Respected boss led Land Rover on a path of Discovery
Tributes to man who ‘put brand on map’
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former boss at Land Rover who was credited with “putting the brand on the map” and laying many of the foundations that led to the success of Jaguar Land Rover today.
Tony Gilroy was managing director of the company during what were seen as its formative years in the 1980s.
Originally from County Cork in the Republic of Ireland, Gilroy was a highly-respected figure in the automotive industry and held a number of key senior roles at a time of great change in the UK automotive industry.
Starting his career with Ford, Gilroy then took on what was seen by many as the hardest job in the British motor industry – manufacturing director of the Longbridge car factory in Birmingham.
It was here that he came face-toface with the militant unionism of the 1970s.
Realising that communication was key, he managed to convince the workforce to accept the British Leyland (BL) rationalisation plan and the subsequent dismissal of highprofile union activist Derek ‘Red Robbo’ Robinson.
It was also while at Longbridge that Gilroy played a key role in the introduction of the legendary Mini Metro.
The BL reorganisation created Freight Rover and Land Rover as separate companies and Gilroy was appointed managing director of Freight Rover, turning the company around and producing a van range good enough to rival the Ford Transit.
Gilroy arrived at Land Rover early in 1983 finding a company burdened with high overheads, a disillusioned workforce, apathetic management and the market for the core Land Rover model in decline. With characteristic energy, he began to change things.
The engineering department was subjected to a massive cull and reinforced with people who had worked with him at Freight Rover.
He began a programme of closing Land Rover’s collection of remote plants to concentrate production at
Solihull, taking over the East Works facility that was formerly the home of the Rover SD1.
When communicating this plan to the workforce, Gilroy was initially met with hostility, but by sheer force of personality he won them round, receiving a standing ovation by the end of the meeting.
Realising that traditional Land Rover markets were in decline, Gilroy spurred the programme to push the Range Rover upmarket to make space for a new, leisure-orientated SUV.
Project Jay would eventually become Discovery, a model that would change Land Rover from a niche manufacturer to a market contender.
He formed a special team to deliver the model in 18 months instead of the five years normally allowed.
With Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government anxious to sell off British Leyland, Land Rover was offered to General Motors, who offered Gilroy a free hand at the company.
But he had other plans, rejecting the offer and supporting a successful ‘Keep Land Rover British’ campaign.
He wanted to acquire the company via a management buy-out and very nearly succeeded, but Thatcher stepped in personally to prevent the Rover Group being signed off piecemeal.
The management changes brought in following the sell-off of the Rover Group to British Aerospace left Gilroy in a difficult position and he left the company, before the launch of his creation, the Discovery, to pursue
Tony kept an Irish twinkle in his eye but had a reputation for toughness Author Mike Gould
a successful career in the Varity Group, home of Perkins engines and later, Lucas Industries.
Mike Gould, who formerly held a number of roles at Land Rover and is now a respected author on the brand, paid tribute to Gilroy.
He said: “It was with sadness that many current and former Land Rover employees heard of the death of Tony Gilroy, the man who could rightly be credited with laying the foundations of the successful company
of today. A native of Cork, Tony kept an Irish twinkle in his eye but had a reputation for toughness. Tony will be remembered as a force of nature and a largely unsung hero of the British motor industry.
“While he didn’t suffer fools gladly, he earned enormous respect from those who worked for him.
“And, true to his lineage, many will remember that behind his fierce exterior, there was a heart of Irish gold.”