Reports suggest that the design chief of Jaguar Land Rover, who was instrumental in the recent overhaul of the brand, is no longer with the manufacturer.
Gerry McGovern, Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Creative Officer and member of the Board of Directors, is reportedly gone from the company.
Autocar claims that the Chief Creative Officer was “terminated with immediate effect” earlier this week.
Professor McGovern OBE is described by JLR as being responsible for the creative direction and curation of the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar.
Mr McGovern, who has been with Jaguar Land Rover since 2004, was behind the design of the Range Rover Evoque, the Range Rover Velar and the Land Rover Defender.
In his official biography on the JLR website, Mr McGovern was working on the “re-imagining of the Jaguar brand”, which it described as being “eagerly anticipated”.
A Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson declined to comment when requested by Autocar, while parent company Tata Motors had not responded.
GB News has reached out to Jaguar Land Rover and parent company Tata Motors for a comment.
Design boss Gerry McGovern is reportedly no longer with Jaguar Land Rover
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JAGUAR LAND ROVER
Mr McGovern was the leading voice behind the brand reinvention of Jaguar last year, which included the unveiling of the Type 00 electric concept.
The revolutionary rebrand of the British classic divided opinions and brought JLR to the forefront of the headlines for weeks.
At first, adverts were released which did not show any vehicles, only models with bright outfits, bold hairstyles and set in dystopian backdrops.
When the Type 00 concept was first unveiled at Miami Art Week, Professor McGovern praised it as “a pure expression of Jaguar’s new creative philosophy” and the embodiment of the new “copy nothing” slogan.
Gerry McGovern was instrumental in the development of the Jaguar Type 00 electric concept car
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He continued, saying: “This is the result of brave, unconstrained creative thinking, and unwavering determination.
“It is our first physical manifestation and the foundation stone for a new family of Jaguars that will look unlike anything you’ve ever seen. A vision which strives for the highest level of artistic endeavour.”
The unveiling was met with fury from many across the industry, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who joked that JLR didn’t sell cars anymore.
Similarly, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Jaguar Land Rover had “gone woke”, warning that the brand could “go broke” as a result.
The Jaguar Type 00 electric car is expected to be released in the next few years
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JAGUAR LAND ROVERThe Jaguar Type 00 will be built in the UK and have a targeted driving range of up to 478 miles, with rapid-charging capabilities adding an extra 200 miles in just 15 minutes.
Two models were shown during the launch, with stark paint combinations, including “Miami Pink”, to honour the city’s art deco heritage, and “London Blue”.
The electric four-door GT is expected to be displayed properly in late 2025, with hopes that it will be production-ready in the coming years.