Jag designer Ian Callum on the XF

CAR: Tell us how important the XF is for Jaguar

IAN CALLUM: ‘At the risk of sounding immodest, it’s the most important new car for us since the 1968 XJ6. That car for me was a real benchmark. It set the Jaguar identity arguably until the present day. But the ’68 XJ was not immediately accepted by the purists. There was a little scepticism at first. ‘I want a reaction to the XF. I want people to like it – that’s the aim of any product – like it enough to buy it. But if I get a lot of hate mail saying this is not a proper Jaguar, I am happy with that.’
CAR: How much risk were you prepared to take with the XF? You must have been worried about it alienating buyers?

IAN CALLUM: ‘Any change is risky but this is a calculated risk. Some people will take it as being too bold. But I remember a leading captain of industry walking past the concept car at Detroit, saying “that’s much too modern”. I thought that was great! ‘People are more open to change and understand design nowadays. They have a much more astute understanding of design than they did 10 or 20 years ago. ‘There was an understanding when I arrived at Jaguar seven years ago that change had to happen. I was pushing an open door. I get a little bit miffed when people suggest that the powers that be were holding us back. They were not.’