Jaguar’s head of design, Ian Callum has retired after 20 years. In wake of Jaguar announcing the retirement of its hugely influential design director, we reflect on some of the world's greatest car designers. The guys at Select Car Leasing has released a cool poster series dedicated to top influential automotive designers.
According to Select Car Leasing: "From the moment we leave our house to arriving back home, our perception of the world we live in is constantly challenged by every car contour, outline and silhouette we see on our roads. They deeply affect our feelings and our emotions, our happiness and sadness, our essential state of being.
"Before any car appears on our roads, they are simply an idea, a drawing, a blueprint – crafted by geniuses with unbelievable foresight and vision regarding what people want to own and drive.
"However, while the car designs endure, the people behind these designs are often left forgotten. Far from household names, the designers are simply victims of the success of the cars, with overall credit of their spectacular designs mostly going to the make behind the car in question."
Who is your favourite car designer of all time? What's your favourite car design? Email us
From Pininfarina to the new Jaguar I-Pace, below we pay homage to nine incredible humans who have been at the forefront of car design over the past 50+ years:
‘From Long Bonnet to Short Bonnet’: Ian Callum
'The Godfather of Modern Car Design’: Battista Farina
Image: Select Car Leasing‘Back to the Future of Design’: Giorgetto Giugiaro
Image: Select Car Leasing
‘The Master of Italian Wedge’: Marcello Gandini
Image: Select Car Leasing
‘A Style For All Occasions’: Walter De Silva
Image: Select Car Leasing
‘The Polariser’: Chris Bangle
‘Karma Chameleon’: Henrik Fisker
Image: Select Car Leasing
‘Inspiration is Everywhere’: Frank Stephenson
'The Revival of Nissan’: Shiro ‘Fingers’ Nakamura
Image: Select Car Leasing