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FORMER Jaguar design chief Ian Callum has established a British-based design and engineering firm, simply known as Callum, and is set to announce his first project in the coming weeks.

Announcing the new venture less than a month since stepping down from his role at Jaguar Cars after two decades of service, Mr Callum is, naturally, the design director at the company and one of four founding members, all of whom are similarly ex-Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) executives.

These are program director David Fairbairn, engineering director Adam Donfrancesco and commercial director Tom Bird, while another 14 other employees with experience across a range of disciplines have signed on.

Other than automotive and motorsport, the talent pool has experience in art, audio, fashion and lifestyle, paving the way for the Callum operation to spread itself beyond the auto sector.

New chapter: Ian Callum (second from left) with engineering director Adam Donfrancesco (left), commercial director Tom Bird (second from right) and program director David Fairbairn (right).

Bespoke motor vehicles and high-end limited-edition models are nonetheless expected to be mainstays for the business, which is based in Warwick, England, at a large 1858-square-metre facility that is said to house “the latest in design, engineering and manufacturing technology, enabling the design and creation of bespoke products in-house”.

These include design, prototyping, machining and trim services.

“I wanted to get back to the essence of creativity – the challenge of producing something wonderful and personal,” said Mr Callum, who is being retained by JLR as a consultant.

“To design the alternative has always been my mantra, but always the beautiful alternative and something to enjoy.

“In today’s modern world, collaboration is the catalyst for new ideas, and this is our ethos and inspiration, both within our team and as we look to work with partners in the future.

“Callum is an exciting new chapter that will focus on ‘journeys to destinations’ and all that encompasses.”

Mr Fairbairn added: “Callum brings together highly experienced, skilled and enthusiastic people that share the same want – the opportunity and freedom to create and produce products that excite.

“We love what we do, and we have the passion, collective experience and know-how to create some very special, diverse products across design, lifestyle and travel.”

Mr Fairbairn worked at JLR for more than 18 years, most recently as head of bespoke and special commissions/projects which included the reincarnation of the Jaguar Lightweight E-Type.

Mr Donfrancesco had spent the past three years as engineering manager (special commissions and bespoke) for JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), most notably working on Jaguar’s F-Type GT4.

He spent a similar period as vehicle engineering manager at Aston Martin, where he was responsible for the Vantage GT8 and GT12, and earlier in his career worked for more than eight years at British sportscar marque Noble Automotive, developing road and racetrack models including the M600.

Mr Bird is said to have gained “extensive experience” at companies such as PWC, Barclays and, yes, JLR, “working on global business expansion and special projects, including the Jaguar C-X75 and its iconic movie appearance” – the latter a reference to the concept’s role in the 2015 James Bond film ‘Spectre’.

By Terry Martin

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