VOLVO DESIGNER QUITS, JOINS GEELY

Peter Horbury, the British vice president of design of Volvo Cars, is to take up the role of senior vice president of design at Geely, Volvo’s corporate owner under the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.

Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holding and Volvo Cars, said that Horbury’s “vast experience in the industry” was a factor in offering him the job.

Horbury is best known for steering Volvo away from the boxy, utilitarian shapes that came to signify the brand during the ’70s and ’80s. His ECC sedan concept of 1992 presaged the S60 and S80 sedans, which reintroduced sloping, sensuous forms to the company’s design approach. In 2002 he joined Ford, Volvo Car’s owner at the time, where he worked primarily on Lincoln models.

He returned to Volvo in 2009 and was in the process of adding even more curvature to the company’s models — as seen on the Concept Universe unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in April and Concept You at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

In his new role, Horbury will be responsible for the aesthetics of Geely’s Gleagle, Emgrand and Shanghai Emglon brands. Geely as a standalone brand is expected to be dissolved in 2012.

Geely Holding bought Volvo from Ford in 2010 and notably has not interfered with the Swedish company’s affairs, preferring instead to assume the role of a quiet benefactor. Hiring Horbury to lead design at Geely is one of the most public indications by the corporate parent of Volvo’s Chinese ownership.

STORY BY GEELY