Geoff Lawson (designer)
Encyclopedia
Geoff Lawson was a British
car designer who is best known for serving as Design Director for Jaguar between 1989 until his death. He died in June 1999 and is survived by a wife and two children. He was succeeded at Jaguar by Ian Callum
.
, England
in 1944. He studied Design at the Leicester College of Art before completing a masters’ degree in furniture design at the Royal College of Art
, London
. A man of diverse hobbies and interests, he was interested in American cars, guns and shooting, model making, guitar playing and guitar design, mountain biking, abstract art and sculpture.
, Vauxhall
, as a designer where he worked on various passenger cars and commercial vehicles. His work included many European and American projects, and he progressed to Chief Designer level.
supercar
, the 1995 XJ
luxury saloon, the 1996 XK
grand tourer
, and the 1998 S-Type
mid-size saloon. Before his death, he also supervised the styling of the 2001 X-Type
compact saloon, and the completely new aluminium-bodied 2004 XJ
. Lawson played a significant role in the commercial revival of the company, which in the last decade went from basket case to record sales and a new found reputation for good quality. This turnaround led to parent-company Ford, and Jaguar's then chairman Wolfgang Reitzle
, to set ambitious sales targets in the belief that Jaguar could become a major luxury car manufacturer in the mould of Audi
, BMW
, and Mercedes-Benz
.
, which is responsible for producing future Jaguar concept cars. In addition, Jaguar endowed a scholarship at the RCA, ‘The Geoff Lawson Jaguar Scholarship’ in his honour to celebrate his achievements at Jaguar.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
car designer who is best known for serving as Design Director for Jaguar between 1989 until his death. He died in June 1999 and is survived by a wife and two children. He was succeeded at Jaguar by Ian Callum
Ian Callum
Ian Callum is a British car designer who currently serves as Design Director for Jaguar and is older brother to fellow car designer Moray Callum. He is married, has two sons and currently resides in Oxfordshire, England.-Early years:...
.
Background
Lawson was born in LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1944. He studied Design at the Leicester College of Art before completing a masters’ degree in furniture design at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A man of diverse hobbies and interests, he was interested in American cars, guns and shooting, model making, guitar playing and guitar design, mountain biking, abstract art and sculpture.
General Motors
After graduating from the RCA, he joined the British subsidiary of General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
, as a designer where he worked on various passenger cars and commercial vehicles. His work included many European and American projects, and he progressed to Chief Designer level.
Jaguar
In 1984, he joined Jaguar as Director of Styling, where he arguably produced his best known and most influential work. He joined at a time when Jaguar was haemorrhaging money and its reputation of design and manufacturing excellence was seriously fading after decades of neglect, forcing a subsequent takeover by Ford in 1989. During his 15 years at Jaguar he was responsible for shaping the entire Jaguar line up, including the 1992 XJ220Jaguar XJ220
The Jaguar XJ220 is a mid-engined supercar produced by Jaguar in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing as Jaguar Sport between 1992 and 1994. It held the record for the highest top speed of a production car , until the arrival of the McLaren F1 in 1994...
supercar
Supercar
Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...
, the 1995 XJ
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
luxury saloon, the 1996 XK
Jaguar XK
The Jaguar XK series is a series of grand tourer cars produced by British car maker Jaguar since 1996. The series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 1996. The first generation of the series, the XK8, replaced the XJS, and was available as a coupé and convertible...
grand tourer
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
, and the 1998 S-Type
Jaguar S-Type
The Jaguar S-Type was a mid-size luxury/executive car that debuted at the 1998 Birmingham Motor Show and went on sale in spring 1999. The name is a revival of a previous Jaguar model, the S-Type introduced in 1963.-Overview:...
mid-size saloon. Before his death, he also supervised the styling of the 2001 X-Type
Jaguar X-Type
The X-Type is a compact executive car manufactured and marketed for model years 2001-2009 by Jaguar Cars. The smallest of the Jaguar model range, the X-type was marketed in saloon and wagon variants and was the only estate ever manufactured in series production by the company...
compact saloon, and the completely new aluminium-bodied 2004 XJ
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
. Lawson played a significant role in the commercial revival of the company, which in the last decade went from basket case to record sales and a new found reputation for good quality. This turnaround led to parent-company Ford, and Jaguar's then chairman Wolfgang Reitzle
Wolfgang Reitzle
Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle is a German businessman.After leaving his school in Ulm, Reitzle continued his education at the Technical University of Munich where he studied mechanical engineering and economics. In 1971, aged just 22, he became Munich's youngest ever "Diplom-Ingenieur" graduate.In 1976,...
, to set ambitious sales targets in the belief that Jaguar could become a major luxury car manufacturer in the mould of Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
.
Legacy
He won numerous awards for his designs at Jaguar and also led a major expansion of the company’s styling resources and facilities at their Whitley Engineering Centre. In June 2000, Jaguar opened the Geoff Lawson Studio in his memory in Whitley, CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, which is responsible for producing future Jaguar concept cars. In addition, Jaguar endowed a scholarship at the RCA, ‘The Geoff Lawson Jaguar Scholarship’ in his honour to celebrate his achievements at Jaguar.