JLR has axed design boss Gerry McGovern, sources inside the firm have told Autocar and Autocar India.
It is understood that the brand’s chief creative officer was asked to leave the firm on Monday and his position was terminated with immediate effect.
Autocar India's source suggested McGovern was "escorted out of the office", although the exact details as to why are not yet known.
When approached, a spokesperson for JLR replied: "No comment." Parent company Tata Motors has not yet responded.
Further circumstances around the decision are light on detail, but it comes just a week after new CEO PB Balaji – formerly finance boss of Tata Motors – took over from the retiring Adrian Mardell, potentially signalling that JLR's India-based parent could be angling for an even tighter grip on the British car maker.
READ MORE: Who will replace McGovern at JLR? Your guess is as good as mine
McGovern was considered a hugely influential figure on JLR’s board and was a favourite of the late Ratan Tata, former chairman of the wider Tata Group.
It brings to an end a 21-year career at JLR for McGovern that has been filled with highlights.
The Coventry-born designer is responsible for the modern-day reinvention of the Defender, helping to keep the four-car Range Rover line-up ever popular and reinventing Jaguar for its transition into an electric-only car maker, which includes creating the highly controversial Type 00 Concept (below). He was also key in JLR's 2021 Reimagine strategy.
Before JLR, McGovern worked on the MG EXE concept car, the MGF roadster and the first Land Rover Freelander while at British Leyland. He then moved to Ford in 1999 to head up the Lincoln‑Mercury brands, setting up studios in California. He returned to the UK to run a design consultancy in London before rejoining Land Rover in 2004.
McGovern’s design work led him to be named Autocar’s Sturmey Award winner in 2020, an award presented for innovation and achievement.
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Gerry has a long history with Rover and been involved with many projects, possibly not as fully as some may have been led to believe. However, in recent years maybe he has rather lost the plot with some of the rather abstract and impenetrable management speak he has been quoted with - in Rover lower management there used to be the concept "what's that got to do with the price of fish?". Be interesting to see why he has gone and where he ends up.
When you read this Nortons article of the
Chief Creative Advisor for the motorcycle design
https://www.business-standard.com/amp/companies/news/tvs-norton-superbike-design-reveal-gerry-mcgovern-collaboration-125102300739_1.html
is it a conflict of interest? Or paid unpaid?
A nod to the late Ratan Tata
He added, “Norton’s rich British heritage, something I’m deeply familiar with in the brands I creatively oversee, made the opportunity even more compelling. What I admire about TVS Chairman Sudarshan Venu is his visionary mindset. He reminds me of a young Ratan Tata and working with him was part of the appeal.”
Perhaps the Indian incoming JLR Ceo (PB Balaji) didnt like this comparison?!
....all the similar buzz words from JLR
reductionism, modernity , luxury, pillars, elite etc
But used on the Nortons site philosophy etc
https://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/en-gb/about-us
or just an opportunity to head up the Chief Creative Operations Executive Design Management role of the Motorcyle brand?
The timing seems off , as a dinner event in London with the devisive Concept Car painted red.. the next day after ring supposedly escorted off the premises
https://www.carwow.co.uk/jaguar/news/9982/jaguar-type-00-london-red#gref
Or is the upcoming Freelander, project sharing with Chery, Jaecoo, Omada Roo much pressure and a fight to the bottom of the top? Eg who can underprice who based on the same car platforms tech etc ...
globalchinaev
https://globalchinaev.com/post/jaguar-land-rover-to-unveil-1st-all-electric-freelander-suv-in-january-2026