MY FAVOURITE CARS FROM FIVE DECADES

1970s

“The Mini, of course! I was sat next to the production line. Issigonis was sat nearby. That I could be part of turning that car into a brand later in life is something I’m especially proud of.”

1980s

“Early on, I had my Triumph Spitfire and the TR7, both cars I remember fondly despite the faults. The fact is we were proud of them. Yes, I should have had a Lotus Elan, but I wasn’t working at Lotus.”

1990s

“I had a lot of love for the Range Rover. I remember standing with Spen King and Noel Edmonds [pictured] as the last [firstgeneration] car came off the line. It was an iconic car. Then the Defender had its 50th birthday while I was there. Another icon – and not many cars celebrate a 50th birthday.”

2000s

“The E46 3 Series stands out for personal reasons, because I was running the manufacturing plant in South Africa and exporting cars to the USA. People said we couldn’t hit the required quality standards – and there we were, winning JD Power Gold Awards for our quality. It was such a great period of my life, professionally and personally. We achieved for BMW, we were able to do a lot of work in the community and, of course, meeting Mandela [pictured] was special.

“Running Rolls-royce was also so special. It was living on its history and had no future. I arrived as the third MD in six months. They were troubled times but we – as a team – got the brand back to where it deserved to be and then formulated a long-term plan for a sustainable future, including forcing through our vision for the Ghost and envisioning the SUV, at least conceptually.”

2010s

“The formation of i was something special. It started with the i3, but then we wanted the i8 to emphasise that these cars were about more than just transport. Electric power couldn’t just be a rational thing. We created products with real substance and then set about positioning the brand years before it was launched. Everything was different, from the language we used to the look of the showrooms. Everything was under the microscope. It couldn’t be just another pair of cars, but it had to be the full story, from the carbonfibre to the energy-efficient production processes. So much hard work, but so worth it.”