Mazda's Callum cool on single face
BY BRUCE NEWTON | 8th Dec 2004
Mr Callum, who began at Mazda in September 2001, has been in charge of design at the Hiroshima-based manufacturer as it has launched a series of linked, yet obviously divergent, cars.
The rollout started with the Mazda6 and now includes the 2, 3, RX-8, 2-based Verisa (Japan only), the Mazda5 (Premacy compact people-mover replacement) and the first of the high- performance MPS models based on the 6.
In total, Mr Callum, who is the younger brother of Jaguar design boss Ian Callum, will oversee the launch of 16 important new Mazda models over the next 28 months, including the third generation MX-5 roadster and the company’s first venture into the booming cross-over market.
"We are not going to change direction at Mazda," he told the media during the recent ‘2005 and beyond’ press event in Japan. "What we are going to do is expand the direction a little bit.
"We have a very good formula now. People have been complimentary in terms of the recognition of the brand and the consolidation of the brand visually, but as we go into bigger markets and our numbers of vehicles expand, we need a slightly wider design language and that’s where we are going to go.
"What we expect to do is continue this evolution of Mazda, but what the expectation needs to be is there is an element of boldness and element of emotional values in the cars which gets stronger. The boldness I would say is partly to do with the initial reaction to the cars.
"When you take off the covers you go ‘wow, there is something new here’, and I think that is very important for a Mazda. We need to extend that to a greater extent than we have to date. It’s to do with proportion, it’s to do with stance and it’s to do with bold graphics."In particular, he pointed to the importance of the five-point grille as being "three-dimensional", meaning it actually takes its form in the A-pillar and the bonnet before arriving at the front of the car.
Another key factor is balancing the weight of the car between the wheels so it doesn’t look too heavy. In Mazda language that’s "athleticism".
While the likes of Audi, BMW, Benz and others in Europe unify the looks of their entire range with distinctive faces, Mr Callum said Mazda’s key aim was to imbue a sense of athleticism and dynamism outside and inside that could spread throughout the entire range without the cars becoming identical.
"There needs to be, first of all, a Mazda character to the car but then the car has to have an individual character as well," he said. "We are not doing cookie cut-out products.
"We want the public to recognise the vehicle as an overall Mazda vehicle but we also want to give the car enough character in itself so it can attract a wider audience than just a person who wants the one design."