Adrian Mardell, the Jaguar Land Rover chief who steered the luxury car maker’s disastrous rebrand and new ad campaign, is out after after three years in charge.
“Adrian Mardell has expressed his desire to retire from JLR after three years as CEO and 35 years with the company. His successor will be announced in due course,” the company owned by India’s Tata Motors said in a statement as reported by the Financial Times.
The 64-year-old took on the role of interim boss of the iconic marque in late 2022 after his predecessor Thierry Bolloré resigned after just two years in the role following a string of losses.
CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, Adrian Mardell (R) speaks with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a visit to a Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) car factory in Birmingham, central England on April 7, 2025. KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
He was formally appointed CEO the following year.
His resignation comes after a widely derided redesign of the Jaguar brand in November where it introduced a 30-second ad displaying no cars and a new company logo that did not feature its iconic “leaper” big cat, as Breitbart News reported.
The advertising campaign failed to showcase even one single vehicle instead relying on a “woke vibe” evoking Barbie pinkness alongside crossdressers.
The marketplace made its judgement and it was a disaster for Jaguar.
According to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (AECA), the company registered just 49 new vehicles in April 2025 compared to 1,961 units sold in the same month last year.
Year-to-date sales from January to April this year also slumped, dropping 75.1 percent with just 2,665 motors sold.
Globally, Jaguar sold just 26,862 vehicles for the 2024/25 financial year – an 85 percent drop compared to 2018.
The sales dip was driven by Jaguar’s ditching its heritage roots towards a “lifestyle-focused, fashion-forward brand.”
From 2026, Jaguar will relaunch as an all-electric ultra premium brand with cars mostly priced at more than £100,000, the FT report notes.
As it completes its shift to electric vehicles, the company has mostly ended production of its popular petrol models and has stopped selling new Jaguar cars in Britain.
Mardell’s departure was first reported by Autocar.
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