The gregarious and decidedly "politically incorrect" Horbury now returns to Sweden and Volvo.
Faced with the sudden departure last week of design-head Steven Mattin from loss-making Volvo, “to pursue other opportunities,” Ford Motor Company is sending Peter Horbury, executive director Ford Americas design, back to Gothenburg, Sweden, as vice president of design. Moray Callum, currently director of design for cars, Ford Americas, will replace Horbury as executive director, Ford Americas design in Dearborn. Both positions are effective May 1.
Horbury was Volvo’s design director in 1991, where he attempted to bring some more rounded shapes to the stolid and boxy Swedish brand, at a time when its safety marketing position was being successfully challenged by European and Japanese makers. The 1992 hybrid-electric ECC concept, with an extreme aerodynamic shape, was the first visible sign of his desire to move from the angular forms of the 850 model it was based on. However, it was not until 1997 that the influence of the gregarious and decidedly politically incorrect Horbury was felt in a meaningful way, when the first production cars appeared, the C70 and ’98 S80. Horbury rounded the look inside and out, and contributed the car-length shoulders still in use today. Volvo cars was acquired by Ford in 1998 for more than $6 billion and incorporated into its fledgling Premier Automotive Group.
In 2002, Horbury was appointed executive director responsible for studios of all the PAG brands — Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Aston Martin. After moving to the United States in early 2004, Horbury developed a “new design DNA” for the Lincoln brand, initially expressed in the MKR Concept and evolving into the MKT and Lincoln C Concept. Volvo is the only remaining brand of the now failed PAG at Ford. Sales of the others during the last two years raised desperately needed cash. Volvo, too, is currently for sale and rumors of Chinese bidders abound.
“Peter is returning to Volvo at the perfect time to lead the design team in developing the next generation of Volvo products,” said Stephen Odell, president and CEO, Volvo Cars.
The affable and transcontinental Moray Callum (L) now takes over Ford Americas design.
Moray Callum returned in May 2006 from Ford-owned Mazda Motor to what ultimately became Ford Americas after a series of ineffective restructuring plans that are still underway. At Mazda, he was in charge of global design since 1991.
Callum is credited with many successful design efforts, including the 2003 Mazda 3 compact; 2005 Mazda MX-5 or Miata sports car; as well as the 2006 Mazda 5, 2007 CX-7 and CX-9 crossover vehicles; and the 2008 Mazda 6 sedan. There was also a series of aggressive and — more and less successful — concept vehicles, including the Washu, Ibuki, Kabura, and Senku, that embraced and celebrated the Japanese roots of Mazda.
Since returning to Ford Americas, the affable Callum, who still has traces of his Scottish accent, has overseen the design of the 2010 Ford Taurus. He also directed the teams that developed the 2010 Mustang, Fusion, and Mercury Milan designs. In addition to responsibility for all Ford cars and trucks designed in North and South America studios, Callum will also direct the design of Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.