Jaguar Land Rover has turned to Alpine boss Michael van der Sande to head up their Special Vehicle Operations division.

Van der Sande replaces John Edwards, who has been with Jaguar for 27 years.

Van der Sande said: “In just four years Special Operations has established itself as a force in the automotive world with outstanding cars such as the Jaguar F-Type SVR and Range Rover SV Coupé (below), coupled with the revitalisation of the Classic business and continuation models such as the Jaguar XKSS. These are exceptional achievements and I relish the opportunity to lead the team behind these achievements to even greater success.”

Edwards announced his intention to leave this week and has said that he is leaving the SVO team in ‘excellent shape for the future’.

Van der Sande has previously worked on projects with Aston Martin, Tesla and Harley Davidson and was responsible for the development of the Alpine A110 sports car.

Speaking about the moves JLR CEO Ralf Speth said: “John [Edwards] has been instrumental in the formation and success of Jaguar Land Rover Classic and has led the team behind our world-beating SVR and SVAutobiography models – cars that our most discerning customers love. He will be sorely missed."

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