Without any warning, Jaguar design boss Gerry McGovern has reportedly been abruptly fired in a shakeup said to have been instigated by the new CEO of parent company Tata Motors, PB Balaji. According to Autocar sources, McGovern was “escorted out of the office.” McGovern was with JLR for 21 years, with his most recent work being overseeing the design of the polarizing and controversial Type 00 concept. As we’ve discussed before, this completely new approach to Jaguar styling (and marketing) has its pros and cons, and with no information about McGovern’s apparent departure yet being available – “No comment” was the response given to Autocar when JLR was approached for more insight – it’s unclear whether he was let go because of the controversy surrounding that concept, because Balaji wanted fresh blood, or because of some other reason. However, McGovern is said to have been a highly influential member of the JLR board, and it’s plausible that the new CEO wants more control.
UPDATE – Hagerty received the following response from Jaguar after new queries about his employment status: “It is untrue that we have terminated Gerry McGovern’s employment, and we do not intend to further comment on speculative stories.” Furthermore, The Autopian emailed McGovern himself and received an automated out-of-office reply. Thus, it’s unclear if McGovern was fired, whether he quit, or whether one of those things was intended but could not be realized due to contractual disagreements or other legal disputes.
What Happens To Jaguar’s Six-Figure EV Now?
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Whether McGovern was unceremoniously discharged because of the reactions to the Type 00 concept or not, it seems unlikely that anything will change. We’ve seen prototypes in an advanced stage of development on the road already, and to discard the car (or redesign it) would likely be too expensive to even consider. Then again, Jag’s EV has reportedly been delayed, and that delay may allow JLR enough time to change tack. As a reminder, Jaguar’s thus confirmed plans involve charging no less than six figures for its new cars and selling nothing but all-electric vehicles as it aims to become a rival to the likes of Bentley while getting ahead of future legislative measures, particularly in Europe, where combustion engines are expected to be outlawed a decade from now. With those bans still under much debate and derision, it’s unclear whether an EV-only lineup is even feasible.
McGovern Was Responsible For Several Smash-Hit Designs
Gerard Gabriel McGovern OBE was the lead designer of the remarkable MG F sports car and the vehicle that was Europe’s best-selling compact crossover for seven years, the Land Rover Freelander, a car which has since become a Heritage vehicle for the brand. He was also in charge of the team behind the third-gen Range Rover, and after a spell at Ford, his first design was the LRX concept, which made production as the chic Land Rover Evoque. Other highlights include the 2010 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, and the Discovery 4, as well as the successors to the aforementioned Range Rovers. He oversaw the redesign of the Land Rover Freelander as it became the Discovery Sport and, perhaps most importantly to Range Rover’s success, the New Defender in 2020. The latest Range Rover and its Sport sibling were also his work. It will be interesting to see how Land Rover and Range Rover designs evolve without his guidance, and there’s no doubt that his designs have been a big part of why JLR is still popular. Hopefully, his design expertise won’t be unseen for too long.
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Sebastian Cenizo
Senior Editor, Autoblog