The Type 00 Concept ad campaign was heavily criticized by a vast majority of people on the internet and even many media houses
Recent online reports claim that Jaguar has just fired its Design head, Gerry McGovern, who was behind the infamous Type 00 Concept. You might remember that this concept received massive flak from all corners of the industry for its bizarre design language and even more questionable advertisement campaigns. Nevertheless, what is ironic is that he is the same man who must be credited for designing some of the most successful vehicles on the planet, including the current Land Rover Defender, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar and 5th-generation Range Rover.
Jaguar Allegedly Fires Type 00 Concept Design Head
Going by the reports from Autocar, McGovern was “escorted out of the office” earlier this week. Note that he had a career spanning over 20 years at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). While the exact reason remains under wraps, most people are speculating that the recent debacle with Jaguar’s rebrand strategy was the tipping point, leading to this outcome. The major controversy even threatened to harm the image of the British luxury carmaker. Unfortunately, 2025 remained a poor year for Jaguar with production halts due to restructuring and a cyberattack.
Interestingly, Jaguar’s parent company, Tata Motors, has appointed the new CEO, PB Balaji, with over 32 years of experience. In fact, he is the former finance head at Tata Motors. This comes after the former JLR CEO Adrian Mardell announced his retirement less than a week ago. Hence, there is quite a bit of shuffling going on at the top level at JLR. The aim is clear – to retrieve the brand image and start focusing on the business. How exactly that will happen remains to be seen.
Editor’s Note
Yatharth Chauhan, Managing Editor
Having observed JLR’s product and brand cycles for well over a decade, I can say this episode underscores just how fragile a legacy marque’s image can become in today’s hyper-reactive digital landscape. The backlash to the Type 00 Concept was unprecedented, and for a brand already struggling with restructuring and production volatility, the timing couldn’t have been worse. With Tata Motors tightening the reins and new leadership stepping in, JLR clearly wants to reset the narrative, but the road to restoring Jaguar’s premium credibility will demand far more than a change of guard.
Also Read: Jaguar Type 00 Concept Reimagined – Yay or Nay?
