Some Thoughts on the New Jaguar Brand

The other day, following the unveiling of the new Jaguar brand, I saw someone mention that looked more like a fashion brand. Surely that’s the point?

No doubt, this new direction moves away from the traditional Jaguar style. Jaguar was founded in Blackpool in 1922. It became well known for quality and style, and good old British engineering. But times have changed.

Jaguar was bought by TATA steel in 2008. Their competitors are BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Porsche. As far as I can see, people with that kind of money to spend have plenty of choice. Why choose a Jaguar?

In the UK around 90% of new cars are bought with some kind finance, either a loan or a lease, with the average length of car ownership being around 4 years.

Jaguar knows this. And it also knows that its traditional market of older men with plenty of disposable income is dwindling. They’re repositioning, targetting a newer, younger, more fashion-concious market segment. People who are willing to spend a bit more, as well as those who will want to change up for the newer model at the next opportunity.

I blame phone contracts.

Before mobile contracts, most younger people couldn’t get finance of any kind. Now they can. Easy access to finance has changed an entire generation’s behaviour towards money. If you can lease it with minimal up-front cost and relatively short-term commitment, why bother saving up to own it?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jaguar pull out of the bag, it’s been a while since they released any new cars. But this new identity isn’t a mistake, or poorly thought through. It’s a bold step into a new market. The days of a tangible connection to British engineering and motorsport tradition are long gone.