JAGUAR FLIPS THE BIRD AT CONVENTION

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE STORIED BRITISH MARQUE? AND WILL IT WORK?

- WORDS ANGUS MACKENZIE

Fast, curvaceous cars and British Racing Green? The warm glow of wood, the rich tang of leather, the bright splashes of chrome? Grace, pace, and space? Forget everything you know about Jaguar. The storied British carmaker is undergoing the most profound transformation in its 89-year history.

The new Jaguar is nothing like the old. Everything, including the creation of a new typeface for the company logo, is different.

Necessary Upheaval

Jaguar Land Rover already shocked Jaguar enthusiasts and dealers when it announced it would end the production of all gas-powered Jaguars in 2024 and stop selling them worldwide until the first of the brand's all-new electric models, a car described as a four-door GT, launches in 2026. Halting production of today’s Jaguar lineup and effectively withdrawing the brand from the market for almost two years—though U.S. Jaguar dealers will still sell down inventory through 2025—sounds like a breathtakingly radical move. But it makes economic sense for a car company whose balance sheet has for years been awash with red ink. “We don't lose money if we don't sell money-losing cars,” one insider pointed out.

The idea of positioning Jaguar in the volume premium vehicle segment, where it competed against Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi—a strategy first developed when Ford Motor Co. owned the brand and continued under Tata's ownership—has proven an expensive failure. Jaguar never got anywhere near selling the 600,000 vehicles a year it needed to reach profitability.