[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/land-rovers-gerry-mcgovern\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/land-rovers-gerry-mcgovern\/","headline":"Why JLR\u2019s Gerry McGovern is the best designer around right now","name":"Why JLR\u2019s Gerry McGovern is the best designer around right now","description":"Modern car design is often criticised for being unadventurous, samey and sometimes, just plain boring. These accusations can rarely be pitched at Land Rover\u2019s product range though and that is partly down to one man: Gerry McGovern, who has just been named designer of the year at Grand Prix du Design during Festival Automobile International in Paris. A bit of background on the Coventry-born man. After cutting his teeth with Chrysler in the late 70s, he jumped ship to Austin […]","datePublished":"2018-02-09","dateModified":"2018-02-09","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Gerry-McGovern-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Gerry-McGovern-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/land-rovers-gerry-mcgovern\/","about":["BLOG"],"wordCount":629,"keywords":["Gerry McGovern","Jaguar Land Rover","Land Rover","Land Rover Discovery","Range Rover","Range Rover Evoque","Range Rover Sport"],"articleBody":"Modern car design is often criticised for being unadventurous, samey and sometimes, just plain boring.These accusations can rarely be pitched at Land Rover\u2019s product range though and that is partly down to one man: Gerry McGovern, who has just been named designer of the year at Grand Prix du Design during Festival Automobile International in Paris.A bit of background on the Coventry-born man. After cutting his teeth with Chrysler in the late 70s, he jumped ship to Austin Rover Group in the early 80s to head up the design of the MG F sports car and most significantly, the Land Rover Freelander, which would become Europe\u2019s best-selling compact SUV for seven years.After leading the creative team behind the third-generation Range Rover, he spent some time at Ford from 1999, but would return to Land Rover as director of advanced design in 2004 and design director from 2006.Since then, he has played a key role in shaping some of the most important cars in Land Rover\u2019s history.\u201cSuch as?\u201d you ask. Well, let us list them for you\u2026Range Rover EvoqueThis trend-setting compact SUV may be the smallest model in the Range Rover family but it is the most decorated Range Rover ever, with more than 200 awards to its name globally including \u2018car of the year\u2019 titles from Auto Express and Top Gear.Aside from having the largest trophy cabinet of any Range Rover, it is quite possibly the sleekest SUV around, with a luscious swooping roof line and bubbly front-end.It has been linked to some equally glam celebs over the years too, like Victoria Beckham, Bond girl Naomie Harris and Zara Phillips.Range RoverThe full-fat fourth-gen Range Rover was the final word in not only all-conquering SUVs, but also premium cruisers, when it arrived in 2012.You didn\u2019t need to drive it to know it was such an unstoppable yet high-end machine, Gerry McGovern perfectly conveyed the car\u2019s brute strength and elevated level of luxury with an exterior design told you everything you needed to know.Range Rover SportThe original Range Rover Sport wasn\u2019t particularly, err, sporty. However, its follow-up addressed the shortcoming of the initial RR Sport by using the fourth-gen Range Rover as a starting point and not only meeting the brief, but surpassing it.Coming up with a big daft SUV like the Range Rover is perhaps an easier job than carving out a more shapely yet very capable off-roader like its Sport cousin – something that probably wouldn\u2019t have been possible if it wasn\u2019t for the Evoque.Discovery 4Expectations for the Discovery 4 were high and Gerry delivered yet again, essentially redefining the large SUV.Land Rover\u2019s design team revolutionised the Discovery DNA to create a super desirable, extremely versatile and hugely capable premium SUV.That said, some trademark design features remained such as the stepped roofline, which appeared on previous Discos and provides an elegant solution to a practical need. This meant headroom for the third row was optimised and also accommodated the Discovery\u2019s customary stadium seating configuration, with each row of seats positioned higher than the one in front, ensuring every seat is the best seat in the house.The last wordIf those cars aren\u2019t enough to convince you that Gerry McGovern is one of the greatest names in car design, then just check what R\u00e9mi Depoix, president of the Festival Automobile International, had to say when he handed Gerry the designer of the year award.\u201cOne of his remarkable achievements is to adapt Land Rover\u2019s DNA, a transformation that began with the Range Rover Evoque,\u201d he commented.\u201cThe British automotive industry has been reinvented in Gerry\u2019s vision and Land Rover is an incredible success story.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why JLR\u2019s Gerry McGovern is the best designer around right now","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/land-rovers-gerry-mcgovern\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]