2002 XJ
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
were well advanced his influence was initially felt through a series of concepts, the 2001 R-Coupe and 2003 R-D6. The first production Jaguar to bear his influence was the 2004 facelift of the S-Type
Jaguar S-Type
The Jaguar S-Type was a mid-size luxury/executive car that debuted at the 1998 Birmingham Motor Show and went on sale in spring 1999. The name is a revival of a previous Jaguar model, the S-Type introduced in 1963.-Overview:...
followed by the 2004 X-Type Estate
Jaguar X-Type
The X-Type is a compact executive car manufactured and marketed for model years 2001-2009 by Jaguar Cars. The smallest of the Jaguar model range, the X-type was marketed in saloon and wagon variants and was the only estate ever manufactured in series production by the company...
, of which he was responsible for the tailgate design.
With the next generation of Jaguar models Callum succeeded in taking Jaguar away from the Lawson-era retroism, which produced the slow-selling X-Type, S-Type, and XJ towards a language that was more dynamic and modern. The first next-generation model which reflects this ethos was his first complete production Jaguar, the 2006 XK
Jaguar XK
The Jaguar XK series is a series of grand tourer cars produced by British car maker Jaguar since 1996. The series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 1996. The first generation of the series, the XK8, replaced the XJS, and was available as a coupé and convertible...
, which bears striking similarity to the Aston Martin DB9, which Callum describes as being a result of modern safety legislation. This new direction is continued with the 2008 XF
Jaguar XF
The Jaguar XF The Jaguar XF The Jaguar XF (type (X250) is a mid-size luxury car / sports saloon produced by British car manufacturer Jaguar. The car, which replaced the Jaguar S-Type, was launched at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show following the public showing of the C-XF concept in January 2007 at...
as previewed by the concept C-XF, which Callum describes as the ‘next significant step forward’ in Jaguar's design direction, and the 2010 XJ
Jaguar XJ (X351)
The Jaguar XJ is the latest Jaguar XJ luxury saloon from Jaguar Cars. Completely new styling combines with underpinnings based on the previous X350 version.-Launch:...
. He was also responsible for the 2010 C-X75
Jaguar C-X75
Jaguar C-X75 is a plug-in hybrid, two-seat, concept car from Jaguar which debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The C-X75 produces 778 horsepower through four electric motors, each of which drives one of the four wheels. The batteries driving these motors are recharged using two diesel-fed...
concept car.
According to Callum, ‘Jaguars should be perceived as cool cars and cool cars attract interesting, edgy people.’ The quality of Callum's work at Jaguar has been acknowledged by twice Le Mans 24 hours winner and fellow Dumfries native, Allan McNish
Allan McNish
Allan McNish is a Scottish racing driver. He is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, most recently in 2008, and two-time American Le Mans Series champion.- Early life :...
.
Awards
In 2006 he was honoured with a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) award from the Royal Society of ArtsRoyal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
and was joint recipient with his brother of the Jim Clark Memorial trophy, awarded annually to Scots who have made a major contribution to the world of motoring.
Callum won the British Auto Express inaugural Person of the Year Award in 2009 due to his work on the Jaguar XK
Jaguar XK
The Jaguar XK series is a series of grand tourer cars produced by British car maker Jaguar since 1996. The series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 1996. The first generation of the series, the XK8, replaced the XJS, and was available as a coupé and convertible...
, Jaguar XF
Jaguar XF
The Jaguar XF The Jaguar XF The Jaguar XF (type (X250) is a mid-size luxury car / sports saloon produced by British car manufacturer Jaguar. The car, which replaced the Jaguar S-Type, was launched at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show following the public showing of the C-XF concept in January 2007 at...
and the Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
.