Robert Melville will replace Frank Stephenson as the Design Director of McLaren Automotive with immediate effect. He reports to Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Jens Ludmann.
Rob joined McLaren Automotive in 2009 as Senior Designer, and got elevated to Chief Designer in 2014. His works include McLaren P1, evolution of the 12C into the 650S (650S is based on MP4-12C), 675LT, and was also responsible for the Sports Series (570S/570GT), which won the ‘Best of the Best’ category in the coveted Red Dot design awards in 2016. His recent work is the 720S, the first model in the second-generation Super Series.
As Design Director, Rob is responsible for further developing the company’s design strategy, philosophy and principles working with the engineering and manufacturing functions, as well as the customer insights team.
Another 14 new models or derivatives are promised under the company’s Track22 business plan, a roadmap to 2022.
Rob commented: “I am thrilled to be given the title of Design Director for McLaren Automotive. I remember when I got the call to come and join McLaren back in 2009 and the joy I felt then is the same today. We have developed a fantastic design team and have integrated a design philosophy that I feel passionately about. I have always believed that great design tells a great story and that is what we do here at McLaren. I’m incredibly proud.”
Prior to McLaren, Rob started his career with Jaguar Land Rover where his sketches and clay model were chosen for the LRX Concept, which led to the Evoque production car. He later joined GM as Senior Designer within their UK Advanced Design Group, where he was responsible for evolving and realising the Cadillac design language across the product portfolio, including the Cadillac Converj concept.
Robert is a graduate from Royal College of Art, London.
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