COMMENT
THE SHAKE-UP AT JLR HAS STARTED WITH A BANG
The sudden departure of JLR design bigwig Gerry McGovern this month has sent shock waves through the car industry. Whether or not it should have come as a surprise is another matter.
Having worked at the firm since 2004 and as chief creative officer since 2020, McGovern has shaped huge commercial successes, most notably the Evoque, Defender and Range Rover. He is also the man behind the most talked-about car in years: the Jaguar Type 00, which has yet to come to fruition. But he was also considered by many to have got too big for his boots, exerting control well beyond the scope of most people in such a position – and with the tide dramatically turning at JLR in recent times, it seemed inevitable the love affair would end one way or another.