British car brands: Jaguar and Land Rover

[race aficionado]

One of my main clients that I do videos for is Jaguar/Land Rover.

I have always loved those brands.

I have never been able to afford a Jag and the closest that I got to owning a Range Rover was owning a Land Rover Santana (made in Spain) when I lived in Colombia in the late 60's early 70's - nothing like a luxurious Range Rover but that baby took me everywhere.

This being a traditional Brit brand, what do you guys thing of the present state of the Jag/Land Rover brand? It looks pretty healthy to me right now and I really love their new models.

I also ask this because car manufacturing is also part of certain countries pride and the Jag/Rover were in a sad shape a short while ago when they had to leave the British isles and be part of Ford in the US of A. Now they are part of the India economy as part of Tata Motors and I think the brand is in a wonderful resurgence period right now.

What do you think?
:s mokin:

[Mark]

Hmm, I don't really think of them as British. They are just another foreign owned car company.

[race aficionado]

Hmm, I don't really think of them as British. They are just another foreign owned car company.

Hmmm, so much for tradition . . . .

:s mokin:

[Steve Boyd]

The holding company might be part of the Indian econony but the former Ford manufactuing plant at Halewood (once famous for the Escort), just outside Liverpool, is making a considerable contribution to the local economy by building Freelanders & Evoques.

[Gregor-y]

I looked at an X-Type back around 2001 when they came out but couldn't justify the price over my Impreza, which I bought after a long comparison with an SVT Coutour, the US equivalent of a hot Mondeo. Some of the new concepts look interesting but their current lineup is as slab-sided and sight-line reduced as any other new car. Being a bit of a Luddite I really liked the last generation XJ with it's aluminum structure but older design cues. The Range Rover sport looks nice, but it's not very useful unless you want to take three friends on a road trip to Las Vegas.

I do hope they don't go too far with the buggy electrics like BMW has done.

[Jag_Warrior]

I looked at an X-Type back around 2001 when they came out but couldn't justify the price over my Impreza, which I bought after a long comparison with an SVT Coutour, the US equivalent of a hot Mondeo.

I have to say, this is a rather amazing coincidence! I looked at an X-type in late 2003/early 2004. I needed an AWD car because I was parking my car at the airport when I flew and I never knew what the weather would be like when I returned. I thought the X-type would give me a good Jag fix, plus be a good, sporty car. I'd even picked one out and had the financing lined up. But after a trip to Montreal and seeing a WRX perform on poor weather roads, I totally changed my mind. What a sexy lil road monster, I thought! I fell in love with the Impreza/WRX. I bought one. I still have it. And I still love it as much today as the day I drove it off the lot. It's been the most fun and reliable car I have EVER owned! I dumped money into modifying it and it's as close to an STI wagon as one can get with that model year. On a wet mountain road, I soundly spanked a Corvette several years ago. I was so proud! :) I got an XK-8 several years after that and though I'm very fond of it, the WRX is (for the money) a MUCH better car. But with that said, I think the newer WRX's are butt freakin' ugly - specifically the wagons (mine is a sport wagon). I'd like to buy another one. But just as my girl says life is too short to wear ugly shoes, I feel that life is too short to drive an ugly car. I'd like to buy another Subie, but not unless they get the styling right before I need to go shopping.


Some of the new concepts look interesting but their current lineup is as slab-sided and sight-line reduced as any other new car. Being a bit of a Luddite I really liked the last generation XJ with it's aluminum structure but older design cues.

I have loved Jags since I first saw a picture of an E-type when I was a kid. The first one I bought was an XJ-S. And despite the quality control issues that plagued Jags back in the 80's and 90's, mine was a good car - I still have it too. But I don't care for the newer ones either. My XK-8 is an '05 model, and (IMO) that is the last XK that had an attractive front end. The newer ones have more of a Mazda Miata look to my eye. I don't care for the XF or the new XJ either. They're good cars. They're attractive cars. But to my eye, they just don't look like Jaguars. Like you, I preferred the previous gen XJ. Some of the concepts look interesting. The Jag XE sportster coupe could be a winner. And several of the other concepts may have some promise. But the best "concept" that I've seen recently was from some rich guy who took an XK and re-created a proper E-type interpretation. I think I saved a picture of it, but I can't remember his name just now.

[slinkster]

My other half has just started working for Jag as a principle engineer. I can't say what he's working on but he's loving it there so far. He even went on a "product awareness" day where he got to drive loads of the vehicles- not a bad way to spend a day in the office!

The company is having a massive impact at the moment, and is expanding massively over the next few years. I think it's great for the country. :)

[Brown, Jon Brow]

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/sep2011/7/7/jaguar-c-x16-803595860.jpg

Yes please! :)