How did you come to be a car designer?
I knew I wanted to be a car designer since I was 13. I liked any kind of design - if not cars I would be a designer of trainers. I knew what I loved doing but I didn’t know this could be a job until I saw that you could make a career out of this on a TV programme. So I did my BA in vehicle design in Coventry and then came to the RCA and graduated in 1998.
Did your perception change of what car design is?
It probably enhanced my attitude to car design. I always had an off-the-wall approach to it and they encouraged this kind of post modernist approach and thought process more.
What journey did you take after leaving the RCA?
Land Rover sponsored me and I joined them afterwards. The highlight of my career was the design of the interior and exterior of the Freelander 2. There is such a long lead time in car making. So that was the last car I worked on which is on the road.
What is your advice for young designers?
This is a great year at the RCA and there is a lot of creativity and innovation. Studios around the world are pushing design and seeing how far they can move it forward. In this sense these guys are coming in at the right level and are thought provokers. A few years from now they would need to tone it down a bit and make it less wacky but the pitch is right for now. I want a designer who brings something new, not something we’re already doing in the studio.
-
Glenn Martens is headed to Maison Margiela as the house’s new creative directorThe former Y/Project designer and current Diesel creative director will replace John Galliano, who exited the Maison Margiela in late 2024
-
Glamping on the Greek riviera: an alternative resort rooted in luxuryWe check in at the 91 Athens Riviera; an alternative seaside glamping resort in the Greek capital that is all about relaxed luxury
-
Inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe, Saint Laurent’s surprise menswear show captured ‘a menacing, seductive elegance’Staged at Paris’ Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, Anthony Vaccarello mashed up Rive Gauche elegance with Robert Mapplethorpe-inspired kink for his A/W 2025 Saint Laurent menswear collection
-
Are these the most luxurious Land Rovers ever? Welcome to the refined world of HelderburgEast Coast Land Rover specialists Helderburg are committed to the very best, transforming the classic British utility vehicle into bespoke individual creations
-
The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed hosted a wealth of auto innovation, from hypercars to hot hatchesThe best new SUVs, EVs, hatchbacks and supercars to emerge from the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed
-
British sports car builder Caterham teams up with the RAF to create this bespoke machineHelicopter parts are repurposed for the bodywork of this Caterham Seven 360R, built in collaboration with RAF Benson
-
Land Rover’s robust and enduring Defender is still a platform for automotive creativityThe iconic Land Rover Defender will never die out; here’s our guide to the world’s best specialists providing restorations and restomods of this British design classic
-
David Brown Automotive transforms original Mini into a high-end, high-spec EVThe DBA Mini eMastered: luxury motoring is rarely so altruistic and joyful
-
Inverted transforms Range Rover Classic into an eccentric and luxurious EVThe electric restomod portfolio expands with a high-performance take on an old Range Rover, courtesy of Inverted’s Tesla transplant and bespoke interior
-
Everrati announces a transformed, all-electric Range Rover Classic and Land Rover DefenderBritish company Everrati now transforms the iconic Range Rover Classic and Land Rover Defender into high-end, go-anywhere electric vehicles
-
Peugeot’s sparky 308 gets hybrid power and handsome linesThe Peugeot 308 proves that mass-market design needn’t be dull, blending hybrid power with sharp lines and excellent detailing
