IRVINE, CA - (May 28, 2002) Peter Horbury will leave his assignment as Chief Designer for Volvo Cars for a new position as Executive Director of Design at the Premiere Automotive Group, PAG. A successor at Volvo has not yet been appointed.
"It is a privilege and an honour to have been asked," says Peter Horbury about his new role, which he believes signals how important design is to Ford and PAG. PAG now involves the four European brands - Land Rover, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.
In his new job he will help develop synergies among the different brands, e.g. in terms of commonizing platforms. This will not lead to a dilution of the actual design of each brand, but will instead enhance it and give design a higher profile.
"It simply means bringing the brands together to keep them apart. In my role I can act as the catalyst in bringing the design teams together and making sure we are aware of the different identities," says Peter Horbury.
After eleven years at Volvo Cars in Sweden, Peter Horbury will move back to his home country England, where he will be based at PAG's head office in London. However, he points out that he will not depart altogether. He will spend as much time as possible in Göteborg until a successor has been appointed. He would also like to take an active part in the recruitment process, as design is a very important part of Volvo.
Peter Horbury is proud to have been part of Volvo's development over the years. He thinks the world in fact is becoming more in tune with Swedish values and characteristics and that the admiration for Swedish design is high. "Volvo has gone from being a car you needed sometimes in your life to a car you want all the time."
A car that combines beauty with intelligence in terms of smart safety systems and environmental care is unbeatable. That, together with the ambition of keeping Volvo's design Swedish, has driven Peter Horbury during his years at Volvo. It is also a combination he believes will vouch for Volvo's future success.
Peter Horbury's new appointment at PAG is effective immediately. He will report to Richard Parry-Jones, Ford Motor Company's group vice president of Global Product Development and chief technical officer, as well as J Mays, FMC's vice president of Design.
