Fellow Motorist: Carl Gotham, director of advanced design, SAIC Design Advanced Studio in London

Mr Gotham, 48, is the British gentleman who designed the futuristic MG Cyberster, but he still loves the classic MG Midget.

When and where did you get your driving licence?

Thirty years ago in 1995, in the UK. I grew up in the countryside in the east of England, so driving a car was such an important thing. Driving was a very important part of my early years, because it gave me independence and freedom, such as being able to visit my college friends.

What was the very first car you bought for yourself?

A Vauxhall Nova! It was a second-hand car, 1-litre on paper, unusual green colour with brown interior. It was quite ugly, but with a lot of personality! I found out it was a 1.2 when I had to get the engine fixed.

What were the most memorable past cars you used to own?

The ones that stood out for me were all VTEC Hondas. Two Civic hatchbacks, which were great to drive because they were quite light, with lots of glass. Very nice cars. When I started working, I bought a S2000 - black exterior with black interior.  I loved the Honda engines, the experience of driving those engines was special. 

I also really liked the NSX, but I couldn’t afford it, the S2000 was what I could get. I had it for about two years before I had to sell it when my daughter arrived. We needed more seats! 

Now I have a classic at home - a 1967 Porsche 912. I’ve had it for 17 years. I only drive it during summer, of course. I like driving a classic car because it’s very engaging.  

What do you like and dislike about motoring in the UK? 

I work in London, which is very busy and not particularly friendly for driving, traffic’s too heavy. Outside of London, we’ve got interesting roads everywhere, so driving anywhere can be a good experience - different routes to get to different places, curving roads around the country, not many big highways. 

Compared to America and China where the roads are straight, and a little bit of Singapore as well, driving in the UK is always something to be enjoyed. I like driving in Shanghai where I’m familiar with the roads, but it’s complicated. I’ve also driven in many parts of Europe and Australia.  

What is your all-time favourite MG?

It’s really difficult for me to name one, because there’s a lot of history in the brand. Probably the MG that I appreciate the most and would like to own is the Midget, which in the 1960s represented the most simple sports-car experience you can possibly achieve. 

You have similar things happening in Japan, where there are very small and simple sports cars. MG has always offered that achievable, accessible sports-car experience. 

If you could do an electric restomod of a classic MG, what would it be?

Something like a MGB 2+2. There are lots of restomods already of MGBs and you can still buy a lot of the original parts easily. It’s a car format which is still very relevant today. 

The Midget from the 1960s is Carl Gotham's favourite MG of all time.

In your professional opinion, what has been the biggest upgrade in automotive design tools since 2000?

I graduated in 1999. At that time, the transition from hand techniques to digital drawing was happening. I’ve been through all the 3D imaging tools and software, which have sped up the process in terms of allowing more experimentation and iteration in the car design process. 

It’s not just about speed, though. It’s the chance to test whether the idea is good. It also allowed the overall quality of cars and vehicular surfaces to increase by a huge amount. 

We used to do 1:1 scale tape drawings, which was a really amazing process, but we tend not to do that anymore, but it’ll be good to see this again when the time is right. 

I was very privileged to have an internship with Lotus Cars when I was 15 years old. Nobody was really working with computers then, so my internship was all manual - marker pens, cutting things out, spray mats, very tactile. Currently, everything is very digital. 

Did any design tool remain largely unchanged in the last 25 years?

Sketching is still a core skill, whether you draw on paper or directly on computer. But drawing on paper with a pencil or a pen is still a natural go-to that all designers will do. Just to constantly test some ideas, and then if there’s something there, you could take it further. 

When SAIC is recruiting designers, we’re still looking for this sensitivity, this ability to capture an idea with a sketch. The digital process is great, but it also can make things a little sterile sometimes. We want to see the character in the thinking, what’s the essence of the idea.

What are your hobbies?

Cycling and tennis. I used to play a lot of tennis when I was younger. Everyone in my China studio is fanatical about football and basketball. 

What is your favourite food and drink?

I’m very open-minded. Understanding what the local people are eating also affects how we design for different parts of the world. 

If I could only have one food, I’d probably be Mediterranean - small dishes, simple ingredients, very nice quality. Italian or Spanish would be my preference. I drink water exclusively and black coffee occasionally. I like Japanese whiskey, but not too much!

What do you like about Chinese culture?

I have worked for SAIC for 15 years. I see a lot of positivity in China. You see it in the young Chinese people, who have a lot of can-do attitude, which is very refreshing. 

What do you love about Great Britain?

I’ve lived there all my life, so I don’t feel like I want to escape Britain. It’s a bit challenging at times, but overall it offers everything that you need in the modern world. Yet, it still has traditions. It also has a lot of culture, heritage, creativity and diversity. 

It’s a balance of a lot of different things - like Singapore, where there’s protection of culture and heritage, yet it’s clearly modern and forward-thinking.

Carl Gotham has a soft spot for the Honda S2000 roadster.

Read More: Fellow Motorist: Dan Balmer, regional director, Lotus Asia Pacific & Middle East

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