Robert Melville named Chief Designer at McLaren Automotive

McLaren Automotive has announced the promotion of Robert Melville to the role of Chief Designer, reporting to the company's Design Director, Frank Stephenson. Melville, 37, brings more than a decade of design experience covering a wide range of projects for leading brands in the
luxury automotive segment.

A graduate of the Royal College of Arts in 2003 having studied Automotive Design, he joined McLaren Automotive in 2009 as a Senior Designer.

For the past five years, Melville has worked on the designs of the McLaren P1, 650S and, most recently, the Sports Series, previously known by its internal codename P13, which is scheduled to premiere on the world stage in the second quarter of 2015. In this new role, he will be leading a creative team of designers tasked with developing the future visual direction of the brand including, building up on the new family look that debuted with the groundbreaking McLaren P1.

"Over the past few years, Rob has been heavily involved in shaping the current visual identity of the McLaren brand. McLaren operates from the dynamic haute-couture end of the industry and our customers continue to stimulate us from the design and product perspectives, and Rob brings a strong skill set and great enthusiasm to the team. These proven credentials will ensure a fresh and exciting look for the brand as we enter an important phase of business growth," said Stephenson.

Melville added, "I am very honoured with this recognition and look forward to turning our future vision work into reality. McLaren has always innovated with class-leading performance and breathtaking design and I am convinced the look of our upcoming cars, including the Sports Series, will continue to electrify."

Melville takes up this role within the design studio as McLaren prepares for the launch of its most attainable, the Sports Series, in the second quarter of 2015. This latest addition will be a range of pure McLaren models, bringing the brand's performance credentials, technology and exclusivity to the sportscar segment for the first time.

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