Land Rover design director vows to put third-party tuners out of business

Land Rover's SVO division will create better variants of the firm's models in an attempt to render third-party styling houses and tuners obsolete
Jim Holder
21 March 2017

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s design director, has vowed to put third-party styling houses and tuners out of business by creating better variants of the brand’s models through the company’s own Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division.

Land Rover, and most particularly Range Rover, models have long been a highly profitable focus for independent styling and tuning firms which offer customers their own takes on the vehicles. Range Rover’s newest model, the Velar, is expected to attract a similar level of interest.

Although McGovern did not specify which firms in particular had riled him, he said: “It’s easy to take a product that’s already been created and put a little spoiler on it or whatever, but I’d like to see them design their own car. We see them taking our property and making a bit more profit.

“Well, we’re going to put them out of business through SVO. The opportunities we’re creating there, and the quality of our work, are much better.”

The Velar, which was unveiled to the public at Geneva, will go on sale this summer priced from £44,830.

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Comments
41

rare

21 March 2017
Stupid thing to say. These companies will always exist because they often have flexibility that manufacturers don't and provide services and products which either don't exist or no ones willing to produce. Seems a bit arrogant really. Good luck to them though...

Bullfinch

21 March 2017
Whether he meant to or not this makes JLR top brass sound foolish and obnoxious.

MarkII

21 March 2017
Sounds like sour grapes to me. There have been aftermarket tuners and styling houses pretty much since the car was first created and I don't see that changing. True, some of their creations show questionable taste but if someone chooses to give their RR the 'crashed through Halfords' look that's up to them. The comment about profit says it all but come on Gerry, last time I specced up a RRS JLR wanted to charge me £65 for the 'option' of a 6 inch storage net in the boot - something any other mfr would've included free, so it's a bit rich to accuse others of profiteering.

spanco

21 March 2017
Pathetic. Makes McGovern seem a petulant and pompous oaf.

Bad PR for Land Rover this...

TheDriver

21 March 2017
McGovern has let sales success go to his head. A little humility and acceptance of niche businesses that successfully cater for minority tastes would be in order. Why belittle small UK businesses that are surely an important and often inspirational part of our economy? I can't wait to see his improved take on Kahn Design!

Leslie Brook

21 March 2017
Well, if it means I will no longer be subject to the horrors of Kahn Design on the streets of London then all power to him.


disco.stu

21 March 2017
So if it's an officially-sanctioned chromey/noisy/blacked-out Range Rover Sport with 24" wheels and a carbon fibre diffuser, how is that better?

It's still bling for orange people.

Beastie_Boy

21 March 2017
I'd like to to think that once I've bought a car, I can do whatever I like with it. If that means I want to turn it in to a gaudy chav chariot, so be it. I hope he succeeds though. I'd love to see his face when a footballer insists on blinging one up really badly or when Paris Hilton or Katie Price insists on a pink one with 'diamond' interior. What a Tool.

tomy90

21 March 2017
i am all for manufacturers offering us ways of making the car unique to us without scaring insurance companies and damaging the value of the car too much.

But I doubt SVO will be able to cater to all the requests of some people and get it to them in a sensible time.

All I can say to them is good luck.

Flametrench

21 March 2017
Manufacturers have been trying to put non-franchised third party service outlets out of business for years by adding ridiculous levels of complication to their products. They have also been largely successful at killing off the accessory aftermarket, so this was a predictable next target. It's a disgrace that their offensive efforts are almost entirely aimed at UK companies.

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