Peter Horbury
Encyclopedia
Peter D. Horbury is a British car designer who is currently Vice President, Design of Volvo
. He is probably best known for his design work for Volvo, but has worked in a variety of roles in the automotive industry, including as Executive Design Director, Americas for Ford
between 2004 and 2009. He was named UK magazine Autocar’s Designer of the Year in 1998 and during his 30+year career has been actively involved in the design of more than 50 cars as well as trucks, buses and motorcycles.
, England, Horbury attended King Edward VII School
in Sheffield
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
. Horbury went on to study at the Newcastle upon Tyne
College of Art, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Industrial Design. Like Smith, he later attended the Royal College of Art
in London graduating with a Master's degree in automotive design in 1974.
, Escort
and Granada
.
brand during his eleven years from 1991 as Design Director. He arrived too late to influence the 1992 Volvo 850
but made an immediate impact with his 1992 Volvo ECC
Concept that would influence Volvo design for years to come. He was instrumental in ditching their traditional boxy look in favour of creating and implementing a new design language for the brand. 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
related 1995 S40 and V40
, the sporty 1997 Volvo C70
, 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
SUV, and the 2004 S40
and V50. He also oversaw the 1998 facelift of the Volvo 850
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
. Ex-Mercedes-Benz designer Steve Mattin assumed the responsibility of Design Director of Volvo in 2005.
design studios which included Jaguar, Land Rover
, Aston Martin
, and Volvo
. 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
. 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
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. This is especially the case with the forthright 'Hi I'm Dave' three bar chrome grilles as illustrated by the 2006 Ford Fusion)
, 2008 Ford Focus), 2008 Ford Taurus
, 2008 Ford Taurus X
, 2010 Ford Taurus
, and 2010 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
concept revealed at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, followed by the 2009 Lincoln MKS
, 2010 Lincoln MKT
, facelifted 2010 Lincoln MKZ
, and facelifted 2011 Lincoln MKX
. 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.
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
. He is probably best known for his design work for Volvo, but has worked in a variety of roles in the automotive industry, including as Executive Design Director, Americas for Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
between 2004 and 2009. He was named UK magazine Autocar’s Designer of the Year in 1998 and during his 30+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 in AlnwickAlnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
, England, Horbury attended King Edward VII School
King Edward VII School (Sheffield)
King Edward VII School is a secondary school and language college located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. KES, named after the reigning monarch, was formed in 1905 when Wesley College was merged with Sheffield Royal Grammar School on the site of the former on Glossop Road...
in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
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 (designer)
Martin Smith is an automobile designer, currently Executive Design Director for Ford of Europe.-Background:Born in 1949 in Broomhill, Sheffield, England, Smith attended King Edward VII School. A car fanatic since he was a boy, he wrote letters to Mini designer Alec Issigonis asking how to become a...
. Horbury went on to study at the Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
College of Art, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Industrial Design. Like Smith, he later attended 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...
in London graduating with a Master's degree in automotive design in 1974.
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' 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 SierraFord Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
, Escort
Ford Escort (European)
The Mark I Ford Escort was introduced in the United Kingdom at the end of 1967, making its show debut at Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. It replaced the successful long running Anglia. The car was presented in continental Europe as a product of Ford's European operation...
and Granada
Ford Granada (Europe)
The March 1972 released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul, but from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet and...
.
Volvo Cars
Horbury is best known for leading the revival of the VolvoVolvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
brand during his eleven years from 1991 as Design Director. He arrived too late to influence the 1992 Volvo 850
Volvo 850
The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car produced by Volvo Cars from 1992 to 1997 and designed by Jan Wilsgaard. Available in sedan/saloon and station wagon/estate body styles, the Volvo 850 was notable as the first front-wheel drive vehicle from this Swedish manufacturer to be exported to North...
but made an immediate impact with his 1992 Volvo ECC
Volvo ECC
The Volvo ECC was a concept car built by Volvo in 1992. It was a design exercise in using recycled material. It was powered by a hybrid electric and gas turbine engine. Much of the lines were reused in the Volvo S80.The Volvo ECC was built on the Volvo 850 platform...
Concept that would influence Volvo design for years to come. He was instrumental in ditching their traditional boxy look in favour of creating and implementing a new design language for the brand. 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
Mitsubishi Carisma
The Mitsubishi Carisma is a large family car produced for the European market by Mitsubishi Motors from 1995 to 2004. The model name was derived from a combination of the English car and the Greek kharisma, meaning "divine gift"...
related 1995 S40 and V40
Volvo S40
The Volvo S40 is a small family car produced by Volvo. It introduced the first generation S40 and V40 cars in 1995...
, the sporty 1997 Volvo C70
Volvo C70
The Volvo C70 is a luxury automobile manufactured by Volvo Cars in two generations: the first from model years 1997-2002 as coupé and from 1999 to 2006 as a softtop convertible...
, which was engineered in collaboration with TWR
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Tom Walkinshaw Racing , was an auto racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.-History:TWR started by modifying BMW 3.0 CSLs, but soon was contracted to head Mazda's works program in the British Touring Car Championship. The TWR developed RX-7, with Win...
, closely followed by the 1998 S80
Volvo S80
The Volvo S80 is a mid-size executive saloon/sedan from Swedish automaker Volvo Cars, and was introduced in 1998 to take the place of the rear-wheel drive Volvo 960/S90 saloons in the model range. The Volvo S80 was built at the Torslanda Plant in Gothenburg, Sweden. Unlike most Volvo models, it...
. He also contributed to the remaining line up with the 2000 V70
Volvo V70
The Volvo V70 is a mid-size five-door estate car / station wagon manufactured by Volvo Cars since 2000. It is closely related to the S70, S60 and S80 saloons, as well as the four-wheel drive Cross Country and XC70....
station wagon, the 2001 S60
Volvo S60
The Volvo S60 is a compact executive sedan produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo from 2000. Two generations of the sedan have been produced to date.-First generation :...
