Robert Melville (car designer)

Melville is the youngest of three boys.[3] His father was an engineer and mother an artist. Robert enjoyed spending his time studying and sketching nature and different vehicles.[3]Graduating from Benton Park in 1996, He then went to Leeds college of art and design. He graduated from The University of Huddersfield in 2001 with a 1st in BA (Hons) Vehicle Design,[4] he then went on to study a Master in Automotive Design at the Royal College of Art in London.[1]

In 2003, Melville was hired onto the Jaguar Land Rover Advanced Design team, where he helped design the Range Rover Evoque.[5] In 2006, he joined General Motors in the UK as Senior Creative Designer.[5] Here, he helped with designs for the Cadillac Converj, Chevrolet Corvette, Hummer, and Buick.[6]

In 2009, he was recruited by McLaren CEO Antony Sheriff, and became the Senior Designer for McLaren Automotive.[6] He was promoted to Chief Designer in 2015, at the age of 37.[7] He designed the McLaren 570S, 570GT & 570S Spider before designing the McLaren 720S, which debuted in 2017.[8] The 720S, designed by Melville, represents a departure from McLaren's classic design style. The traditional side air takes have been removed in exchange for smooth side panels.[9] The dihedral doors include built-in air channels which direct air to the engine.[10] "Every profile, every curve on this car has been designed for maximum driver engagement," says Melville about the 720S.[11]

In May, 2017, Melville was promoted to McLaren Director of Design, replacing Frank Stephenson.[12]

As McLaren Director of Design Melville has led the design of some of McLaren’s most iconic designs such as the McLaren Senna, McLaren Speedtail, McLaren Elva and the 765LT . Melville is also responsible for design collaborations with brands such as Belstaff and Richard Mille.