Ian Callum knew from a very young age that he would end up working for Jaguar. After all, he’d submitted his first drawings to the company in 1968 at the tender age of 14. What he likely did not anticipate was how long and winding the road would be from those childhood dreams to his current perch as the Design Director for Jaguar. These days, Callum’s forward thinking is a significant influence on the company’s current designs like the 2016 Jaguar F-TYPE found at the Jaguar of Peabody showroom. It has also contributed heavily to the revived fortunes of Jaguar. 

Callum’s first design for Jaguar wouldn’t make it to the auto shows, much less a showroom floor. It made enough of an impression, however, that the company took time to write back and encourage him in his studies. Those studies would find him eventually getting a Masters degree in Vehicle Design from the RCA (Royal College of Art) in London. His employers and commissions would be varied — a mirror here, a steering wheel or taillight assembly there — but his talent would quickly find him moving on to bigger and better things.

Since landing at Jaguar, Callum has had a hand in the Jaguar XK, the Jaguar XF, and the Jaguar XJ. That work would earn him plaudits from the Royal Society of Arts in 2006, British Auto Express (he was their inaugural Person of the Year in 2009), and one of the 2012 Men of the Year from Top Gear magazine in 2012. Bigger things were yet to come.

Callum has had a direct hand in two concept cars. The first of these was the Jaguar C-X75. Much to the disappointment of many who saw the car, the C-X75 would not make the transition from concept to production. First shown in 2010, and most recently seen in the James Bond film Spectre, it was a bold statement that Callum’s tenure — like his designs — would draw on the rich history of Jaguar, but would rework that raw material in new and exciting ways. This was evidenced again by the design for the C-X16, which would become the basis for the Jaguar F-TYPE.
If you’d like to see the best of Ian Callum’s handiwork, come to the Jaguar of Peabody showroom at 247 Newbury Street in Peabody, MA. The 2016 Jaguar XF and the upcoming 2017 Jaguar XE and 2017 Jaguar F-PACE are unlike anything you’ve seen — or driven — from Jaguar.