Wayne Burgess: Shaping modern British automotive design across global brands

We are delighted to welcome Wayne Burgess as a speaker at this year’s Wilton House Wilton Legends (June 19-21, 2026). Best known for his senior design roles across global manufacturers including Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin, Burgess occupies a distinctive place in contemporary automotive design, having played a central role in shaping modern British vehicle design language and brand identity.

He trained in automotive design at Coventry University and began his career with the Rover Group, later continuing at MG Rover. He went on to join Aston Martin and then Jaguar Land Rover, where he contributed to the development of Jaguar’s modern design direction during the brand’s revival in the 2000s. His work focused on exterior design and brand identity.

Burgess subsequently held senior design positions at Geely, where he was involved in advancing design strategy for the company’s international growth. His career spans the UK, Europe and Asia, with a focus on production-vehicle design and brand-led design direction.

Burgess is currently design director at DRVN Automotive Group, where he leads the in-house design studio, overseeing both concept development and production design across the group’s projects. A central focus of his current work is the company’s ‘Continuation’ and ‘Continumod’ programmes, vehicles that recreate or reinterpret historic models using modern engineering while preserving original design intent. The flagship example is the Boreham Motorworks Ford Escort Mk1 RS, a licenced Continuation car limited to 150 units.

Burgess’s role extends beyond styling into process definition. At DRVN, he has emphasised a highly digital workflow, using tools such as VR modelling and real-time visualisation to accelerate development cycles and reduce reliance on traditional clay modelling.

His experience provides a compelling perspective on the relationship between design, engineering and brand identity at the highest level. We look forward to an insightful discussion in the setting of Wilton House.