Victoria Beckham attacked over extraordinary row with Range Rover design

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 special VB 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

Daily Mail

said.

Ranger Rover boss Gerry McGovern.

"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."

Mrs Beckham would not comment.