A British design and engineering consultancy is making headlines with its novel multi-terrain EV
A British design and engineering consultancy is making headlines with its novel multi-terrain EV. One of the firm’s key creatives tells Louise Davis how a collaborative approach is paying design dividends.
Named after its design director, Ian Callum, CBE, Callum is a UK-headquartered consultancy whose scope of work is far broader than many companies with expertise in automotive design. Callum is a design and engineering business that creates its own bespoke and limited-edition products as well as providing consultancy and services to partners and third parties. “What makes us unique is our collaborative spirit. Our team of more than 30 talented experts spans fields from art and audio to motorsport and fashion, creating an environment where ideas collide and innovation thrives. Our approach goes beyond design and engineering; it’s about building stories that ignite curiosity and inspire,” explains Aleck Jones, head of design.
Detailing the type of work the firm is involved with, Jones says that Callum collaborates on both joint and white label projects across automotive, travel, lifestyle and beyond, “always seeking projects that are not only challenging but also fun and meaningful”. On specific examples, Jones notes: “Recent standout projects include a groundbreaking concept car with Nyobolt, featuring pioneering battery technology, and Callum’s own meticulously crafted whisky and lounge chair, each embodying our ethos of design with a story.”
IN-HOUSE INNOVATORS
The consultancy has a wealth of automotive expertise among its team, with staff joining from Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin as well as niche automotive specialists and professional motorsport organisations. It’s therefore unsurprising that automotive design is where the firm is finding most work. When asked what the key trends here are, Jones says that, “Naturally, there is a lot of interest in EV design at present and customers are keen to understand the boundaries of what is possible and how creative you can get. We are excited by the opportunities that new technologies offer. For example, in our project with Nyobolt, the company asked us to create a vehicle using its innovative battery technology. This technology paves the way for smaller and lighter batteries, enabling the vehicle to be a desirable drivers’ car.”
Another area of interest for all automotive designers, today more than ever, is materials. On this, Jones observes: “Many customers are starting to think more deeply about sustainable solutions. For others, we might nudge them down that path, highlighting the business and wider societal benefits. We’ve been looking at everything from recycled denim, coffee, rice and plant fibre plastics.” He adds: “Additive manufacturing is also a fascinating and growing trend. We have a partnership with Stratasys and had 57 3D printed parts on the Jaguar C-X75 bespoke commission.”
What’s striking about Callum – and also perhaps reflective of the fact the team are independent designers rather than working in-house for automakers – is that when asked about trends, as well as the abovementioned technical notes, Jones firmly emphasises how the company considers the bigger conceptual picture. “We see the impact of wider culture in automotive design,” he states. “Fashion, for example, certainly has an influence – as does music, art, architecture and today’s culture in general. We take our inspiration from many sources but ‘form follows function’ is a consistent mantra across all projects. We focus on design that is simple but not simplistic; clean and pure but not reductive. Beauty prevails and we must remember that long after the fad has passed, people must live with these designs.”
BLUE-SKYE THINKING
The biggest illustration of the company’s design ethos can be found in the recently introduced Callum Skye, an eye-catching, multi-terrain EV that certainly looks like its makers had a lot of fun designing it. Indeed, Jones reports that the team had been itching to create such a vehicle for a long time before the Skye was brought to life: “We have always wanted to design, engineer and manufacture our own vehicle – this was a project that’s constantly been on the radar since we were founded in 2019. Given the backgrounds of the team here, people expected a sports car from us, but we wanted to do something unexpected.”
A beautiful yet practical multi-terrain EV certainly fits the brief for ‘unexpected’. How hard was it to create such a vehicle? “For both design and engineering, a key challenge we faced was balancing the multitude of different requirements,” Jones reveals. “We wanted to take a product design approach, but of course functional requirements – particularly given what we want it to do – had to be met.
“Our car design background is perceived as sleek, low-slung cars, but that obviously wouldn’t work for such a capable vehicle. So, it’s a balancing act – Skye is an authentic multi-terrain vehicle; it has to perform.”
Jones again flags up the merits of the firm’s collaborative approach in tackling those challenges. He says: “We are all based in the same office, so designers and engineers can work hand-in-hand to ensure all aspects focus on simplicity and integrity to meet the demanding functional targets of traversing various terrains, while still being a joy to drive around town or on the open road.”
And Jones is confident that the team has achieved its ambitious goals. “A key element for Skye is the concise yet dramatically proportioned exterior. It’s clearly designed to function off-road. Purposeful yet beautiful, it’s a sophisticated design that has a presence,” he asserts. “We have the striking accent loop around the car, intersected by a strong horizontal structure, flanked by organic forms both front and rear. Ultimately, we think it is paired down to a level of necessity and understatement: minimal mass, maximum capability.”
The Skye made its debut in May 2024 and Jones says the team has been delighted by the reception it’s received both from industry peers and potential buyers – “so much so, we’ve started accepting deposits.” The feedback so far has focused on the vehicle’s versatility: “It can seamlessly fit into the lives of a broad portfolio of customers. Some examples of how buyers say they intend to use the car include as a yacht tender at a port, on a ranch in California, and to buzz around Kensington!”
Aside from the Skye, the consultancy is busy on other automotive projects and recently revealed a new bespoke commission. “It’s the transformation of one of the Jaguar C-X75 stunt cars from a Bond movie into a luxury hyper car to enjoy on the road. It’s been a huge undertaking – over 1,000 hours in the bodywork alone! People love it and we hope it will lead to more bespoke commissions shortly,” explains a delighted Jones. He also hints of other ‘ambitious and unexpected’ projects in the pipeline, saying that, “We’re working with some great partners right now and obviously we are hugely ambitious with our own projects. It’s fair to say we’re only getting started.”
THE NEXT GENERATION
Part of the collaborative approach at Callum also extends to supporting the incoming generation of new designers and engineers. The firm is keen to provide new opportunities for young talent and makes a point of stating that the knowledge transfer goes both ways. Callum’s ‘Next Generation’ initiative involves supporting new talent through placements, paid internships and working with highly respected universities.
Co-founder of Callum, Ian Callum, ensures that everyone is given the opportunity to work on all design elements of major projects. “Young people are crucial to a business such as ours,” he says. “Younger members of the team bring energy, curiosity and ambition to our projects. There’s a brightness and a sense of novelty that forms ideas that we might not have thought of.”
And the support is ongoing, too: “We want a team of designers to reach this level of competency faster as our business grows and they can become active channels of the business. We see both our placements and full-time jobs for these young designers as the start of a longer-term partnership.”
