Ian Callum

{{short description|British car designer (born 1954)}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Ian Callum<br/><small>{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|FRSE|RDI}}</small> | image = Ian Callum in Dubai.jpg | image_size = 220 | alt = | caption = Callum in 2013 | birth_name = Ian Stuart Callum | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|7|30}} | birth_place = [[Dumfries]], Scotland | death_date =  | death_place = | alma_mater = [[Royal College of Art]] | other_names = | known_for = | occupation = [[Car designer]] | employer = [[Jaguar Land Rover]] | website = {{url|https://callumdesigns.com}} }}

'''Ian Stuart Callum''' (born 30 July 1954) is a British car designer who has worked for [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[Tom Walkinshaw Racing|TWR]], and [[Aston Martin]]. In 1999 he became the Director of design for [[Jaguar Cars]], later [[Jaguar Land Rover]], a position he held until mid 2018.

In 2019, Callum founded his own automotive and [[product design]] company, named Callum.

==Background== Callum was born in [[Dumfries]], [[Scotland]],<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/automobiles/autospecial/25design.html|title=A Golden Touch That Runs in the Family |last=Patton|first=Phil|date=25 October 2006|work=The New York Times}}</ref> in 1954. In 1968 (at the age of 14) he submitted a car design to [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]] in the hope of landing a job.<ref name="NYTimes" /> Callum studied at [[Coventry University|Lanchester Polytechnic]]'s (now [[Coventry University]]) School of Transportation Design in Coventry, [[University of Aberdeen, College of Arts and Social Sciences|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 master's degree in Vehicle Design.

Callum's younger brother [[Moray Callum|Moray]] was Vice President of Design at [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] until his retirement in 2021.

==Career==

===Ford=== From 1979 to 1990 Callum designed for Ford, working between [[Dunton Technical Centre|Dunton]], Japan, Italy and Australia, mainly on "bits of cars, mostly steering wheels".<ref name="day off">‘Ian Callum's Day Off…’ by Jon Smith (pp98-104), CAR Magazine, February 2007, p. 104</ref> As well as working on bread-and-butter [[Ford Fiesta|Fiestas]] and [[Ford Mondeo|Mondeos]], he contributed to image builders such as the [[Ford RS200|RS200]] and [[Ford Escort (European)|Escort RS Cosworth]], the last of which he is especially proud of and with which he collaborated with fellow RCA graduate [[Peter Horbury]].<ref name="day off" /> He was then appointed Design Manager responsible for the [[Carrozzeria Ghia|Ghia]] Design Studio in [[Turin]], where he worked on the Via, Zig and Zag show car concepts.

===TWR=== [[File:DB7 Volante.jpg|thumb|right|[[Aston Martin DB7]] (1993)]]

After eleven years in a corporate environment, Callum left Ford in 1990 to join [[Peter Stevens (car designer)|Peter Stevens]] and [[Tom Walkinshaw]] to form TWR Design. He said,

{{cquote|Some of my colleagues came to see me from Ford, and I’d walked away from this giant studio at Dunton, the corporation, all that stuff, into this little tin shed in Kidlington. They thought I was utterly mad. But I was as happy as could be, I was doing something I wanted to do.<ref name="pistonheads.com">Ian Callum interview by Andrew Noakes [http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=10823], accessed 30 January 2007</ref>}}

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 Cars|Volvo]], [[Mazda]] and [[Holden Special Vehicles|HSV]]. He was awarded the [[Jim Clark]] Memorial Award in 1995 in recognition of his styling work on the DB7. In 1996, he designed the [[Volvo C70]] Coupe and in 1998 the [[Nissan R390]].<ref name="Supercars">1998 Nissan R390 GT1 [http://www.supercars.net/cars/1391.html], accessed 16 April 2016</ref>