, the 2003 XC90
Volvo XC90
The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Volvo Cars since it was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show 2002. It is based on the P2 platform, shared with the first generation Volvo S80 and other large Volvo cars...
SUV, and the 2004 S40
Volvo S40
The Volvo S40 is a small family car produced by Volvo. It introduced the first generation S40 and V40 cars in 1995...
and V50. He also oversaw the 1998 facelift of the Volvo 850
Volvo 850
The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car produced by Volvo Cars from 1992 to 1997 and designed by Jan Wilsgaard. Available in sedan/saloon and station wagon/estate body styles, the Volvo 850 was notable as the first front-wheel drive vehicle from this Swedish manufacturer to be exported to North...
series which transformed them into the Volvo S70 and V70
Volvo S70
The Volvo S70 is a mid-size luxury car produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo Cars from 1998 to 2000. The S70 was the saloon/sedan, and the similar V70 the estate/station wagon; they both represented mainly new styling and revised suspensions from the 1993 through 1997 Volvo 850...
series. During this stint he also worked on the 2006 C70
Volvo C70
The Volvo C70 is a luxury automobile manufactured by Volvo Cars in two generations: the first from model years 1997-2002 as coupé and from 1999 to 2006 as a softtop convertible...
, 2006 V70
Volvo V70
The Volvo V70 is a mid-size five-door estate car / station wagon manufactured by Volvo Cars since 2000. It is closely related to the S70, S60 and S80 saloons, as well as the four-wheel drive Cross Country and XC70....
, 2006 S80
Volvo S80
The Volvo S80 is a mid-size executive saloon/sedan from Swedish automaker Volvo Cars, and was introduced in 1998 to take the place of the rear-wheel drive Volvo 960/S90 saloons in the model range. The Volvo S80 was built at the Torslanda Plant in Gothenburg, Sweden. Unlike most Volvo models, it...
, with the last Horbury Volvo of this era being the 2006 C30
Volvo C30
The Volvo C30 is a small family car produced by Volvo Cars. The C30 is a three-door, four-seat hatchback powered by straight-4 and straight-5 engines. The car is a hatchback version of the S40/V50/C70 range, and uses the same Ford C1 platform. It is being marketed as a premium hatchback or a...
. 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's Premier Automotive GroupPremier Automotive Group
The Premier Automotive Group , was a group within the Ford Motor Company which was formed in 1999 to oversee the business operations of Ford's high-end automotive marques....
design studios which included Jaguar, Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
, Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, and Volvo
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
. 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
J Mays, born in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, U.S., is Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company. His name is simply "J", named after his grandfather, S J Mays.-Background:...
. 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
Patrick Schiavone
Patrick Schiavone is currently Vice President, Design, North America Region for Whirlpool Corporation. Patrick was formerly an automobile designer, in charge of trucks for North America at Ford Motor Company...
and Moray Callum
Moray Callum
Moray Callum is an automobile designer from Dumfries in Scotland, currently design director for Ford's North American brands' passenger cars...
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. This is especially the case with the forthright 'Hi I'm Dave' three bar chrome grilles as illustrated by the 2006 Ford Fusion)
Ford Fusion (North America)
The Ford Fusion is a mid-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 2006 model year. The 2010 model was awarded the Motor Trend Car of the Year and its hybrid version won the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award...
, 2008 Ford Focus), 2008 Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 2008 until 2009. It is the fifth in six generations of the Ford Taurus...
, 2008 Ford Taurus X
Ford Taurus X
The Ford Taurus X was a 6- or 7-passenger full-size crossover SUV that was produced by Ford Motor Company in the United States. It was originally introduced in 2005 as the Ford Freestyle, before being renamed Taurus X for the 2008 model year. In Ford's lineup, it replaced the Ford Taurus station...
, 2010 Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation Ford Taurus is a full-size car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since June 2009. It is the sixth generation of the Ford Taurus, and also the largest Ford sedan available for sale.-Development and marketing:...
, and 2010 Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion (North America)
The Ford Fusion is a mid-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 2006 model year. The 2010 model was awarded the Motor Trend Car of the Year and its hybrid version won the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award...
– 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
Lincoln MKR
The Lincoln MKR concept car was a premium four-door coupe design, as introduced during the 2007 North American International Auto Show. It's chassis was based on the Ford D2C platform as used in the Ford Mustang. The MKR signaled the next-generation of premium Lincoln vehicles, introducing the...
concept revealed at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, followed by the 2009 Lincoln MKS
Lincoln MKS
The Lincoln MKS is a full-size luxury sedan from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. The MKS first appeared in concept form at the North American International Auto Show in January 2006 with the production version, a 2009 model, appearing later at the Los Angeles International Auto...
, 2010 Lincoln MKT
Lincoln MKT
The Lincoln MKT is a full-size luxury crossover utility vehicle, first unveiled as a concept vehicle at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. It entered production at the Oakville Assembly plant in July 2009 as a 2010 model. It shares the same crossover D4 platform as the Ford Flex and...
, facelifted 2010 Lincoln MKZ
Lincoln MKZ
The Lincoln MKZ, initially named the Lincoln Zephyr, is a mid-size, entry-level luxury car from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln revived the Zephyr name in the fall of 2005 as a platform-mate for the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan; the vehicles were based on the CD3 platform,...
, and facelifted 2011 Lincoln MKX
Lincoln MKX
The Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover from Ford's Lincoln division and a de facto successor to the Lincoln Aviator luxury SUV. It debuted as a 2007 model in December 2006 as a production version of the Lincoln Aviator Concept shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show...
. 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.