Ford Names Director of Lincoln Design

Former Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern has been hired as director of Lincoln design for Ford Motor Co., in a move intended to Gerry McGovern fix Ford’s domestic luxury brand firmly alongside Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo in its new Premier Automotive Group.

McGovern, 42, also has worked as a designer at Chrysler Corp. in England and Peugeot in France. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Art in London.

McGovern will divide his time between Ford’s main design center in Dearborn, Mich., and its Lincoln Mercury design center, which is being relocated to the Ford division’s Irvine headquarters complex late next year.

The new position is similar to the brand design director posts at Ford’s other luxury brands. Lincoln officials say McGovern will not be directly involved with the Mercury brand.

Richard Hutting, who heads the joint Lincoln Mercury design center, now located in Valencia, will remain director of that studio.

McGovern began working for Rover Group, which includes Land Rover, as a member of the concept design staff. He was responsible for a number of concept and show vehicles and worked on a number of Rover production models. After being appointed chief designer for the group, he was responsible for developing the popular MGF roadster and the Land Rover Freelander, a downsized Land Rover expected to be sold in the U.S. next year.

Hiring McGovern “clearly signals the company’s dedication to growing the [Lincoln] brand,” said Mark Hutchins, Lincoln Mercury president. “Like Volvo, Aston Martin and Jaguar, Lincoln will now enjoy the benefits of a high-profile, dedicated design director to chart the future.”