The Range Rover Evoque has got so many feathers in its cap that soon it’s going to have a major plumage. The most recent award for this fancy British SUV is quite a prestigious one. It’s the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award, and it has little to do with the Evoque being sexy and trendy, or versatile and practical. The car was awarded the solid gold MacRobert medal and a £50,000 prize because it’s such an important and strategic product.
Since its launch 9 months ago, the Evoque has sold over 70k units, and created or secured 40,000 jobs at JLR and within the supply chain. Because of this car the Halewood plant now runs on a triple shift doubling 2011 figures to 3,000, which will grow 4,500 by the end of 2012. The Evoque is a symbol of modern British car industry, and how great it can be.
The Evoque was selected from a list of over 40 nominations, drawn from every field of contemporary engineering. The winning team members are: Chief Programme Engineer David Mitchell, Studio Director David Saddington, Vehicle Engineering Manager Pete Cockle, Body Engineering Manager Brian Lidgard and Principal Chassis Engineer Ian Hulme. They left Victoria Beckham – the design consultant for Evoque – out because she’s not an engineer!
So there you go. The Range Rover Evoque is much more than just a pretty face. It is a car the Brits can be proud of.
Sir John Parker GBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:
“I am delighted that this year’s MacRobert Award is being made to Land Rover for the Evoque, which has stimulated much-needed investment in the Midlands and the North West. Jaguar Land Rover is a shining example of a large company with an excellent product whose drive and confidence has generated billions of pounds worth of new business for their UK suppliers. We need this ‘pull-through’ effect across the economy to enable growth.”
John Robinson FREng, Chair of the MacRobert Award judging panel, says:
“Land Rover is bucking the trend with the Range Rover Evoque, which has been hugely successful and opened up new markets around the world. The judges were impressed with the sheer excellence of the engineering design and the team’s mission to create a future-facing product that challenges preconceptions of what a Range Rover looks like, while staying true to the qualities that made the brand famous.”
