Ford design lead Moray Callum to retire, with a legacy from Mustang to Miata

Moray Callum, global vice president for Ford and Lincoln brand design, is retiring this year, the company announced Monday. Callum spent 38 years with the company, during which he led design on several noteworthy projects, including just about everything in Ford's "icons" suite (Bronco, Bronco Sport) and the new Mustang Mach-E.

He was also responsible for the 2005 Mazda MX-5, 2015 Ford Mustang and 2016 Ford GT. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. Those who are new to the hobby may not remember the years Mazda spent under Ford's corporate umbrella, and Callum joined the Japanese subsidiary in 2001 to assist in its turnaround. In addition to the MX-5, Callum also led design on the 2007 CX-7, which eventually gave way to the current CX-5. He oversaw a handful of other important Ford designs, including the 2011 Explorer and 2015 F-150, which may not be the first vehicles to spring to mind when it comes to standout exterior design, but given their ubiquity, it's hard to overstate their significance to the marketplace. 

Moray Callum and his successor, Anthony Lo.

"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's personal 2017 Ford GT was listed for sale at a California-based dealer back in November. It was finished in Liquid Red (he notably did not order racing stripes) with a Re-Entry interior, which adds white leather accents to an otherwise black interior. It was built in February 2017, and a plaque on the dashboard identifies it as the sixth car made that year, so it's an early model.

His work was also seen at Ghia, Aston Martin, Chrysler (in the UK) and PSA Peugeot Citroën, which is the former home of his soon-to-be successor, Anthony Lo, who will take the reins upon Callum's departure.

Moray is the younger brother of fellow automotive designer Ian Callum, who retired from Jaguar not too long ago. 

Related video: