Jaguar boss leaves his wife and now dates new model from Ford

Apr 20 2008 By Raymond Hainey

Exclusive Car Guru's Racy Romance

THE genius design boss of car giants Jaguar has split from his wife - and is dating a younger model from Ford.

Ian Callum is seeing Fiona Pargeter, Ford's 38-year-old head of PR, after the collapse of his 30-year marriage to childhood sweetheart Lesley.

Last night Lesley would only say:

"Some people get a big job and feel they have to move on."

But a pal said: "Lesley is devastated as one would expect after such a long and happy marriage.

"Ian split up with Lesley before he got together with Fiona and they're very good for each other.

"Ian and Fiona are a lovely couple and clearly devoted to each other - it's not a secret and everybody at both Ford and Jaguar know they're seeing each other."

Glasgow-born Fiona yesterday refused to comment on the affair.

Dumfries-born Callum - who sculpted the James Bond-style Aston Martin DB7 and the sporty Jaguar XK - is one of the world's top car designers.

He married former teacher Lesley in their home town in 1977 and the couple have two teenage sons.

Lesley is still at the former family home in Witney, Oxfordshire, while Callum lives more than 50 miles away in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

But he regularly commutes from Fiona's home in Ingatestone, Essex, in his top-of-the-range Jag XKR. Last week divorcee Fiona left home for work minutes before Callum jumped into his car and headed north to his firm's design HQ in Gaydon, Warwickshire.

A neighbour of Fiona said: "I knew she worked at Ford but didn't know what he did, although he's got at least two very smart Jaguar sports cars.

"I certainly didn't know he was responsible for designing them.

"He is a regular visitor. They seem very fond of each other, like a typical happy couple."

Callum graduated from Glasgow School of Art with a degree in industrial design and married Lesley while a postgraduate student at the Royal College of Art in London.

He later took a job as a designer with Ford, where he helped design the iconic Ford Escort RS Cosworth. His brother Moray, 50, is head of design at Ford in the US.

Callum was yesterday in China on business and unavailable for comment.

'Some people get a big job and feel they have to move on' WIFE LESLEY

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