Renowned Rolls-Royce And BMW Designer Murdered In Apparent Car Theft

Image: Rolls-Royce

Ian Cameron, the man essentially single-handedly responsible for the renaissance of Rolls-Royce design following its purchase by BMW in 2003, was stabbed to death at his Lake Ammer home in Bavaria on July 12. Authorities suspect the unknown assailant, who fled the scene, was attempting to steal a valuable car from Cameron’s extensive collection, and seem to indicate that the home had been cased for some time leading up to the altercation. Cameron’s wife, fellow artist and designer Verena Kloos, managed to escape the attacker by climbing over a wall to a neighbor’s house and alerting emergency services.

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Cameron retired from Rolls-Royce in 2012 after overseeing the ultralux brand’s reinvention for the previous decade. His work included the Phantom and Ghost models. By the time he was promoted to run design at Rolls, he’d already been with the BMW group for 11 years, and is credited with the design of the gorgeous Z8 grand tourer and the immensely popular third-generation Range Rover when Land Rover was a BMW property.

Prior to his run at BMW, Cameron had been at Pininfarina early in his design career before working on large trucks at Iveco.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news about our former Rolls-Royce designer. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during these difficult hours,” BMW said in statement emailed to Automotive News Europe.“Ian played a significant role in shaping Rolls-Royce from when it was first acquired by BMW Group and moved to its Home at Goodwood, West Sussex,” Rolls-Royce also offered in a separate statement. “During Ian’s tenure, he led the design team for all Phantom family and Ghost models, creating thoroughly contemporary motor cars that remained sympathetic to the marque’s design lineage.”

German newspaper Bild revealed that the video surveillance system at Cameron’s home had been severed. A nationwide manhunt is underway in Germany for the suspect, who is described as between 180 and 190 cm in height, wearing a dark hoodie and light-colored trousers. He carried a red backpack, which may have been recovered on the promenade beside Lake Ammer. He was also wearing yellow-green gloves. The surrounding area was searched with dogs, divers, and drones, though the killer seems to have evaded capture thus far.