
Did Jaguar ‘go woke and go broke'? No, it's more complicated than that
It's especially upsetting, I should add, for those of us who care about such things, when it concerns a venerated marque and a slice of what's left of the British motor industry.
I refer of course to Jaguar, maker of some of the most beautiful, graceful and exhilarating cars in history. All last week there were headlines such as 'Go woke, go broke! Jaguar sales have crashed 97.5% since rebrand that stunned fans' and 'WOKE WOE Jaguar sales plummet 97.5% after fierce backlash over woke pink 'rebrand' that left fans slamming 'nonsense' EV'. 'Jaguar is heading for oblivion' was actually one of the more accurate ones, but only because it's been heading for oblivion on and off for most of the last half-century. 'Jaguar still alive' would be a better story.
Coincidence is not causation, even when it makes for a neat woke-broke narrative. It's perfectly true that, in some quarters, the pink-themed androgynous models featured in a brand awareness ad a few months ago made some folk choke on their gammon. The new concept car, a wildly ostentatious, you might well say camp, deco-retro design with an improbably long phallic bonnet also caused similar controversy when it was subsequently revealed. (That was, by the way, one of the most successful attention-grabbing PR campaigns in recent times. As you see, we're still talking about it).
It's also true that Jaguar sales have indeed collapsed. But that is really because, erm, Jaguar has basically stopped making cars. There's been no sales 'backlash' against the dramatic new electric pink thing with the odd 'jaGuar' logo because you can't order something that doesn't exist yet. It's a concept car. It might happen; it might not. Rarely do such outlandish ideas end up in the showrooms. The 'collapse in sales' has nothing to do with anything other than the ending of production. It's like saying that sales of Morris or Hillman cars have 'collapsed' in 2025. If Jaguar were still making their stylish saloons, sports cars and SUVs people would be happy to buy them; pink wasn't even a special paint option.
But why isn't Jaguar making any vehicles? Two good reasons, neither 'woke'. First, the owners of the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) group, Tata of India, weren't making any money on them, and there was no immediate hope of a return to profitability. There were in fact rumours not so long ago that the storied brand would be retired permanently, which would be a terrible shame, but make obvious commercial sense, and so allow the company to concentrate on its lucrative Range Rovers. Apparently, the boss, Ratan Tata, who died last year, wouldn't hear of it, but we can't be sure. In any case, happily, the second reason for Jaguar ceasing production of its internal combustion engine models, plus one slow-selling EV, was so that JLR could re-tool and reposition itself as an up-market, super luxury, advanced, thoroughly modern and profitable all-electric brand.
A big ask for anyone in the automotive business, that, but it's not impossible. There are some interesting recent precedents. The Lotus Eletre, for example, is a huge, dramatically styled super-premium all-electric SUV far removed from the little sports cars Lotus is renowned for, but it seems to be doing OK. Lotus is majority owned by the Chinese giant Geely these days, which has the financial muscle to revive this other beloved yet neglected make, and which, we learn, will still be making cars in Norfolk, even though the Eletre comes in from Wuhan (no jokes in poor taste, please).
Lotus, like Jaguar, had virtually disappeared before getting an infusion of cash and creativity from its new foreign owners. In a different sector, in mass-produced family cars, Shanghai Automotive also managed to exhume the MG brand and make it a major player in the family car 'crossover' SUV market. Again, that seemed a hopeless project to many pundits, but the buying public said different.
Another, historic, example, would be how Volkswagen in the 1970s managed to escape from its reliance on the ageing Beetle by inventing the Golf, which soon defined and dominated its sector and helped the company stage a textbook 'product-led' recovery.
