‘The R8 200 Series of 1989 was the first car we had to make no apology for’
Q What about the rest of the Honda years?
‘They were fun times. When we launched the R8 200 Series in 1989, we had a car we could be absolutely confident about, probably for the first time ever. It was a car that we needed to make no apology for – it was well made, brilliantly styled and just terrific to drive, and it also brought in the brand-new K-series engine, which was hugely advanced for its time.
‘The rest followed on from there. The 400, the 600 and the 800 facelift, along with the K-series Metro, gave us a really strong range. Then we had Land Rover and the new Discovery, which was also selling really well.’
Q What was it like when BMW came along?
‘There was lots of positivity early on, but the Germans certainly took very tight control over the finances. I don’t think they realised the true extent of the cash position when they originally took over.
‘The new 400, in particular, still had a lot of Honda content and this led to a fairly fractious relationship, as Honda itself had been lining up an investment package. It’s ironic, then, that BMW gave Rover what was probably its best ever car – the 75. That was the last car I worked on the launch of, and despite the difficult political climate at the time it was amazing to see how well received it was. But then, it was a terrific car. In one sense, it’s a fitting eulogy that the last ever Rover car produced was probably the best.’ Q Where did you go after you left Rover? ‘After Rover I went to Trafficmaster to launch its new traffic information network in Germany, before moving to GM Daewoo and transitioning it into Chevrolet. I spent the last 16 years of my PR career with General Motors and Vauxhall, launching some great new cars and more recently, overseeing the communications strategy around its merger with PSA. In a sense, the platform and technology sharing across those brands is very similar to what British Leyland tried to achieve.’ Q You had a retirement do recently at which many old friends paid tribute to you… a good night? ‘I have had such a privileged career and have been able to see the world, building long-term relationships with some fantastic people along the way. I’ve launched many new cars and seen numerous crises come and go in my time, so I’m well equipped for whatever the industry may throw at me. Every minute has been enjoyable.’
Q Finally, what’s in your garage?
‘I currently have an immaculate Rover 2000 TC with a minuscule mileage on the clock, plus a Vanden Plas 1500 (Allegro if you must) and also a recently-acquired Rover 75 V6. I therefore have the first and very last Rover cars that I had true hands-on involvement with. Plus two Sixties AEC buses, a Reliance and a Regent as the big boys’ toys. Scratch the surface you see and there is a real petrolhead underneath.’