Ian Callum
Pro-Chancellor, distinguished friends, colleagues, graduands and guests.
Coventry alumnus and Jaguar Director of Design, Ian Callum can confidently say he has achieved his childhood dream. He is accredited with the transformation of iconic designs for the XK, XF and XJ, and now with the new F-TYPE, but if you ask him which car he is most proud of, his answer will always be ‘The next one!’
Ian was born and raised in Dumfries, a small town in southwest Scotland. He grew up with his father who was a lawyer and his mother who was a librarian, two sisters, Iona and Helen and a younger brother Moray. From a very early age he developed an interest in drawing. He was often found sketching household objects like hoovers and television sets, until he discovered cars!
Drawing cars ignited a passion in Ian that would manifest itself into a hugely successful career. By the time Ian started primary school he knew he wanted to be a car designer. His mother’s cousin, who was an engineer, showed him how to draw wheels. A pivotal moment for Ian because, in his words: ‘Once you can draw a wheel in perspective, you can draw anything. ‘
At school, art and engineering were his favourite classes; learning the principles of drawing, creating and designing. At the age of 14, Ian laid eyes on the Jaguar XJ6 and inspired by its elegance, sent some sketches to the then Jaguar Chief Engineer, Bill Heynes, who encouraged him to follow his heart. His whole life became focused on becoming a designer.
Ian studied Transport Design, right here in Coventry, at the then, Lanchester Polytechnic. He went on to study Industrial Design at Glasgow School of Art, followed by a 2-year course in Automobile Design at the Royal College of Art. During his college years he was great fan of Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis movement. He was also inspired by Bill Mitchell, who was head of design at General Motors in the US. In Ian’s eyes, Bill created some of the most beautiful American cars ever known.
From 1979 to 1990 Ian worked for Ford, a career that took him to Japan, Italy and Australia. He was 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. After eleven years, Ian left Ford to join Peter Stevens and Tom Walkinshaw to form TWR Design. Moving from the giant design studios of a global corporation to a little tin shed in Kidlington. His colleagues thought he was utterly mad. But he was as happy as could be, doing exactly what he wanted to do.
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 and worked on designs for clients including Volvo, Mazda and HSV. In 1995, he was awarded the Jim Clark Memorial Award in recognition of his styling work on the DB7.
Then, in 1999, Ian got the call he’d been waiting for all his life; the chance to be Director of Design for Jaguar. The first production Jaguar to bear his influence was the 2004 facelift of the S-Type followed by the 2004 X-Type Estate.
Ian succeeded in taking Jaguar in a more dynamic and modern direction. The first next-generation model which reflects this ethos was his first complete production Jaguar, the 2006 XK. This momentum continued with the 2008 XF and the 2010 XJ. He was also responsible for the 2010 C-X75 concept car.
According to Ian, ‘Jaguars are about great proportions, fantastic silhouettes…the optimum expression of metal.’ He’s always believed any good design can be drawn in two or three lines.
Ian is no stranger to the prestige of events like today. He has no less than 5 honorary doctorates from across the world. In 2005, he was awarded the title of Royal Designer for Industry from the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts and in 2014 he was awarded the Minerva Medal – the highest accolade bestowed by the Chartered Society of Designers; awarded for a lifetime’s achievement in design. He’s been named by ‘The Drum’ as the most influential person working in UK design today and features in Top Gear Magazines ‘Men of the Year’.
When he’s not in the studio creating iconic designs, Ian enjoys painting, cycling and re-building old cars. He has two grown up sons, Alister and Fraser. His younger brother Moray, followed in the footsteps of Ian and is Vice-President of Global Design at Ford.
We’re delighted that Ian is able to join us here today for this very special occasion.