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

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.