Jaguar XJ220 designer Keith Helfet at UHS2021

By event manager, Anton Schulz

Keith HelfetKeith Helfett is one of the most brilliant and capable vehicle designers Jaguar Cars have had. Keith Helfet was the visionairy in Geoff Lawson’s Jaguar Design Studio who created the XJ220, XJR15, 1995 XJ.

Without Keith’s stunning designs Jaguar would not exist as a brand today. In addition, Keith Helfet has a wonderful understanding and appreciation for the market and had the insight to incorporate designs for superior product reliability, function and assembly.

Keith Helfet right next to his masterpiece the XJ220 at the XK70 Festival, Shelsley Walsh 2018Helfet became the Chief Stylist at Jaguar cars, where his work was admired by Sir William Lyons who had shaped the character of design at the brand for decades. Helfet designed the Jaguar XJ-220, XK-180 and the first concepts for an F-type revealed in 2000.

Keith Helfet and Jaguar XJ220 at Shelsley Walsh 2018After he left Jaguar Cars, Helfet ran his own design company, Helfet Design, for a number of years, but now he on his way into art - sculpturing. Considering Keith Helfets approach to car design, it seems like a circle has been closed with this movement towards the art of sculpturing.

Keith Helfet always claims, that he never was a very talented in the disciplin of drawing. His preferred form of expression is sculpturing.

As I had the pleasure to meet Keith Helfet at an event i Shelsley Walsh back in 2018, I also had the priviledge to see his first officially work of art - a cnc fabricated relief influenced by the shapes of the XJ220 - a true peice of art.