Design has always played a massive role in the automotive industry, as is made evident by names like Bertone, Gandini, Giugiaro, Sayer, Earl, and Farina. While the shapes that we see on the road today aren’t as evocative as they were half a century ago, that doesn’t mean modern automotive designers are any less talented. In fact, some of the folks working today are among the most influential designers of all time. Moray Callum is a member of this exclusive club, with 38 years of experience under his belt. According to a new statement from the Ford Motor Company, it appears that Callum’s career is coming to an end however. The automaker has confirmed that the Scottish industry veteran is slated to retire on May 1.
Moray Callum currently serves as the Vice President of Global Design for the Ford and Lincoln brands, a position he has held since 2014. That said, Callum’s relationship with the Ford Motor Company extends back much farther than that. He started with the Ford Motor Company back in 1995, and remained with the automaker until transitioning to Mazda in 2001. He would return to Dearborn automaker five years later, and has remained with the company ever since. Some of his career highlights include the: 1999 Ford Super Duty, 2011 Ford Explorer, 2005 Mazda MX-5, 2015 Ford Mustang, as well as the all-mighty 2016 Ford GT. More recently, Callum’s hand played a role in the development of the 2021 F-150, the Mustang Mach-E, as well as the Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport models.

Moray Callum is slated to be replaced by Anthony Lo, who most recently served as the Vice President of Exterior Design at Renault. Lo will begin his time at Ford on April 1, allowing for one month of overlap before Callum’s May 1 departure. From then on, Lo will continue to report to Ford’s Chief Product Platform and Operations Officer Hau Thai-Tang. Lo isn’t a shabby designer himself, having sketched the cult-classic Lotus Carlton. Not everyone can say they’ve drawn one of the fastest four-doors in history.
Moray Callum has had quite the career in automotive design, both inside and out of the Ford Motor Company. His departure from the industry on May 1 will certainly be felt by the Dearborn automaker, and by his fans alike. That said, Anthony Lo appears more than qualified to take a crack at helming Ford’s design team. If you happen to own a Callum designed product, take a few moments to appreciate the work of this industry titan next time you are in the driveway.
