Jaguar design director Ian Callum has added to his trophy cabinet by winning the inaugural Person of the Year category at this year’s Auto Express Awards.
And one of his most successful designs so far – the Jaguar XF – was named Best Executive Car for the second year running.
Auto Express editor-in-chief David Johns said: “You only have to look at the new XJ to understand why Ian Callum is the winner of our ‘Person of the Year’ award.
“For overseeing the reinvention of a much loved British brand and making Jaguars incredibly desirable and stylish once more, Ian Callum thoroughly deserves this award.”
Mr Callum said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive this accolade. To be recognised for my work through the past few years at Jaguar is extremely satisfying.
“I set out ten years ago on a mission and it is wonderful to see that plan come together and deliver.
“Part of that mission was to surround myself with what I consider to be the best design team in the industry, so they should be equally proud of this recognition.”
The XF proved popular among Auto Express readers earlier this year when it was voted winner of the Driver Power 2009 Reliability and Satisfaction Survey.
“With a pair of new diesel engine options and a scorching high-performance flagship, the Jaguar XF has gone from strength to strength in the past 12 months,” Mr Johns said.
“So it should come as no surprise to find the car towering above its rivals at the top of the executive class for a second year running.
“What will raise some eyebrows is that Mercedes’ latest E-Class has done little to unsettle the British-built Jag.
“The XF’s closest competitor is the BMW 5-Series, but when it comes to pure owner satisfaction, the Jaguar is simply unbeatable.”
The new XF line-up now includes a new 3.0-litre diesel engine with a choice of power outputs, a new 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol and the new 5.0-litre supercharged XFR.
Jaguar recently unveiled the all-new Jaguar XJ, which is available to order now with first customer deliveries in early 2010.
Land Rover also did well in this year’s Auto Express Awards. The Lode Lane manufacturer saw its Freelander 2 (which is built at Halewood on Merseyside alongside the outgoing Jaguar X-Type) win the Best Compact SUV category, while the Discovery 3 took the Best Large SUV award
“When it comes to off-road credentials, few firms can match the history and experience of one of Britain’s best loved motoring brands,” said motoring and digital editor Daniel Strong. “Land Rover celebrated its 60th anniversary last year but it shows no signs of slowing down.”
Meanwhile, luxury car manufacturers have signalled an expected boost in sales by supporting the world’s only chauffeur-drive event.
Even though the recession has put paid to a number of UK shows, Drive ’09 will play host to a number of new luxury models, including the new Jaguar XJ.
Other vehicles which are debuting to the industry at the event are the all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class and facelifted S-Class, while BMW will be showing off its 530 Gran Turismo and new 7-Series models.
The event, which is aimed at professional drivers from the taxi, private hire and chauffeur sectors, will take place at the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham, Berkshire, on September 26 and 27.
