9:51 am, January 15, 2024
JLR has confirmed that design director, Massimo Frascella, is to quit the company after more than a decade of service.
Frascella initially joined the British outfit back in 2011 and has been responsible for all design disciplines and programmes since 2019.
It is not yet known where Frascella is going next but he is currently working his notice period while bosses start the hunt for his replacement.
In response to the bombshell news, Gerry McGovern, JLR CEO, told Autocar Professional: ‘Massimo Frascella, JLR Design Director, has decided to leave JLR to pursue new opportunities.
‘We would like to thank Massimo for his significant creative contribution to JLR and we wish him every success in the future.’
Frascella takes with him decades of experience, having began his career as a designer with Italian firm Stile Bertone in 1997.
He has since worked for the likes of Ford and Kia before arriving at Jaguar Land Rover in 2011.
During his time based in Gaydon, he has been a key driver behind the look of some of the most-recognisable cars on the road, including the Discovery Sport, the Discovery and the Defender.
He has also been largely responsible for the exterior designs of the Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque.
His wife, Amy, also works for JLR as the company’s materiality director, having joined the outfit in the same year as her husband.
