| When Ford purchased Jaguar Cars Ltd in 1989, | | | | "low-budget" Jaguar that was intended to appeal |
| the Jaguar brand had for some years been | | | | to the fleet market and those for whom the |
| tarnished with a reputation for poor build quality. | | | | top-end models were too expensive. Yet this |
| There can be no doubt that the financial | | | | model never sold in the volumes that Ford hoped |
| investment and quality control that Ford brought | | | | for outside of the UK. For many potential |
| with it saved the Jaguar marque from an untimely | | | | purchasers, the model shared too much in |
| end. However, Ford has been unable to make a | | | | common with Ford's own Mondeo to be |
| financial success of Jaguar -- did Ford misjudge | | | | distinctively 'Jaguar', and for younger owners the |
| the Jaguar marque and its past success? | | | | car bore too much resemblance to the Jaguar XJ |
| Jaguar's past | | | | -- a model traditionally driven by older owners. It |
| From its humble beginnings as the Swallow | | | | was also a highly competitive market and the |
| Sidecar Company in 1922, and for much of | | | | X-Type was in direct competition with BMW, |
| Jaguar's subsequent history, William Lyons, the | | | | Mercedes and, at the time, the similarly styled |
| company's co-founder, had a fundamental | | | | Rover 75. |
| approach to his cars: to produce distinctive, high | | | | Yet on occasions Ford have created much |
| quality automobiles but at as low a cost as | | | | interest amongst motoring journalists and |
| possible. The first of these, the Austin Seven | | | | enthusiasts with a number of concept cars. The |
| Swallow, was simply a rebodied version of the | | | | XK180, and similarly styled F-Type, were greatly |
| humble Austin Seven because, Lyons believed, "... | | | | praised and could, potentially, have tapped into the |
| that it would also appeal to a lot of people if it | | | | emerging market for roadsters alongside the |
| had a more luxurious and attractive body." | | | | Porsche Boxter and Mercedes-Benz SLK, yet |
| In later years, the success of iconic Jaguars such | | | | neither were translated into production models. |
| as the XKs and E-Types were in part due to their | | | | Sporting pretensions |
| distinct blend of forward-looking style and | | | | With Jaguar's past successes in motor sport |
| sophisticated use of technology. The power and | | | | having added much to the brand, Ford attempted |
| quality of the XK engines used for the Jaguar | | | | to recreate this with its entry into Formula 1 |
| XK120, and subsequent cars for many years, was | | | | racing. Formula 1, however, with its vast budgets |
| far in advance of other comparable engines of | | | | and tendency to be dominated by one or two top |
| the period. Similarly the much improved ride | | | | teams was an ambitious leap and the Jaguar |
| quality and road holding abilities of these cars had | | | | team never managed to challenge for world |
| left their counterparts behind. | | | | championship points on a consistent basis. |
| It was much the same with the Jaguar E-Type, a | | | | In hindsight it would, perhaps, have been better to |
| sensation when it was launched at the Geneva | | | | concentrate efforts in other motorsport |
| Motor Show in 1961. Here was a race-bred, | | | | categories. Indeed, the XKRs run in the Trans-Am |
| visually sensational, 150mph sports car at just half | | | | series proved very successful, securing four |
| the price of its nearest rival, the Aston Martin | | | | manufacturers' titles. Had the F1 budget been |
| DB4. | | | | spread across other classes, Jaguar's presence in |
| The Jaguar XKs, and the C and D-Types which | | | | world motorsport may have been a different |
| evolved from them, also enjoyed much success | | | | story. |
| in sports car racing, dominating the Le Mans 24 | | | | Too much too late |
| Hour race in the 1950s and contributing to the | | | | With the launch of the much praised |
| success of the marque. In the 1980s Jaguar again | | | | next-generation XK/R in 2006, and the XF due |
| returned to Le Mans with the Group C XJRs, | | | | out in late 2007 to replace the S-Type, Jaguar's |
| winning in 1988 and 1990. | | | | model line-up does finally appear to be looking |
| Ford's tenureship of the Jaguar brand | | | | forwards both in terms of style and technology -- |
| Since the mid 1990s, Ford has launched several | | | | a substantial reason for the success of the brand |
| new Jaguars, including the XJ8/XJR, S-Type, | | | | throughout Jaguar's history But with Ford having |
| X-Type and XK8/R. The common theme | | | | experienced financially troubled times over the last |
| amongst these models is that they have all taken | | | | few years, the sale of Jaguar would inject much |
| their styling cues from historical Jaguars such as | | | | needed capital back into Ford, just as the Jaguar |
| the D and E-Types of the '50s and '60s for the | | | | marque looks set to turn the corner and |
| XK8, and the XJ6s and XJ12s of the '70s and '80s | | | | experience a resurgence in popularity. |
| for the saloons. | | | | Jaguar's future |
| One can certainly appreciate Ford's reasoning | | | | To secure its future and to continue as one of |
| behind the decision to ape the styles that proved | | | | history's most evocative automotive marques, |
| so successful for Jaguar in the past, but by doing | | | | Jaguar needs a parent company that will allow its |
| so they appear to have missed the point of what | | | | designers to continue with the innovation and |
| made those cars successful in the first place: that | | | | dynamism shown in the current XK range and |
| the styles then were looking forward rather than | | | | upcoming XF. For much of its history, the Jaguar |
| backwards. | | | | marque has been ahead of the field with design |
| In an attempt to recoup the substantial financial | | | | and performance -- its new owners, however |
| investment in Jaguar, and in keeping with its own | | | | they may be, would do well to bear that in mind. |
| history, Ford created the X-Type as a | | | | |