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Peter D. Horbury (born 27 January 1950)Uzel, Susan, ''
accessed 1 May 2020 is a British car designer who is Executive Vice President, Design of Geely, Geely Auto. He is widely known for his design work for Volvo and has worked in a variety of roles in the automotive industry, including as Executive Design Director, Americas for
Horbury started his career at Chrysler UK and then spent some time at Volvo in the Netherlands, working on the 480ES coupe. He has remarked in the past that the Volvo grill under the bumper of the 480ES was a last minute addition prior to release, when senior Volvo management realised that the car would not have the classic Volvo grille and slanting highlight. Immediately prior to his longer second 'remarkable'Vasilash, Gary S ''Autofieldguide'', "Peter Horbury - Changing the Face of Ford", 2004
accessed 1 May 2020 stint at Volvo, Horbury had worked in the United Kingdom for MGA Developments Ltd. In addition he worked on some key Ford product programs in Europe, such as the Ford Sierra, Sierra, Escort and
Horbury is widely known for leading the revival of the
accessed 1 May 2020Ford Press Release, "Ford Names Peter Horbury to Oversee North American Brands", 10 Dec 2003
accessed 1 May 2020 This new look was characterised by distinctive shoulder lines that ran the length of the car, more curved surfaces, rounded noses, and softer, less utilitarian interiors. He contributed to many designs including the
The Yorkshire Post
''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds in Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by ...
'', "Profile - Peter Horbury: Vice president’s lifelong hobby of making cars better by design", 29 Nov 2011accessed 1 May 2020 is a British car designer who is Executive Vice President, Design of Geely, Geely Auto. He is widely known for his design work for Volvo and has worked in a variety of roles in the automotive industry, including as Executive Design Director, Americas for
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
between 2004 and 2009. He was named UK magazine ''Autocar'''s Designer of the Year in 1998 and during his 40+ year career has been actively involved in the design of more than 50 cars as well as trucks, buses, and motorcycles.
Background
Born in 1950 inAlnwick
Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116.
The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bor ...
, England, Horbury attended King Edward VII School in Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
and was coincidentally in the same school year as another prominent British car designer, Ford of Europe's current Executive Director of Design Martin Smith Martin Smith may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Martin Seymour-Smith (1928–1998), British poet, literary critic, biographer and astrologer
*Martin Cruz Smith (born 1942), American writer
* Martin Smith (drummer) (1946–1997), British drummer ...
. Horbury went on to study at the Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
College of Art, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Industrial Design. Like Smith, he later attended the Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...
in London graduating with a master's degree in automotive design in 1974.
Career
Early career
Horbury started his career at Chrysler UK and then spent some time at Volvo in the Netherlands, working on the 480ES coupe. He has remarked in the past that the Volvo grill under the bumper of the 480ES was a last minute addition prior to release, when senior Volvo management realised that the car would not have the classic Volvo grille and slanting highlight. Immediately prior to his longer second 'remarkable'Vasilash, Gary S ''Autofieldguide'', "Peter Horbury - Changing the Face of Ford", 2004accessed 1 May 2020 stint at Volvo, Horbury had worked in the United Kingdom for MGA Developments Ltd. In addition he worked on some key Ford product programs in Europe, such as the Ford Sierra, Sierra, Escort and
Granada
Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
.
Volvo Cars
Horbury is widely known for leading the revival of the Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
brand during his eleven years from 1991 as Design Director. Arriving after the 1992 Volvo 850
The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car that was produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1991 until 1996. Designed by Jan Wilsgaard, the car was introduced in a saloon body style; an estate style was introduced in 1993.
The Volv ...
had been styled, Horbury made an impact with the 1992 Volvo ECC
The Volvo ECC (Environmental Concept Car) was an executive luxury concept car built by Volvo in 1992. It was a design exercise in using recycled material and hybrid technology. It was powered by a hybrid electric and gas turbine engine. Many of i ...
Concept that would influence Volvo design for years to come. He was instrumental in moving the company beyond their traditional boxy look with a new design language for the brand.''Motor Trend
''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...
'', "People: Peter Horbury – Ford Design Director", 3 May 2005accessed 1 May 2020Ford Press Release, "Ford Names Peter Horbury to Oversee North American Brands", 10 Dec 2003
accessed 1 May 2020 This new look was characterised by distinctive shoulder lines that ran the length of the car, more curved surfaces, rounded noses, and softer, less utilitarian interiors. He contributed to many designs including the
Mitsubishi Carisma
The Mitsubishi Carisma was a large family car produced for the European market by Mitsubishi Motors from 1995 to 2004.S40 and V40, the sporty 1997
accessed 1 May 2020 Ex-Mercedes-Benz designer Steve Mattin assumed the responsibility of Design Director of Volvo in 2005.
