Victoria Beckham with a Range Rover Evoque. File photo / Supplied
Victoria Beckham with a Range Rover Evoque. File photo / Supplied
Victoria Beckham is at the centre of an extraordinary row over her part in designing a special edition of the Range Rover.
Gerry McGovern, 61, design director at Land Rover, which makes the cars, has accused the former Spice Girl-turned-fashionista of exaggerating her role at the launch of a specialVB Evoque, where she claimed: "I've designed a car that I want to drive, a car I think [husband] David wants to drive."
But Mr McGovern said at a publicity event last week: "She didn't design the car... I've forgotten more than that woman will ever know about [car] designing - to be a car designer takes years, the
"When we went to China to present it, she stood up in front of the world's press and said, "When I designed this car..." I said, "Victoria, that wasn't on the script."
She said, "Oh, I didn't realise what I was saying."
His irritation goes back to 2012 when Mrs Beckham, 43, was asked to create a version of the Evoque with "restrained colour and detail changes", as the company explained. But not to "change the award-winning design".
The $142,591 car featured matt paintwork, vintage-inspired leather seats, "rose gold accents" inspired by Mrs Beckham's watch, mohair trimmings and a leather luggage set.
"We never said she designed the car - that's an assumption people made," said Mr McGovern.
In one interview, Mrs Beckham said: "I wanted to really roll my sleeves up and get involved. I never just put my name on anything... I was very hands-on."
Mrs Beckham's launch speech clearly still irritates Mr McGovern, who said last week: "I didn't want to work with her after that."
Land Rover said: "The three-year project was completed in full by both parties and was a huge creative success around the world. Mrs Beckham remains part of the Land Rover family."
