Designed by Ian Callum, the five-door hatchback features rear-hinged doors based on technology from the Mazda RX-7, which was part of the Ford group at the time.
Ian Fleming | Ian McKellen | Ian Smith | Ian Rankin | Ian Brown | Ian Botham | Ian Thorpe | Ian McEwan | Ian Paisley | Ian Kershaw | Ian Bremmer | Ian Roberts | Ian Ogilvy | Ian McShane | Ian MacKaye | Ian Holm | Ian Carmichael | Ian Richardson | Ian La Frenais | Ian Gillan | Ian Dury | Ian Bannen | Janis Ian | Ian Roberts (actor) | Ian McNeice | Ian Edginton | Ian Anderson | Ian Pooley | Ian Page | Ian O'Brien |
The prototype was complete by November 1992, and debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 1993, the car was styled by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet.
In 2008, Jaguar director of design Ian Callum said that, despite management denials at the time, the slow-selling X-Type “was essentially designed in Detroit and presented as close to a fait accompli to reluctant designers and engineers at Jaguar's Whitley design centre.
Jaguar's chief designer Ian Callum (whom was also responsible for working on the Aston Martin DB7 and Vanquish coupés) claimed that the inspiration for the shape of the new XK came from his admiration for British actress Kate Winslet's curves.