===Jaguar===

In 1999, on the death of [[Geoff Lawson (designer)|Geoff Lawson]], Callum was appointed to succeed him at Jaguar, which was a Ford Motor Company subsidiary at the time (now a subsidiary of [[Tata Group]]). For a short stint, Callum directed design at both Jaguar and Aston Martin. Callum has claimed that during this time he was responsible for the majority of the design of the [[Aston Martin DB9|DB9]] and [[Aston Martin Vantage (2005)|V8 Vantage]], despite both designs officially being attributed to [[Henrik Fisker]], the subsequent director of design at Aston Martin, upon their introduction. In an interview with ''[[Car and Driver]]'' in 2010, when asked how much of the DB9 and V8 Vantage were designed under his watch, Callum replies "The DB9, I’d say pretty much 100 percent, including the interior. Maybe not color and trim and wood finishes, but certainly the surfaces of the car. And the V-8, I would say a good 80 percent. In fact, we started the V-8 first and then shelved it while we did the DB9—that’s why they’re quite similar".<ref name="C&D">Ian Callum: What I'd do Differently, Mike Duff, [[Car & Driver]], April 2010 [http://www.caranddriver.com/features/ian-callum-what-id-do-differently-feature], accessed 16 April 2016</ref> At Jaguar, since the Lawson designed 2001 [[Jaguar X-Type|X-Type]] and 2002 [[Jaguar X350|XJ]] were well advanced his influence was initially felt through a series of concepts, the 2001 [[Jaguar R-Coupe|R-Coupe]] and 2003 [[Jaguar R-D6|R-D6]]. The first production Jaguar to bear his influence was the 2004 facelift of the [[Jaguar S-Type (1999)|S-Type]] followed by the 2004 [[Jaguar X-Type|X-Type Estate]], of which he oversaw the tailgate design.

With the next generation of Jaguar models Callum took Jaguar away from the Lawson-era retroism, which produced the more traditional-looking X-Type, S-Type, and XJ, towards a new style. This began with the second generation, 2006 [[Jaguar XK (X150)|XK]], which bears striking similarity to the Aston Martin DB9, which Callum describes as being a result of modern safety legislation.<ref name="pistonheads.com"/> This new direction continued with the 2008 [[Jaguar XF|XF]] as previewed by the concept C-XF, which Callum describes as the 'next significant step forward' in Jaguar's design direction,<ref>‘Jaguar XF’ by Gavin Green (pp44-55), CAR Magazine, February 2007, p. 48</ref> and the 2010 [[Jaguar XJ (X351)|XJ]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/jaguar/7317038/Jaguar-XJ-review.html |title=Jaguar XJ review|last=Baker|first=Erin |date=26 February 2010|work=The Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> He also oversaw the design for the 2010 [[Jaguar C-X75|C-X75]] concept car,<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Favorite Ian Callum Jaguar Designs {{!}} Automobile Magazine |url=https://www.automobilemag.com/news/best-ian-callum-jaguar-designs/ |website=Automobile |access-date=3 February 2020 |language=en |date=6 June 2019}}</ref> the 2012 refresh of the Jaguar XF and introduction of Sportbrake, the 2013 [[Jaguar F-Type|F-Type]], the 2015 [[Jaguar XE]], 2015 second generation Jaguar XF (the first Callum-led design to replace another Callum-led design), the 2016 [[Jaguar F-Pace]], and the 2018 [[Jaguar I-Pace]].

According to Callum, ‘Jaguars should be perceived as cool cars and cool cars attract interesting, edgy people.’<ref>{{cite web|url =http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12929-2532535,00.html |title=The cat gets some cool claws|last=Frankel|first=Andrew |date=7 January 2007|work=The Sunday Times|publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd.|access-date=16 February 2010}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The quality of Callum's work at Jaguar has been acknowledged by twice [[Le Mans 24 hours]] winner and fellow Dumfries native, [[Allan McNish]].<ref>[http://qosfc.com/HeadlineNews/ViewFullStory/tabid/151/selectmoduleid/498/ArticleID/842/reftab/36/Default.aspx Allan McNish interview part 2 on qosfc.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323214419/http://qosfc.com/HeadlineNews/ViewFullStory/tabid/151/selectmoduleid/498/ArticleID/842/reftab/36/Default.aspx |date=23 March 2010 }}</ref>

===Callum=== In early June 2019, Callum announced that he was stepping down from Jaguar but would continue with the company as a design consultant. "Designing Jaguar cars was a lifelong dream for me, and I’m delighted to remain involved as a consultant for the brand", he said in an interview.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/ian-callum-leaves-jaguar-after-20-years-design-director |title=Ian Callum leaves Jaguar after 20 years as design director|date=4 June 2019|work=Autocar UK|publisher=Haymarket Media Group|access-date=4 June 2019}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, he founded an independent automotive and [[product design]] agency, named simply ''Callum'', based in [[Warwick]] and specialising in bespoke and limited-edition products.<ref name="car-callum">{{cite web |last1=Pollard |first1=Tim |title=What Ian Callum did next: set up his own bespoke car design agency |url=https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/industry-news/ian-callum-design/ |website=Car Magazine |access-date=23 September 2021 |date=17 July 2019}}</ref>

