Report: Jaguar fires design boss
The man responsible for the wild Jaguar Type 00 concept has reportedly been sacked amid controversial rebrandThe News
Gerry McGovern, the chief creative officer at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and the man responsible for the polarising Type 00 concept designed to relaunch the British marque into a new electric future, has allegedly been fired, amid new leadership, and swirling controversy.
The Key Details
- Jaguar Land Rover design boss Gerry McGovern has been fired, according to reports
- Sources say McGovern was ‘escorted out of the office’
- The move comes amid several changes at JLR, including arrival of new CEO
- McGovern designed the Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar, and the latest Defender
The Finer Details
The shocking development – first reported by Autocar India – comes amid a host of changes at JLR, including the exit of former CEO Adrian Mardell in August.
Mardell was succeeded by P.B. Balaji, former Tata Motors chief financial officer, part of the Indian conglomerate that owns JLR and is believed to be behind McGovern’s sacking.
McGovern’s exit comes almost 12 months after the Type 00’s global debut, which resulted in widespread criticism from both industry commentators and the public as it marked a complete departure from the brand’s heritage.
According to Autocar, McGovern was instrumental in the rebranding, advocating for an all-electric ultra-luxury direction aimed at rivaling Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
The Road Ahead
A spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover Australia declined to comment on McGovern’s exit. We also reached out to the global team at JLR, who also declined to comment on the matter.
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