Not many of us will ever experience the feeling of driving a luxury SUV of our own design. Even fewer of us will experience losing our license because we were speeding in that same luxury SUV. Gerry McGovern has experienced both. According to Automotive News citing a report from the Daily Mail, the former Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) designer was caught speeding on Chelsea Embankment in London last December, and that infraction has led to a six-month driving ban and fines adding up to nearly $600.
Given such a significant penalty, you might assume that McGovern was driving at extreme speed. However, he allegedly was driving his Land Rover Range Rover P615 SV at just 25 miles per hour, albeit in a 20-mph zone. But the speeding itself wasn't what ultimately cost McGovern his driving privileges.
Although he acknowledged being behind the wheel, McGovern reportedly failed to pay the speeding fine or respond to the citation. The matter eventually reached a magistrate, who ordered him in October to pay approximately $600 in fines and prohibited him from driving for six months.
The timing of the original violation adds another interesting wrinkle to the story. The 71-year-old enjoyed a successful 21-year career at JLR; he was the man behind the new-generation Defender, the Range Rover Evoque and Velar, and the fifth-generation Range Rovers, among other models.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing; McGovern was also behind the controversial 'Copy Nothing' rebrand of Jaguar that led to a brief firestorm of controvery over its ad campaign. He left JLR last December; reports swirled that he was asked to leave, but he has denied those reports. In any case, his speeding citation was issued just days after his two-decade long JLR career conclided.
McGovern has since joined Norton Motorcycles as chief creative adviser and has expressed interest in returning to automotive design. For now, though, the man who helped create some of Britain's most recognizable luxury vehicles will have to leave the driving to someone else.
