Driver Magazine - Issue 1 Dec 24 (3) - Flipbook - Page 46
I was with Rob (the editor) when it was announced and we first saw the new design pack, and I
couldn9t help but remark that 89well, at least its not changing the accent colours from Black to
Dark Grey99. It was bold, brave and completely out of character – Jaguar definitely weren9t playing
it safe this time.
That was just the change in marketing style, let alone the redesign of the cars. The new cars, are
definitely a different direction for the company. Evoking more of a feel of the bespoke Rolls
Royces or Delahayes of the 19209s and 309s than of the previous 10 or 20 years.
I think in the modern world, every brand is in constant evolution.
Jaguar is no exception; it is a company which has constantly
changed and evolved.
Beginning in the mid-1930s, then again in the late 19409s, the late
19609s, again in the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and then in the
20009s several times as not only did the design language of the
cars change (with successive design chiefs with the likes of Ian
Callum, Earl Beckles and Malcolm Sayer) but the entire
company look, ethos and positioning changed too.
Jaguar is not the only company to rebrand themselves for the
future. Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, you name it have
had to adapt or die somewhat. But, with each of these rebrands
(and I am talking aesthetically) no one batted an eyelid. Agreed,
Jaguar9s new look is a radical departure from previous years –
but as mentioned in their press releases that the future of
Jaguar cars offerings in the market are going to be a radical
departure too.
Any manufacturer who has been around for 30+ years has
changed their look in that time. As the market shifts, consumers
buying habits change and societies views on cars ebbs and
flows, manufacturers have to do what they need to do in order
to survive. For example, Bentley.
Bentley announced several years ago that it would be swapping
over from internal combustion to fully electric by 2030 (later that
was revised to 2035). But, along with that the company changed
a lot of its imagery too, but it always has.
When Rolls Royce acquired them in the early to mid 19309s, the
look of the cars changed and so did their marketing, and it did
when Vickers took over and then again when Volkswagen
bought Bentley.
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