:"We tapped Peter to lead our North American design team for two key reasons: First, he brings to this team nearly three decades of experience as a strong designer and an even better leader. Second, North America remains our most profitable market, and that’s where we need to invest our top design talent. We are more heavily investing in refining the design DNA for this market’s products. So, naturally, I want this team to have even more power to get the job done."
Horbury ran a staff of 800 including Patrick Schiavone and
accessed 1 May 2020 This is especially the case with the forthright 'Hi I'm Dave' three bar chrome grilles as illustrated by the 2006 Ford Fusion (North America), Ford Fusion, 2008
accessed 1 May 2020 replacing Steve Mattin who left the company at the end of March 2009.Paukert, Chris, ''Autoblog.com'', "Volvo design chief Steve Mattin leaves company", 27 Mar 2009,
accessed 1 May 2020 The first public sight of his work from his third stint at Volvo, and the first for Volvo's new owners Geely was the Volvo Concept Universe shown at the 2011
In late 2011, Horbury was appointed Senior Vice President of Design for Geely with the responsibility of overseeing the design of all Geely brands and establishing a network of Geely design studios around the world.Volvo Cars, "Peter Horbury, Vice President Design, Volvo Car Corporation appointed to new position within Geely Group", 28 Oct 2011
accessed 1 May 2020Geely, "Peter Horbury, Executive Vice President of Design"
accessed 1 May 2020 In this role he supervises the design work of Geely's brands, including Geely,
Volvo C70
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
, which was engineered in collaboration with TWR, closely followed by the 1998 S80. He also contributed to the remaining line up with the 2000 V70 station wagon, the 2001 S60, the 2003 XC90
The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars since 2002 and now in its second generation.
The first generation was introduced at the 2002 North American International Auto Show and used the Volvo P2 platfor ...
SUV, and the 2004 S40 and V50. He also oversaw the 1998 facelift of the Volvo 850
The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car that was produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1991 until 1996. Designed by Jan Wilsgaard, the car was introduced in a saloon body style; an estate style was introduced in 1993.
The Volv ...
series which transformed them into the Volvo S70 and V70 series. During this stint he also worked on the 2006 C70, 2006 V70, 2006 S80, with the last Horbury Volvo of this era being the 2006 C30.Weaver, Alistair, ''Edmunds.com
Edmunds.com Inc. (stylized as edmunds) is an American online resource for automotive inventory and information, including expert car reviews based on testing at the company's private facility. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Califor ...
'', "First Drive: Volvo C30", 12 Dec 2006accessed 1 May 2020 Ex-Mercedes-Benz designer Steve Mattin assumed the responsibility of Design Director of Volvo in 2005.
Ford
In 2002, Horbury was made head of all of Ford'sPremier Automotive Group
The Premier Automotive Group (PAG) was an organizational division within the Ford Motor Company formed in 1999 to oversee the business operations of Ford's high-end automotive marques. The PAG was gradually dismantled from 2006 to 2011 with the ...
design studios which included Jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
, Land Rover
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
, Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with ...
, and Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
. With talented designers in charge of each of those brands' design, Horbury had little to do and in January 2004 was promoted to Ford of America as Executive Design Director of all Ford's American brands, reporting to Ford's group vice president of Design, J Mays
J Mays is an American industrial designer who served as Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company, and is now Chief Design Officer at Whirlpool. His name is simply "J", named after his grandfather, S ...
. Mays explained the decision:
:"We tapped Peter to lead our North American design team for two key reasons: First, he brings to this team nearly three decades of experience as a strong designer and an even better leader. Second, North America remains our most profitable market, and that’s where we need to invest our top design talent. We are more heavily investing in refining the design DNA for this market’s products. So, naturally, I want this team to have even more power to get the job done."
Horbury ran a staff of 800 including Patrick Schiavone and Moray Callum
Moray S. Callum (born 19 November 1958) is a Scottish automobile designer who was Vice President, Design for Ford Motor Company, having retired on 1 May 2021. His elder brother Ian Callum was the Design Director of Jaguar from 1999 to 2019.
