C-XF concept debuts, Ford confirms Jaguar not for sale
Newswheel staff :: 11 January 2007 :: Filed under Saloon, Jaguar, Europe & UK, Trade shows, US
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Mulally lays it all out
Given the rollercoaster ride that is Ford’s day-to-day existence, we’ll forgive you for taking this with a pinch of salt. But the Blue Oval’s new head honcho Alan Mulally spake thusly to the assembled throng at the Detroit motor show: “Jaguar is not for sale at this time.” Meanwhile, the wraps have come off the company’s latest show car, the C-XF…
Of course, “not for sale at this time” is hardly a rock-solid commitment not to flog the big cat in the near future. And with Ford apparently teetering on the edge of financial oblivion, it’s not hard to imagine Mr Mulally being forced to reconsider Jaguar’s status sooner rather than later.
It’s a Jag Jim, but not as we know it (flex your finger for high res images)
In the meantime, what exactly to make of the new C-XF concept? It’s a mercifully forward-looking design that proves Jaguar has fully digested the folly of its chintzy, retro designs of the 1990s. As Jag’s design director Ian Callum says, “One thing should be abundantly clear whenever people are discussing Jaguar design. Jaguars should be seen as modern cars and in the future people will appreciate them for that.” Indeed, it’s all too easy to take classic Jags such as the E-Type classic out of their historical context and forget just how modern and challenging they really were.
Whatever, Jaguar’s press bumpf is predictably packed with references to inspiration drawn from big cats of old (the 1950 Mark VII and 1959 Mark 2 saloons in this case), flowing lines, taut surfaces, tight “skins” and distinctive grilles. But the big question is whether the C-XF manages to be both contemporary and unmistakably Jaguar. That’s an awfully subjective call, but a straw poll at Newswheel HQ suggests that while C-XF is certainly sleek and attractive, swapping the badge in favour of any of a number of Japanese, or perhaps even US, brands would be enough to disguise the car’s true identity.
For the record, the C-XF concept is powered by Jaguar’s 4.2-litre supercharged V8 lump.
P.S. Mr Mulally also confirmed that Jaguar’s Premier Automotive Group sibling, Aston Martin, would be under new ownership before the end of ’07.
