Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has parted ways with its design chief, Gerry McGovern, reportedly over his controversial new styling direction.
JLR had yet to make an official announcement, but McGovern was escorted out of the British carmaker’s office, Autocar India reported, citing sources with knowledge of the situation inside JLR’s Indian parent company, Tata Motors.
The exit follows the recent appointment of former Tata Motor finance chief PB Balaji as JLR’s new CEO, replacing Adrian Mardell.
McGovern joined Land Rover in 2004 and was promoted to chief creative officer in 2020. He designed iconic models like the Range Rover Evoque, Velar and the new-generation Defender, and was hailed for attracting wealthier customers to the Land Rover brand.
He was also responsible for the controversial new Jaguar Type 00 concept car, representing a dramatic change of direction for Jaguar, which is repositioning itself as a luxury electric brand. The production version of the luxury grand tourer is expected to be launched in 2026, with the final design and technical details still to be revealed.
McGovern was a driving force behind Jaguar’s controversial rebrand in 2024, which was criticised by some for the redesign of the brand’s iconic logo and for being too “woke” due to featuring androgynous models.
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