One of the automotive industry’s most influential designers has decided to retire after 38 years of service.
Moray Callum, current vice president of design for Ford Motor Co., has announced his retirement, effective May 1. His successor is Anthony Lo, who most recently served as vice president of exterior design for Groupe Renault. Lo will report to work at Ford on April 1, giving the two designers a one-month transition period.
Callum’s design influence on Ford has been extensive. His most recent work was particularly prolific, as he and his team helped create the 2021 F-150, Mustang Mach-E and reimagined Bronco and Bronco Sport. He also recently has worked extensively on Lincoln vehicles, helping that brand to experience a resurgence.
During his career, Callum has steered the design of the 1999 Super Duty truck, 2011 Explorer, 2005 Mazda MX-5, 2007 Mazda CX-7, 2015 Mustang and F-150 and the 2016 GT.
“Moray’s influence is seen on streets around the globe,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer. “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.”
Callum has served two tenures with Ford, totaling 20 years. His first was from 1995 to 2001, when he joined Mazda in Japan for five years as head of that company’s design transformation. At the time, Ford had a partnership and ownership interest in Mazda. Callum returned to Ford in 2006 as executive director of design for the Americas and was promoted to his current role in 2014.
He also worked as a consultant designer and for Chrysler in the United Kingdom and for PSA Peugeot Citroen in France.
Lo got his initial break in 1987, when he was offered a position at Lotus Cars in England, where he later designed the Lotus Carlton, the world’s fastest car of its type at the time. He also worked with Mercedes-Benz in Japan, working on the Maybach concept and the S-Class vehicles, as well as with Audi in Germany.
He joined Saab in 2000 and from 2004-2010 he served as director of advanced design for General Motors Europe, overseeing Saab, Opel and Vauxhall projects.
He has been with Renault in Paris for the last 10 years, where he has been instrumental in developing the company’s Cycle of Life design strategy. That approach was the basis for a series of award-winning concept cars such as the Dezir, Captur, R-Space, Frendzy, Twin’Z, Twin’Run and Trezor. He and his team implemented the strategy in Renault’s all-new global lineup of cars and SUVs.
“With the speed of evolving technologies and expectations, I believe cars will change more in the next decade than they have in the last century,” Lo said. “Leading this change at Ford is a dream job for any car designer, and we’re going to embrace this era with open minds, ingenuity and breakthrough design solutions.”
Ford has the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, where it makes the Super Duty pickup, Expedition and Expedition EL/Max SUVs and the Lincoln Navigator and Navigator L SUVs. The company also has the nearby Louisville Assembly plant, where the company makes the Ford Escape SUV and Lincoln Corsair.
