Pierre Terblanche quits Royal Enfield

This comes as a big shocker. Pierre Terblanche has quit Royal Enfield after working for 20 months with the Chennai-based manufacturer.

Known to be one of the best automotive designers in the world, Pierre Terbhanche joined Royal Enfield in late 2014 as the director of design. He was based out of the company’s facility in England. His exit from the fastest growing two-wheeler manufacturer is not known yet. Royal Enfield didn’t respond to the query from BikeWale. This makes us believe that his exit has come as a big blow to Royal Enfield who is currently focussing on international markets. The company’s new parallel twin motorcycle was also spotted recently, which clearly shows the company’s intention of foraying into the new markets.

The Himalayan was the only motorcycle that was launched during Pierre’s stint at Royal Enfield. However, during the media ride and technical sessions, it looked like Pierre Terblanche was not a part of the Himalayan project. Previously, he has worked in companies like Ducati, MV Agusta and Cagiva. The Ducati 999 was considered Terblanche’s best design work till date.

It’s sad to see a designer like Terblanche exiting Royal Enfield, who has been known to design some modern retro motorcycles. Previously, the appointment of Pierre Terblanche made the enthusiasts believe that Royal Enfield would move into a new design direction.