Ford names new design chief to oversee luxury brands
For immediate release
Ford names new design chief to oversee luxury brands
Peter Horbury, head of Volvo Car design, has been named the Premier Automotive Group's executive director of design, responsible for overseeing future product design strategy and design processes for Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. His appointment is effective immediately.
Horbury will report to Richard Parry-Jones, Ford Motor Company's group vice president of Global Product Development and chief technical officer, as well as
J Mays, the company's vice president of Design.
"The creation of this new position reflects the importance of design within the Premier Automotive Group," says Mays.
In addition to helping develop vehicles for individual PAG brands, Horbury will help develop cross-brand design philosophies and development processes and will coordinate auto show design strategies as well as brand merchandizing.
Since 1991, Horbury has been design director of Volvo Car Corporation, overseeing studios in Sweden, Spain and California. He has been instrumental in creating and implementing the stylish new design language in the current range of Volvo products - including the all-new XC90 SUV and award-winning Volvo Safety Concept Car.
"Peter will be able to apply more than two decades of expertise with luxury vehicles and take the lead in making sure we're leveraging our premium brands and their products," says Mays. "At the same time, he'll be able to help us continue growing the best design team in the industry."
Horbury will lead a team that includes: Geoff Upex, Land Rover's design director; Ian Callum, Jaguar's design director and Henrik Fisker, Aston Martin design director and creative director of ingeni, Ford Motor Company's London design enterprise. In addition, the Volvo design director, whom Mays will announce at a later date, will report to Horbury.
Upex and Callum will continue to report to Nick Barter, the director of Product Development at Land Rover and Jaguar. Fisker will continue to report to Ulrich Bez, chief executive of Aston Martin Lagonda.
Prior to joining Volvo, Horbury worked as director of styling and design at MGA
Developments Ltd. in the United Kingdom. In addition, he worked on key Ford product programs in Europe, such as the Sierra, Escort and Granada, as well as Chrysler vehicles.
Born on Jan. 27, 1950, Horbury received his master's degree in automotive design from the Royal College of Art in 1974 and an undergraduate degree from Newcastle-upon-Tyne College of Art and Industrial Design in 1972.
He was named Autocar's Designer of the Year in 1998 and during a 28-year career has been actively involved in the design of more than 35 cars as well as trucks, buses and motorcycles.
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Information:
Lisa Graham
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
416.490.5834
lgraha11@volvocars.com
Doug Mepham
MacDonald & Co.
1.877.975.1572
doug.mepham@sympatico.ca