Pundits, myself included, scoffed when Ford bought Jaguar. At the time, Lexus and Infiniti were on the march, and it was a matter of time before the overpriced and over-engineered Germans would be competitive again. GM was flirting M ith Saab and Lotus. Ford felt it couldn't elevate Lincoln into a top-line, world luxomarque. So it paid a fortune- over $4 billion- for a failing British company whose cars were lovely, even legendary, but were long the butt of reliability jokes.
Five years have passed. Under Ford's tutelage, Jaguar's design. engineering, and manufacturing processes have been completely overhauled and updated. Credit Ford's brilliant Jim Padilla, expertly superimposed the best of Dearborn on Coventry, without losing the essence of what Jag's U.S. CEO, Mike Dale, calls "our Jaguarness."
As a result, sales have shifted dramatically upward. The XJ series sedans were markedly improved, on time and under budget. The beautiful XK8 coupes and roadsters are selling off the charts. Astutely, Ford let Jaguar design its own four-cam V-8 - a honey of an engine, and its presence under those long hoods is key. Despite the rationalization inherent in Ford 2000, these cars aren't Fords they're Jaguars.
In the U.S., residuals and dealer profits are up; faults per 1,000 cars and warranty costs are way down. The perception gap has narrowed, aided by a brilliant ad campaign. Jaguars, long an emotional choice, are becoming a rational buying decision.
And the best is vet to come. Think about BMW, Mercedes and Lexus for a moment. the obvious targets. They each sell smalL midsized and large car lines, and they have sports models. Jaguar has long been relegated to one sedan (albeit with two wheelbases) and a sports car.
But look back in Jaguar history-something Jag folk do constantly - to a sporty little sedan called the 3.8 Mark II. j
This petite 4-door used drivetrains and selected underpinnings from its bigger brethren. Its styling was unique, but had lots of cues borrowed from the larger models cat's eye nacelled headlamps, a curvaceous shape, radiused wheel wells, and all the wood accents and lush Connolly leather of the big Jags. Mark II's were quick, nimble, and priced right. "Entry level" luxury seems to be a contradiction in terms, but high sales of 5-Series, EClass and ES300 prove many buyers are comfortable with the term. For Jaguar to even approach the volumes that would get Jac Nasser a knighthood like his boss Alex Trotman's, it needs a competitive small sedan. Jaguar's got the hardware, especially its new 4.0L V-8, and it's got the styling cues. Think about that classic 3.8 Mark II again.
Lincoln faces the same challenge: To appeal to younger luxury buyers, it too must have a mid-sized car. Despite its rationalization plan, you can bet Ford won't build one car and badge it as both a Jaguar and a Lincoln. Rumors swirl around the new small Jag, code-named X200. Some experts fear Ford will compromise.
I've seen the X200 recently, within the secret studios in Coventry. While I can't divulge details yet, I can say it's a genuine Jaguar, though and through. The car's designers could have gone many ways - a modern interpretation of an old design, a retro sedan that closely resembles the Mark II, even a shrunken XJ6. And they could've gone frontdrive, perhaps to share components with Lincoln; or rear-drive, with the agile road manners Jaguar's known for.
You'll just have to guess. But I'll say this much: Ford and Jaguar have done it absolutely right. Watch for Jaguar's new baby to put a big dent in the "entry level" luxury market. By purchasing Jaguar, Ford really had a better idea.
[Author Affiliation]
Ken Gross, an automotive writer, is director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angles.
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