Jag Designer: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges!
I guess no one told Jaguar Design Boss Ian Callum that the British brand's forthcoming sale spells the end of his reign over the historic marque's sheetmetal. While Jag's new buyers will no doubt be glad to see the back end of Mr. Callum, Mr. Callum is busy worrying about the back end of future Jaguars. The design jeffe told just-auto [sub] that he's going to take the word 'jaguar' off the back of production cars. But not just yet. "When people see the XF they won't know what it is," Callum demurred. "So they will look for a name badge. That's why we've left it on, but put the leaper there as well, The name will go probably on production cars within two or three years." After explaining the philosophy behind the XF's front end– creating a schnoz that Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons could have penned– Callum predicted the new sedan's nose wasn't a one-off. "It's styling that you'll see on Jaguars more and more," he added. If ever a sentence cried-out for the word "hopefully," that one's it.
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If this car is example of styling to come on more Jags, the I'll repeat what I said on Jalopnik. Looks like CTS sales just went up. Honestly, we complained about a Taurus front end on the XK, but after seeing this abomination, I'm not so sure. Whats so hard about an oval grille? Jaguar = Oval Grille, simple!
Great plan, ugly car with no name, so no one knows who made the ugly thing. And the 50 people who actually like it have no idea where to buy one cause it doesn't have a name.
Gee, didn't Oldsmobile do this with the Aurora? We all know how that turned out. It is ironically appropriate that the Jaguar mascot is known as the "leaper," a name that conjures images of the chronically mentally ill jumping from tall buildings and bridges in misguided, but nonetheless effective, attempts to end their intense personal suffering.
Jag should do it! Tell me about the cars with logos that aren't some graphic designer's symmetrical wet dream, but represent something that is alive: Cavallino Rampant! The Charging Lamborghini Bull! Whom else! These are symbols of passion! Not some corporate bean counter's icon representing engineering, design, assembly and marketing within the finance department's allowances, but passion! Jaguar was always about passion and now that Ford has just absolutely beaten the blooming soul out of the marque, let it be transferred to new owners clinging to an understanding of where it came from and to where it must return.