The lesson seems to be that if you have a well-known and much-loved brand that has lost its way then you can, sometimes, defy your critics and turn things around. The next generation of all-electric Jaguars, Land Rovers and Range Rovers will share platforms, power packs, electronics and much else, which will help reduce costs, and with the right styling and marketing, they'll thrive. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with. There's life in the old cat yet.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Major motorway closed after crash between EIGHT lorries and cars as ‘beer barrels & fuel tanks' strewn across road
A MAJOR motorway has been shut after a crash involving eight lorries and cars, leaving "beer barrels and fuel tanks" strewn across the road. The M60 in Greater Manchester has been closed in both directions between J25 Bredbury Interchange (A560) and J1 Pyramid Roundabout (A5145) after a multi-vehicle crash involving four lorries and four cars. Greater Manchester Police, Manchester Fire & Rescue, North West Ambulance Service, National Highways traffic officers, and maintenance crews are at the scene. 3 3 3


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
British carmaker JLR's Q1 sales drop 11% after briefly halting U.S. exports
July 7 (Reuters) - British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) reported a 10.7% drop in first-quarter sales, its Indian parent Tata Motors ( opens new tab said on Monday, following a temporary pause in shipments to the U.S. JLR, known for its Range Rover sport utility vehicles, sold 87,286 units to dealers worldwide in the April-June quarter, down from 97,755 units a year ago. In April, JLR paused exports of its British-made cars to the U.S., one of its biggest growth markets, after President Donald Trump slapped a 25% duty on all foreign-made vehicles sold in the world's second-largest car market. JLR has no manufacturing presence in the U.S. Its 'Range Rover' lineup is manufactured in Britain – whose cars are subject to a 10% levy – while the top-selling 'Defender' SUVs are made in Slovakia, subject to a higher 25% levy. The steep decline in a key market for JLR comes as it navigates weak demand in China and slowing sales in Europe, prompting it to spend more to boost volumes. Sales in North America - which accounts for one third of its sales - dropped 12.2% in the first quarter. JLR is one of Britain's top car exporters and its sales accounts for two-thirds of parent Tata Motors' revenue. It also attributed the lower sales to a planned phase-out of its legacy Jaguar models. JLR and Tata Motors will report their first-quarter earnings in August.


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
New campervan and motorhome ban kicks in TODAY in tourist hotspot crackdown – rule-breakers risk having vehicle towed
A NEW campervan and motorhome ban has kicked in today in a tourist hotspot crackdown and rule-breakers risk having their vehicle towed away. It comes after months of complaints from residents about l arger vehicles dominating the area. 1 The details of the ban. Motorhomes and campervans owners have been warned of a new parking ban which prevents larger vehicles from accessing popular seafront roads in East Suffolk. The council has introduced an experimental Traffic Regulation Order for Undercliff Road East in a bid to create car-only parking bays along both sides of the road. This will effectively exclude campervans and motorhomes from the stretch. Council members said that larger vehicles were "damaging the footways and limiting opportunities for residents and visitors to access the beachfront easily." The experimental order will be assessed throughout the summer period to determine its effectiveness and may be adjusted before it becomes permanent. The new arrangements The council have stated that the new arrangements include dedicated parking bays for disabled badge holders with a three-hour time limit "to ensure they can be used by all those who need them." Designated motorcycle parking bays will also be introduced and double yellow lines will be painted on junctions to improve safety and visibility. The cars-only parking spaces will have no time limit, enabling longer stays for visitors to the seaside area. To help drivers get used to the changes, parking on a section of Undercliff Road East has been temporarily restricted between June 30 and July 18, with the council warning that vehicles parked during this period may be towed away reports GB News. Alternative parking for larger vehicles will be available at Manor Terrace, Garrison Lane and Golf Road. I travelled Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way in vantastic motorhome Where overnight parking will be permitted for a maximum of three days with no return within seven days. Signage and larger bays will be introduced at these alternative locations to accommodate campervans and motorhomes. The improvement works resulted from a collaboration between Suffolk Highways, East Suffolk Council and Felixstowe Town Council to address safety concerns. The reason behind the ban Felixstowe's popularity among the camping community had grown significantly due to amenities such as free tap water and public toilets. However, residents have been urging the council to introduce parking restrictions, with some complaining that campervans were parked on the road for months at a time. The council explained that larger vehicles, parking partially on pavements, was also causing obstruction issues, especially for wheelchair users and those with pushchairs. Councillor Seamus Bennett explained that overnight camping and parking of motorhomes has become excessive in the area. He said: "Dozens of very large vehicles park for days or weeks and effectively turn this stretch of seafront road into a free campsite, which it was never meant or equipped to be." Councillor Tim Wilson added: "Undercliff Road East is unsuitable for the high volume of large vehicles which visit during the summer months, and these layout changes will encourage these vehicles, including campervans and motorhomes, to find alternative parking." Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for Operational Highways and Flooding said: "The campervans have been offered an alternative parking solution." He explained that the experimental order aims to find "a lasting solution for the residents of the town". Campervan owners had previously highlighted their contribution to the local economy through the use of shops and pubs. And some suggested a 24-hour time limit might better balance competing needs.