After overseeing sales of the most exclusive JLR models at SVO and then the most exotic McLarens, including the Senna, Solus GT and Speedtail, a switch to running Subaru in the UK may not seem the obvious next move.
But Lorraine Bishton, who took the job in January, saw huge potential in leading a company that at its peak was one of the coolest brands in any industry in the UK – but in recent years had drifted into a state of mere existence.
For car-loving Bishton (pictured below), this was not only a chance to run a car company but also a chance to turn around a brand that, for all its troubles, is still well-loved by consumers.
That harks back to the late 1990s, when rally-bred Imprezas were the must-have performance cars, thanks to the exploits of Colin McRae and Richard Burns in the World Rally Championship.
