Ford’s legendary design chief and Mustang man Moray Callum retires, replaced by Anthony Lo from Renault

If you’ve been following the auto industry, the name Moray Callum will be a familiar one. Synonymous with Ford, Callum will cap his 38-year product development career – more than half of which was with the Blue Oval – as the company’s vice president (design) for Ford and Lincoln vehicles. He will retire this spring.

One of the car industry’s most influential design leaders, Callum’s most recent body of work include the 2021 Ford F-150 truck, the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric car, and the reimagined Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport. A refined, modern design language for Lincoln has been essential to the premium brand’s resurgence.

Looking further back, notable designs Callum steered across his career were the 1999 Ford Super Duty truck, 2011 Ford Explorer, 2005 Mazda MX-5 NC, 2007 Mazda CX-7, 2015 Ford Mustang and F-150, and the 2016 Ford GT. Fantastic looking cars, especially those modern takes on retro shapes.

Ford’s legendary design chief and Mustang man Moray Callum retires, replaced by Anthony Lo from Renault

“Moray’s influence is seen on streets around the globe. He brought and sustained a design vision and leadership to studios – including Ghia in Italy and Mazda in Japan, in addition to Ford and Lincoln – that has elevated the beauty, meaning and function of cars, trucks and SUVs for millions of customers,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer.

The Scotland native had two tenures with Ford totalling 20 years. His first stint was from 1995 till 2001, when he joined Mazda in Japan for five years to head that company’s design transformation. At the time, Ford had a stake in Mazda. Callum returned to Ford in 2006 as executive director (design) for the Americas, and was promoted to his current role in 2014.

His first association with Ford dated to the late 80s as a consultant designer at Ghia in Italy. Callum guided development of dozens of concept vehicles, including the Ford Ghia Via and the Aston Martin Lagonda Vignale. He also worked for Chrysler in the UK and for PSA Peugeot Citroën in France.

The man replacing Callum is Anthony Lo, who most recently was vice president, exterior design, for the Renault group. Lo will join Ford in the midst of an ambitious plan to turn around and grow its automotive business, with continued design of “must-have vehicles”.

“Our industry is evolving more rapidly than ever, and Ford will win the trust of customers by staying on the leading edge of that curve. Anthony is a world-class design leader with an exemplary global track record. We’re excited to have him lead our design organisation as we accelerate the creation of connected, intelligent and increasingly electrified products,” said Thai-Tang, who Lo will report to.

Born in Hong Kong, Lo got his initial break in the auto industry in 1987, when a professor at the Royal College of Art in London where he studied offered him a position at Lotus. There, Lo designed the Lotus Carlton, the super sedan that will be remembered for its unlikely speed.

Lo says Ford models such as the Sierra RS Cosworth, “with its imposing floating rear spoiler and track-racing pedigree to match,” made a lasting impression on him. Of course, he went on to pen a crazy saloon.

Bewinged sedans have ceased to be a thing for some time now, and at Renault in Paris for the past decade, Lo was instrumental in development of the company’s ‘Cycle of Life’ design strategy. Among production cars about which Lo is most proud are the second-generation Renault Captur and the Dacia Duster 2, which delivered on its low-cost objective without compromising attractiveness.

Lo joined Saab in 2000. From 2004 to 2010, he was director of advanced design for GM Europe, overseeing Saab, Opel and Vauxhall projects. Earlier, he had stints with Mercedes-Benz in Japan and Audi in Germany. Thanks for the catalogue of good stuff, Mr Callum!

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • justtwitting on Jan 27, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    All the best Mr Anthony Lo, designer of that legendary Lotus Carlton.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • Fordist on Jan 28, 2021 at 12:08 am

    Lets hope this Asian dont screw up our 100% American Stang. Our purist pitchforks will be sharpened n ready.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • Design wise Renault cars and SUVs looks far more sophisticated and gorgeous compared to any ford product apart from the Mustang.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Aura89 on Jan 29, 2021 at 11:43 am

        Unique, yes. But it doesn’t suit murican taste. Murican cars and SUVs have their own gorgeous and sophisticated designs if you ask a murican.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Mustang Man on Jan 28, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    Er… if im not mistaken Kemal Curic designed 2015 mustang….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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