The book closes on one of the British car industry's most respected figures. PH went along to pay tribute
Car companies rarely celebrate retirements publicly. For one thing, it is not in their nature. Product and brand positioning are the priority, and while both are obviously dependent on hard-working, talented people, it generally suits a manufacturer to make its workforce seem like an interchangeable commodity - not least because that's what it is. Automotive executives, designers and engineers possess a highly covetable skillset, and in a digital age they tend to move around.
Of course, that ability came hand-in-hand with several others. Speaking to PH the day before his retirement, Mike credits Richard Parry-Jones - Ford's erstwhile Chief Technical Officer and virtually a deity in automotive engineering circles - with taking him under his wing."I've never doubted what I was doing, and I've never wanted to do anything else actually. But I was really lucky in that I met Parry-Jones and he looked after me," he explained.
Mention of the Defender in this context reveals an obvious truth: while the fate of Jaguar lies closest to his heart, it is Land Rover that has registered the vast majority of JLR's significant triumphs in the last fifteen years. Mike talks about exploiting 'white spaces' - those untapped niches between existing segments - as a JLR strong suit, but really it is Land Rover which has proved itself adept at unearthing new opportunities.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
9 Discontinued Store-Bought Sauces You’ll Sadly Never See Again — Eat This Not ThatThere are so many sauces have come and gone, once sold in stores across the nation, that are now only a sweet or savory memory.
Read more »
Proxy for VibesSlate Money talks the fed hike, the real power of the American dollar, and Citigroup’s new abortion healthcare policy.
Read more »
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs bill allowing people to carry concealed firearms without training or permitsGov. Mike DeWine signed Republican-backed legislation to allow people in the state to carry a concealed handgun without a permit or training and no longer require them to proactively tell law enforcement during traffic stops that they’re armed.
Read more »
Ohio GOP Senate debate nearly gets physical as Gibbons, Mandel get into altercationA Friday night GOP Senate debate in Ohio turned into a face-off between candidates Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel.
Read more »
A Massive Solar Power Farm Will Be Built in California DesertThe U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it had signed off on a major solar farm project to be built in California across 2,000 acres.
Read more »