The truth finally comes out, at least for those who probably weren’t aware of it from the very beginning. Victoria Beckham, the ex-Spice Girl and current Mrs. David Beckham, was in no way responsible for the design of the Range Rover Evoque. In fact, Beckham didn’t even do much in the way of actually designing the Evoque, so says the man who actually did design the SUV. Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern minced no words in finally clarifying a years-old rumor, telling The Daily Mail that Beckham exaggerated the role she played in designing the Evoque.

“I’ve forgotten more than that woman will ever know about designing – to be a car designer takes years,” McGovern said in the most direct and emphatic take-down of Beckham’s rumored involvement in the design of the SUV. The design chief was apparently irked when Beckham told the world during the Evoque’s unveiling in China five years ago that she was the one who designed the car and wasn’t mindful of the fact that she was only there to lend her name and star power to the crossover. To be fair, Beckham did have some input on the Evoque, although that was limited to the special edition model that bore her name. Even then, the company briefed the former pop star that the alterations she could make would be limited to “restrained color and detail changes” and not actually overhauling the car’s overall design. So there you have it. The mystery surrounding Victoria Beckham’s involvement in the actual design of the Range Rover Evoque has been answered.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

The tricky minefield that is celebrity perception

In case some of you aren’t aware, the perception that Victoria Beckham played a significant role in designing the Range Rover Evoque is a real thing. I’ve probably had at least five encounters over the years of people asking me if Beckham really worked on the looks of the Evoque, so this wasn’t something that’s completely made up. It’s also a big reason why Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern felt compelled to set the record straight five years after the Evoque made its world debut.

McGovern did add that Beckham, in her own way, admitted to the faux pas in China, telling him after being reminded that her comments were not part of the script that she “didn’t realize what (she) was saying.” That kind of thing happens to celebrities sometimes, especially in moments where they’re being asked to talk about something that they know very little about. Maybe Beckham did slip up when she said that she “designed” the Evoque. Maybe she was only implying the magnitude of her involvement and that the comments were taken out of context. There are a lot of scenarios that could’ve played out during the Evoque’s debut in China back in 2012 that might’ve been interpreted differently from the way the message was supposed to.

Whatever happened then, the fact that it came from Victoria Beckham immediately adds weight to the sentiment. It would be far different if say, you or I, made those comments. Nobody’s going to believe us off the bat. But Land Rover did tap Beckham to be a brand ambassador, which means that they wanted her involved in the Evoque in some capacity. It only took one comment from here that she designed the car for the public to completely change the narrative on how heavily involved she really was. That’s one of the tricky things that come with signing celebrities to be sponsors, ambassadors, or endorsers of a specific brand or item. Their comments about the product will come with some weight, whether they intended to or not.

References

Read our full review on the 2015 - 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.