Copy nothing?

As we approach the end of the year and the Christmas holiday period, this will be my last blog of the year (unless something really catches my attention or makes my blood boil).  Rather than focus here on the biggest issues of automotive distribution, I thought it might be an appropriate time to talk about something other than my specialist subject.

One thing that caught my attention a couple weeks ago was the sudden departure of Gerry McGovern as ‘Chief Creative Officer’ of Jaguar Land Rover (or JLR as I should refer to it after his creative touch was applied to the corporate branding).  You have to acknowledge the great job that he has done over a number of years on Land Rover design (with the arguable exception of the non-functional offset of the number plate on the Discovery 5).  However, he has certainly ruffled many feathers with the ‘woke’ rebranding of Jaguar, the retirement of the leaping cat ‘growler’, and in particular the teasing of the new look for Jaguar with the Type 00 concept last year.  We were told that the bold new look was based on the principle of 'copy nothing’ yet for those of us who like our motoring history, it bears a remarkable resemblance to the Daimler Double Six from 1930...  (The rights to the Daimler name are owned by Jaguar in a number of markets)

Having spoken to some former senior executives of the company, there was clearly a need to do something rather than continue to pursue the German Big 3 with lookalike saloons and SUVs, and you can hardly point the finger at JLR alone for pursuing a BEV only strategy.  The new CEO has also been involved with the business for some years from his previous position with Tata so one has to assume that he is more or less comfortable with the new direction.

However, there were plenty of calls for McGovern’s head even before the cars have seen the light of day in production form.  We are getting closer to that point with more prototypes on the road and some press previews, though JLR has recent form with last minute programme cancellations.  The last new XJ model (also BEV only) penned by renowned Jaguar designer Ian Callum, was cancelled at a similar point to make way for the new strategy.  When reports emerged that McGovern had been marched off the premises, my immediate thought was that there had been another change of mind in the face of a challenging rebrand and an equally challenging outlook for premium BEVs.

However, it now appears that he might reappear shortly at Mercedes-Benz.  This week it was announced that long-time head of design there, Gordon Wagener, is stepping down, so could it be that McGovern will be swapping Chelsea for Stuttgart?  If that’s the case, he will also find some inspiration in the back catalogue, so should feel at home.  With all the uncertainty around power train strategy, that long bonnet on the 500K (hood for my US followers) could be a useful design feature – room for a 6 litre V12 and a 1000PS electric motor with a usefully long wheelbase to package the battery pack.

But recognising that we cannot spend our whole time looking backwards for inspiration, there is obviously no option in today’s world but to turn to AI, so I asked ChatGPT what Jerry McGovern might design if he turns up in Stuttgart, and it came up with a four door update of the 500 SEC which I rather like – though it is a bit more Callum than McGovern…

Have a great Christmas everyone, and make sure you recharge your batteries ready for the New Year.  See you in 2026!

Images Supercars.net