Was at the drawing table of iconic models
Peter Horbury passed away. A name that will probably not appeal to everyone, but Volvo fans from the very beginning will. After all, Horbury was at the cradle of some very well-known models, although Volvo was not the only brand where he has left his mark.
Sad news from China; Peter Horbury died there at the age of 73. Horbury was still active as Senior Vice President of Design at Lotus and, according to Lotus, died unexpectedly during a visit to colleagues from parent company Geely. Horbury’s latest achievement as a designer was the preparation of Lotus’ new electric model range.
Horbury had an extensive career, which began in the 1970s at Chrysler, where he helped design the Simca (later Talbot) Horizon. He then ended up at Ford and, together with others, was at the cradle of the Sierra. A Dutch outing followed when Horbury started working at Volvo and collaborated on the Volvo 480. He was ultimately responsible for the interior design, and he fulfilled the same role for the interiors of the 440 and 460 (related to the 480). In 1990, Horbury took the helm of Volvo’s design department and ushered in a new rounder phase for the brand with the ECC concept car. The first S40, V40, C70, S80, S60 and V70 followed. The second generation S60/V70 and S40/V50, the first XC90 and the C30 also emerged with Horbury at the helm.
After several years of break and a brief stay at the American branch of Ford, he returned to Volvo in 2009 and in 2011, with the Volvo Concept Universe, he ushered in a new period for the Swedes under Chinese rule. In the same year he moved up the tree at Geely and became responsible for several new brands of the mega concern. For example, Horbury was responsible for the models that Lynk & Co and Zeekr released. In 2021, the Briton made his last switch and ended up at Lotus. The Lotus Eletre is the last car Horbury worked on and the unveiling of which he lived to see.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl