The designer responsible for the legendary BMW Z8, Ian Cameron, passes away tragically after a burglary gone wrong.
Around this time last year, we mourned the passing of former Volvo Car designer and then head of Geely Group design, Peter Horbury. Now, another legendary automotive designer has passed away, but the circumstances are a lot more tragic in this case. The man the automotive world mourns today is Ian Cameron, the former Rolls-Royce design chief.
Ian Cameron started off at Pininfarina but a bulk of his work was at BMW Group where he remained from 1992 until his retirement 2013. He was put in charge of design at Rolls-Royce when BMW Group took over the marque and helped smooth over its transition into the 21st century. The BMW-era Rolls-Royce Phantom from the early 2000s was his work and he oversaw it as well as the creation of the 7 Series-based Rolls-Royce Ghost. Few can deny his work was exemplary and still stands the test of time. Even the latest Ghost and Phantom models draw from the same lines and proportions of the models he personally supervised.
Prior to Rolls-Royce, Ian Cameron is also credited with designing part of the BMW Z8 alongside other design legends Henrik Fisker and Chris Bangle. Part of the BMW E46 3 Series’ exterior is also attributed to him.
Death
According to Autoblog, Ian Cameron was in his home in Bavaria when an assailant rang his doorbell and attacked him with a knife immediately. Ian Cameron’s wife managed to escape to a neighbour’s house by scaling a wall. The suspect was dressed in distinct, bright coloured clothing. There’s evidence that the crime was premeditated as the home security system’s wiring had been cut ahead of time. That being said, the suspect did not steal anything, and instead ran off and changed into different clothing while leaving his old clothes and bag behind. What’s more, he left behind items he had purchased from a nearby store just before he committed the crime. Bizarre and tragic indeed. We hope the killer, who is still at large, is brought to justice soon.