In 2026 the 355 by Evoluto was released as designed by the Callum design agency. It reimagines and re-engineers the Ferarri F355 in a ‘peak analogue’ state that removes all plastics and screens from the interior and provides a tactile driving experience, limited to just 55 bespoke units.<ref>{{cite web |title=Evoluto 355 |url=https://callumdesigns.com/evoluto-355 |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=CALLUM |language=en-US}}</ref>

Callum was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2019 Birthday Honours]] for services to the British car industry.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=62666|supp=y|page=B8|date=8 June 2019}}</ref>

== Notable designs ==

file:Ford RS200.jpg|[[Ford RS200]] (1984) file:Ford Escort RS Cosworth silver.jpg|[[Ford Escort Cosworth]] (1989) file:Nissan R390 GT1 (road_car) front-left 2015 Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery.jpg|[[Nissan R390]] (1997) file:Ford Puma front.jpg|[[Ford Puma (sport compact)|Ford Puma]] (1997) file:Amvanquish.jpg|[[Aston Martin Vanquish]] (2001) File:2001 Jaguar R-Coupe Concept.jpg|[[Jaguar R-Coupe]] (2001) File:2003 Jaguar R-D6 Concept 2.7 Front.jpg|[[Jaguar R-D6]] (2003) file:Jaguar X-Type Estate rear 20080731.jpg|[[Jaguar X-Type|Jaguar X-Type Estate]] (2004) file:Aston Martin DB9 - Birmingham - 2005-10-14 (2).jpg|[[Aston Martin DB9]] (2004) file:Jaguar X150 front 20080223.jpg|[[Jaguar XK (X150)|Jaguar XK]] (2005) file:Jaguar XF 001.JPG|[[Jaguar XF]] (2008) file:2011 Jaguar XJ8 -- 12-31-2010.jpg|[[Jaguar XJ]] (2009) file:Cx75 paris3.JPG|[[Jaguar C-X75]] (2010) file:The Jaguar C-X16 at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2011.jpg|[[Jaguar C-X16]] (2012) file:Paris Motor Show 2012 (8065248951).jpg|[[Jaguar F-Type]] (2013) </gallery>

==Awards== [[File:Ian Callum, COTY 2019, Le Grand-Saconnex (GIMS9840).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Callum receives the Car of the Year trophy for the [[Jaguar I-Pace]]]] In 2006, he was honoured with a [[Royal Designer for Industry]] (RDI) award from the [[Royal Society of Arts]] and was joint recipient with his brother, Moray Callum, of the Jim Clark Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to Scots who have made a major contribution to the world of motoring.<ref name="Scotsman">{{cite news|title=Brothers Make Their Mark on International Car Design |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=3 June 2006 |url=http://business.scotsman.com/transport/Brothers-make-their-mark-on.2781158.jp |accessdate= 16 April 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603165949/http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/brothers-make-their-mark-on-international-car-design-1-1412452 |archivedate=3 June 2016}}</ref>

In 2016 he was invited to deliver the MacMillan Memorial Lecture to the [[Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland]]. He chose the subject "Car Design in the 21st Century".<ref name="MacmillanLecture2016">{{cite web |url=http://www.iesis.org/macmillan.html |title=Hugh Miller Macmillan |work=Macmillan Memorial Lectures |publisher=[[Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004102303/http://www.iesis.org/macmillan.html |archive-date=4 October 2018 |access-date=29 January 2019 }}</ref>

In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rse.org.uk/fellow/ian-callum/|title=Mr Ian Stuart Callum - The Royal Society of Edinburgh|work=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|access-date=14 March 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== *[https://www.callumdesigns.com Callum official website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070228164729/http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=11879 Ian Callum Ford Biography] *[http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=10823 Ian Callum interview in Pistonheads]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callum, Ian}} [[Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Art]] [[Category:Alumni of Coventry University]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Dumfries]] [[Category:British automobile designers]] [[Category:Scottish designers]] [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Royal Designers for Industry]]