Well that got everyone’s attention. Let’s talk about the advert first: at the end of November, 30 seconds of colour-saturated, slightly dystopian video ricocheted around the world. It turns out that Jaguar had millions of highly opinionated fans, who expressed themselves not only quite lucidly, but regrettably quite personally towards chief creative officer Gerry McGovern and his JLR colleagues. JLR (or Jaguar Land Rover as it used to be known) is no stranger to stirring emotions, but usually this involves doing the stirring with the latest iteration of an already well-loved vehicle or engine. In this case, a lot of the emotions expressed were both negative and forceful.
Unfortunately many – perhaps most – of these outraged “fans” have never actually bought one of their cars. The sheer volume of negative comments almost certainly outweighed the number of vehicles sold last year. “Do the math” as they say, because therein lies the problem. For decades, Jaguar has been producing some wonderful and groundbreaking vehicles. From the D-Type of the 1950s, the iconic E-Type of the 1960s (described as “the most beautiful car in the world” by Enzo Ferrari), to the Mark 2 and Mark 10 saloons, the various XJ iterations, shapely XKs and most recently the F-Pace SUV, I-Pace and F-Type coupé. These are all great vehicles, cars with real soul. But car companies, like any brand, cannot survive on love alone. They need sales, and Jaguar has struggled in recent years to achieve the numbers to make it profitable.
“The unveiling was at one of the pre-eminent global art gatherings – and that tells you a lot”
Brands are strange things. Brand “memory” can be even stranger. I recall perhaps 15 years ago listening to a despairing friend at Jaguar Land Rover (as it then was), describing the uphill battle to overcome the “gin and Jag” perception held by younger potential buyers. Somewhat presciently, I remember him wondering if that battle would ever be won. Even though these would-be customers agreed that the Jaguar in question was at least as good, if not better than, the equivalent BMW or Mercedes, they still thought it was a brand their parents bought. Fifteen years on, it appears that is still the case, the bottom line being that Jaguar represents only 15 percent of total JLR sales, and while Range Rover and Defender are both highly profitable, Jaguar is not. From a business point of view, this is not a sustainable situation. Put simply, something had to be done.
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“Something” was a major reset. Back in February 2021 the announcement was made that Jaguar would be relaunched as an all-electric brand from 2025. To begin with it looked as though this would be done with what might be called “conventional” cars – simply evolved versions of the existing portfolio. But there was a distinct risk that Jaguar would merely find itself in a whole new frying pan. BMW and Mercedes already have rapidly developing ranges of EVs – some dedicated, some just electric versions of regular models – to say nothing of Tesla and the impressive products coming from the likes of Kia and Hyundai. You can begin to see how and why Jaguar is where it is.
And so we come back to the ad. Two weeks later, JLR gathered in Miami for the unveiling of its Type 00. Significantly it was in the setting of Art Basel Miami, one of the pre-eminent global art gatherings – not the Geneva Motor Show – and that tells you a lot. Beforehand, there were a series of briefings with MD Rawdon Glover and his teams, laying out the context of the brand development – the logo, monogram, colour, detailing, touchpoints and architecture. It also included materials probably never before seen in a car, such as travertine veneers and brass that will be allowed to patinate naturally. This takes car design into truly new territory and is hugely impressive, but perhaps not surprising as this reset has been led by Gerry McGovern, who is not your average car designer. Later that day the world got to see not the production car but a design vision – very different in the flesh to the flat renderings that leaked hours earlier. It was undoubtedly a “wow” moment.
A great deal of modern car design ends up looking very similar. Even for car enthusiasts like myself, it is hard telling many of them apart. But more than that, I am simply not stirred by the great majority of what is on sale, and that includes well-known brands that I was once excited by. That makes me sad. Some of the models are embarrassingly unattractive with aggressive plastic mouldings, and the interiors are frequently a soulless place to be, with uninspiring materials (and yet more plastic). This is not how Gerry works. Firstly, he has established “Creative” as being the driving force at JLR, with Design now a 700-strong operation, and Engineering playing second fiddle. Normally it is the other way round. And secondly, his design ethos has been forged in a more cerebral place, rather than a practical one. His creative aesthetic is informed by a deeply held belief in modernism, a philosophy which is now a century old, with design heroes such as Breuer, Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. “Reduction” is a central tenet: lines with a purpose and subtle details that are celebrated and executed beautifully. What this means in practice can be seen in the new-generation Range Rover. This vehicle may not be for you, but it can still be appreciated as a piece of great design, and is highly sculptural in a way that almost no other cars are. It is very “considered” and immediately strikes you as the product of a truly integrated design vision, not just a collection of parts.
But there is another aspect to all of this and I think one that has largely been missed in the rush to respond to Miami. McGovern is also a long-time admirer of luxury brands such as Hermès, Cartier, Chanel and Loro Piana. These historic businesses have made an art of the way they curate themselves, their attention to detail, materials, how they develop an emotional connection with their customers and, above all, their craft. They are very good at it and hugely successful commercially. That, I believe, is the ambition for Jaguar. Significantly the first “brand house” will open in Paris, the centre of so much of the luxury industry, and will be followed by London and a small number of other luxury hubs. It is a very clear move away from the old – and rather tired – “dealer” model, where cars are lined up in boxes on the edge of town and you may or may not get attended to by one of the salesmen (and they are usually men).
So for me the bottom line is this: Jaguar is not just being reinvented as a car brand, but is actually being reimagined as a luxury brand that happens to make cars. And it is a smart move. We are in a completely different world in just about every respect from the brand’s heyday. As McGovern said to me, “What is the point in trying to replicate what went before if it’s not relevant in a modern context?” Furthermore, the reality of modern-day driving is actually pretty depressing and only likely to get worse with heavy traffic, 20mph speed limits, cameras everywhere and soon satellite monitoring and control. It is not a lot of fun any more (although it may at least be quieter thanks to EVs). In this future, I want to be in a considered, cosseting, calming, crafted space surrounded by beautiful materials and details – a place that enriches me. This is the vision that Jaguar has presented. Yes, it is a leap of faith, to use an apposite word, but I believe we are in good hands.
