The Jaguar F-Type has been declared the 2013 World Car Design of the Year.
Jaguar’s Director of Design, Ian Callum, expressed his satisfaction at having worked on the F-Type project, and felt that the car rang true to Jaguar’s design values of beauty of line and purity of form. He expressed his honor at his team’s work being recognised by the World Car of the Year jury.
A total of 43 cars were considered for the award, which were then shortlisted by an advisory panel of design experts before going through the final judging process by the 66 World Car of the Year jury members. For the F-Type, the jury panel was of the opinion that the car had a good stance with its long wheelbase, short overhangs and flared fenders, and that the contour in plan view tapered toward the door emphasised the muscular rear fender housing the driven wheels. They believed that the F-Type’s exterior maintained a mix of elegance and dynamism with its horizontal proportion and rounded surfaces. They also felt that the driver-oriented interior design was even more attractive, with well-designed seats and a passenger grip bar integrated into the centre console.
Jaguar’s Global Brand Director Adrian Hallmark collected the award at the New York International Auto Show. Speaking at the venue, he said that the F-Type was the first true Jaguar sportscar for over 50 years. He felt that the evocative and progressive design – referred to in-house as ‘Callum unfiltered’ – encased world-class technology and architecture characteristic of a Jaguar. He believed that the car offered a unique performance and price perspective and maintained Jaguar attributes of dynamism with refinement, and that it was this combination that inspired the jurors who honored Jaguar with the award.