When Jaguar Roared

by Jack Baruth

Published: October 30th, 2013

Under Indian ownership, Jaguar has descended into the sort of theme-park Engish-esque-ness that was once the exclusive property of MINI. A Britannia-flag F-Type-RS is surely just days away at the point as Tata sweats to polish the brand before the inevitable start of Asian assembly. Today’s Jags are interesting and characterful vehicles after a fashion, but as with many other brands, they are still relying on the glamor of a previous age to move the metal.

So let’s return to that age, when John Egan ruled the roost and the pennies were pinched properly and “heritage” was a concept honored mostly in the breach, not the observance.

Your humble E-I-C’s quixotic love for the Jaguar XJ-S is relatively well-known, or should be, but it’s worth noting that the XJ-S represented the best of the company as well as the worst. No, it was never fully sorted, and no, none of them ever ran particularly well, but it was a Jaguar in the proper sense: the most grace, space, and pace for the money, and forward-thinking with it. No retro foolishness, no harkening to a past era of glory. Better to have the glory now.

And with the help of Tom Walkinshaw — hell, because of Tom Walkinshaw — glory was had, in 55-gallon-drum quantities. One free car was all that Jaguar provided to begin with, and from that seed a race-winning tree sprouted. No, there’s nothing “classic” or “retro” about the cars you’ll see if you click the above link, but do you care? Of course not. The star-crossed big coupe caused its owners enough grief to last most of them a lifetime, but when it shone, it truly shone. Will those days ever return? Will Jaguar, under Tata ownership, ever shoot the moon for a super-aerodynamic, high-speed, high-drama coupe again? We can only hope.

#Jaguar #Racing #Twr

Jack Baruth

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Tstag on Oct 31, 2013

I don't get this article. Under Tata Jaguar is getting stronger making cars like the f type that are a long way from that British pastiche invented by Ford called the S type. Jack is out of touch. Jaguars doing well. Making great cars. And best if all they are expanding all of the factories in Britain. Indeed building a new one and in addition expanding globally too. Yet Jack out if touch Baruth gives a totally different impression and not for the first time! Do your research man!

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WozTheWise on Oct 31, 2013

Mr Baruth appears to be referring to the Jaguar of 10 years ago, under Ford ownership, rather than the very different entity that is forging ahead under Tata ownership. No retro to be found at Browns Lane today.

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