THE COLLECTOR

Ian Callum

FAMED DESIGNER MAY HAVE WORKED FOR FORD, TWR, ASTON MARTIN AND JAGUAR LAND ROVER, BUT HIS PERSONAL TASTE IN CARS IS ALL-ENCOMPASSING

The focus of The Collector at this year’s London Concours is none other than famed automotive designer Ian Callum CBE. Having presided over the design of modern-day icons such as the Aston Martin Vanquish, here he presents his personal collection of fascinating cars.

Boasting his very own personal touch, Ian’s machines aren’t as they were when they rolled o the factory oor. Nearly all have been subtly modi ed by the man himself to re ect the beauty of their individual designs.

“For me, a car’s history isn’t the most important thing when I add one to my collection,” says Ian. “I’ve bought these because they all hold an emotional value for me. While I appreciate originality, being in original condition doesn’t much interest me as I’ve no desire to maintain that. I make alterations to get the car looking just right, as I see it. As long as there is documentation and photographs to prove that good restoration work has been undertaken, then that’s what I look for.”

Proudly on display at the HAC will be his 1976 Jaguar XJC, 1995 Porsche 911, 1932 Ford Model B, 1974 Triumph TR6, 1973 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTV, 2004 Aston Martin Vanquish and 1995 Mini Cooper. Other cars include a Chevrolet C10 pick-up, Porsche 914 and a Beetle – some currently in a state of rebuild.

1976 JAGUAR XJC

With the Mk2, this is my favourite Jaguar. Any pillarless car gains an extra element of beauty. It was one of Sir William Lyons’ favourites, too; it was the last Jag he designed. I’ve modifi ed it to maximise the beauty of its form, with larger wheels and lower suspension.

I bought it unseen from SaintTropez. It was originally registered in Paris, and I thought it would be a good buy as, despite being by the sea, it had been in a ‘dry’ climate all its life. UK-based cars were prone to rust. When it arrived in the UK, I was pleased to see it was a solid car. It didn’t have quite the aesthetic I wanted on top or underneath, so it went to Miles Classic in Huddersfi eld where it was stripped back to bare metal, lowered, fi tted with 18in rims and new coilovers, and retrimmed. It’s now set up perfectly.

1932 FORD MODEL B

I have always been a hot rod fan. Their simplicity combined with a sense of rebelliousness is wonderful. Less is more. I think the proportions of a chopped ’32 are perfect. This 1970s period look is my preferred of the many hot rod trends.

I believe this car’s chassis originated in Ireland, although I’m unsure whether it was built in Cork or imported. It was originally black, and I’ve opted for left-hand drive as I feel that is more appropriate. It’s been through three phases of modification; firstly it was fenderless, with open wheels, then I added fenders. Finally, I chopped the roof, and changed the colour and trim.

1995 MINI COOPER

The Mini is a brilliant design. The shape derived out of efficiency is perfect. Wearing the right wheels, it has one of the best stances of any car; wheel at each corner. It’s one of the most fun to drive as well.

I’ve had a number in my time. This one was 18 months old and had 18,000 miles on the clock when I bought it from an Oxfordshire petrol station, becoming the second owner. My children adored it when I brought it home. It’s in absolutely immaculate condition and now has just 25,000 miles after I’ve owned it for 23 years. It’s had new wheels and sports seats, and is a ‘lifer’ of a car. I’ll pass it onto one of my boys… I just don’t know which one yet!

1995 PORSCHE 911 (993)

The 993 is my all-time favourite Porsche. Designed by friend and fellow Brit Tony Hatter, it has some amazing forms and the stance is simply excellent. This one has been ‘tricked up’ a little, which emphasises its road-hugging stance.

I bought this car after 18 months of searching for the right model. For me, this one had all the perfect modifications I could ask for. It has had work by Roock Motorsport, with the engine completely rebuilt at 30,000 miles to blueprint specification. It’s got split-rim Cup wheels and has been lowered, and its track set-up gives it just the right handling.

2004 ASTON VANQUISH S

I’m very fond of the Vanquish. It was the last of the Aston Martin models to be produced at Newport Pagnell; I’m proud its lines have become iconic for the brand. I’d never actually owned one of my own designs until I bought this Vanquish. I fell in love with it again, but with two decades more design experience, along with all the industry’s technical and materials developments, there were things about it that I wanted to update to meet today’s standards.

Having started as an idea for a personal project to undertake on this car, we’ve now developed the Aston Martin CALLUM Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged.

1974 TRIUMPH TR6

One of the best-looking traditional British sports cars, the TR6 has an inherent visual strength that passes through to reality. It’s great fun to drive – and never have standard steel wheels looked so good.

I’d always wanted one, and I bought it seven years ago. It had been well looked after, having undergone an extensive rebuild. Racetorations has since done a lot of track-orientated work, making it fantastic to drive. Of all my cars, I use this the most. It’s perfect for a sunny Sunday. I’ve only ever driven it once with the roof up, when I got caught out in the rain. It’s definitely a fair-weather car.

LIBRARY PIC: MAGIC CAR PICS

1973 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA GTV

The Giulia GTV is one of the most beautiful little sports cars to come out of Italy. It was designed by my hero Giugiaro, and I just had to have one. So much fun to drive, and great visibility from the slim-pillared cabin.

This was a fairly standard 2-litre model, but it was just beautiful. I bought it as a restored car, but I don’t know too much about the history. I’ve had it lowered to give it a more purposeful stance on the road. It’s currently undergoing work with Alfa Romeo specialist Ian Ellis in Brighton. He’s modifying it to have bigger wheels and brakes, and he is de-chroming the bumpers, too – which I think always makes it look better.