McLaren Automotive Names Melville Design Director

McLaren Automotive names Rob Melville as design director after serving since 2014 as the supercar maker’s chief designer.

In his new role Melville is responsible for developing McLaren’s design strategy, philosophy and principles, working with the engineering, manufacturing and customer-insights teams.

Another 14 new models or derivatives are promised under McLaren’s Track22 business plan.

Melville, who joined McLaren in 2009 as senior designer, worked on the McLaren P1, the evolution of the 12C into the 650S and the 675LT. He was responsible for the Sports Series that last year won the Best of the Best category in the Red Dot design awards.

Most recently he led the design of the 720S, the first model in the second-generation Super Series.

“We have developed a fantastic design team and have integrated a design philosophy that I feel passionately about,” Melville says in a statement.” I have always believed that great design tells a great story, and that is what we do here at McLaren.”

Melville began his career at Jaguar Land Rover, where his sketches and clay were chosen for the LRX Concept Vehicle that led to the Range Rover Evoque.

He later joined General Motors as senior designer within its U.K. Advanced Design Group. As a member of the creative team, he was responsible for evolving and realizing the Cadillac design principles and philosophy across the product portfolio, including the Cadillac Converj concept.

Melville replaces Frank Stephenson, who designed the 2001 Mini before moving to McLaren. Media reports say he is headed back to Mini parent BMW.