Ea ...
and was given the task of renewing the design language of all of Ford America's brands in the wake of sliding sales. He was responsible for the implementation of Ford's 'Red, White and Bold' design strategy that aimed to make American Fords more distinctively American in their aesthetic.Ravenscroft, Tom, ''Dezeen
''Dezeen'' is an online architecture, interiors and design magazine based in London, with offices in Hoxton and also previously in New York City.
History
''Dezeen'' was launched in London by Marcus Fairs at the end of November 2006. Its New Yo ...
'', "There is "no stopping" China's car design industry says Peter Horbury", 9 May 2019accessed 1 May 2020 This is especially the case with the forthright 'Hi I'm Dave' three bar chrome grilles as illustrated by the 2006 Ford Fusion (North America), Ford Fusion, 2008
Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1998. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. The ...
, 2008 Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...
, 2008 Ford Taurus X
The Ford Freestyle is a crossover utility vehicle that was sold by Ford from 2005 to 2009. Largely marketed as the successor to the Ford Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle was the CUV counterpart of the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego fou ...
, 2010 Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...
, and 2010 Ford Fusion (North America), Ford Fusion – all vehicles designed/facelifted under his supervision. He also oversaw the introduction of a similarly bold frontal treatment to Lincoln as previewed by the 2007 Lincoln MKR
The Lincoln MKR concept car was a premium 4-door fastback sedan design, as introduced during the 2007 North American International Auto Show by Lincoln. Its chassis was based on the Ford D2C platform as used in the Ford Mustang. The MKR sig ...
concept revealed at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, followed by the 2009 Lincoln MKS
The Lincoln MKS is a full-sized luxury sedan that was manufactured and marketed by the Lincoln subdivision of Ford from 2008 to 2016. First shown at the LA Auto Show in November 2007, the MKS began production for the 2009 model year at Ford's Chi ...
, 2010 Lincoln MKT
The Lincoln MKT is a full-size 3-row luxury crossover SUV that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company; a single generation was produced from the 2010 to the 2019 model years. Slotted between the Lincoln MKX (renamed the Linc ...
, facelifted 2010 Lincoln MKZ
The Lincoln MKZ, is a four-door, five-passenger mid-size luxury sedan manufactured by Ford and marketed as the Zephyr ( MY 2006) and as the MKZ (MY 2007–2020) by Ford's Lincoln brand across two generations in both gasoline and hybrid gas/electri ...
, and facelifted 2011 Lincoln MKX
The Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV marketed and sold by the Lincoln brand of Ford Motor Company. As Lincoln is phasing out its use of "MK" model names, the MKX adopted the Lincoln Nautilus nameplate as part of a mid-cycle update ...
. The thinking was to infuse Ford's American brands with a distinctive style in an attempt to make them more appealing to American buyers who are demanding riskier designs that are recognisable from distance.
Return to Volvo Cars
In May 2009, Horbury returned to Volvo as vice president, DesignPaukert, Chris, ''Autoblog.com'', "Peter Horbury returns to head Volvo design; Moray Callum in as Ford's design chief", 1 Apr 2009accessed 1 May 2020 replacing Steve Mattin who left the company at the end of March 2009.Paukert, Chris, ''Autoblog.com'', "Volvo design chief Steve Mattin leaves company", 27 Mar 2009,
accessed 1 May 2020 The first public sight of his work from his third stint at Volvo, and the first for Volvo's new owners Geely was the Volvo Concept Universe shown at the 2011
Shanghai Motor Show
Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a biennial international automobile show that alternates with the Beijing Auto Show (Auto China) as China's yearly international automotive ...
.
Geely Auto
In late 2011, Horbury was appointed Senior Vice President of Design for Geely with the responsibility of overseeing the design of all Geely brands and establishing a network of Geely design studios around the world.Volvo Cars, "Peter Horbury, Vice President Design, Volvo Car Corporation appointed to new position within Geely Group", 28 Oct 2011accessed 1 May 2020Geely, "Peter Horbury, Executive Vice President of Design"
accessed 1 May 2020 In this role he supervises the design work of Geely's brands, including Geely,
Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co () is a Chinese-Swedish automobile brand owned by Geely Automobile Holdings. Founded in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2016, the focus of the brand is on internet connectivity and innovative purchasing models, and targets a young professional dem ...
, Proton
A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' elementary charge. Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an electron (the proton–electron mass ...
, and Lotus.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horbury, Peter People from Alnwick Ford designers People educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield British automobile designers Living people Alumni of the Royal College of Art 1950 births Volvo Cars Geely people Volvo people