Jaguar needs re-inventing. Ever since Sir William left the day-to-day
operations of the company, design has fallen into a state of
conservatism.
It’s almost as if they feel that he had an unarticulated magic formula
from
which they couldn’t depart. I don’t blame this on the designers, but
marketing, which has trumped design since Ford’s takeover.
The “marketing” at least in the USA iincluding the advertising campaign
has
been less than a stellar, high water mark even though the product offered
hasn’t been best. No, edgy ads, etc. Madison Avenue can do a lot better
given the right theme/direction. The money could be better spent! It’s an
old man’s advertising/arketing campaign as well.The most tranquil seas mean the boat’s not rocking. It also means one
isn’t
going anywhere. Jaguar and Ford management have not wanted to rock the
Jaguar boat for about three decades. The marque loyalists are those of
us
who remember when the boat wasn’t just rocked, but taken out and sunk so
a
totally new one could be built. It’s human nature that the people who
remember the last redesign express a fondness or even a preference for
what
would soon be the old design. Extend that long enough, though, and you
end
up with an “old man’s car” (to tie into a recent thread).As an example, given the recent success of the turbo diesel in Europe, why
isn’t being offered in the USA. With the new diesel EPA rules, it’s
economical as well as environmentally friendly. Yes, you would have to
overcome the lack of the USA diesel image, but what better fighter than a
high performance car that gets good fuel mileage. At least, it could
“holdSubject: Fw: [jag-news-discussion] Nex Jaguar XF
the fort” for a few years until Jaguar gets it right…there is lots of
evidence that it’s on the right track.Harry Parkinson
30 Coburn Avenue
Nashua, NH 03063-2736
USA
Tel 603-882-9367
Cell 603-426-0676