Jaguar, a renowned 102-year-old British car company, is on the verge of revealing a fresh concept car. This isn't an unusual occurrence as car companies often showcase eccentric models to preview their future designs. However, what Jaguar is about to do has sparked a massive, fiery online debate that has extended into politics and the culture wars.

TopGear.com's Guide to the Jaguar Controversy

What's Happened?

On Tuesday, 19 November 2024, Jaguar unveiled its new 'brand identity'. This includes a new 'monogram' badge featuring a circle with a 'J' and an 'r', along with a Venetian blind leaping cat caged in a barcode and a 'wordmark' spelling 'JaGUar' in jumbled upper/lower case. Simultaneously, Jaguar's social media channels deleted their entire archives and posted a 30-second video that didn't feature a single car. Instead, it showed a group of unimpressed high fashion models posing in a lift and playing with a paintbrush and mallet in a children's soft-play zone. Jaguar's new mantra of 'copy nothing' and 'delete ordinary' was prominently displayed.The reaction has been diverse. One has to scroll through numerous negative comments to find those who are genuinely pleased. Marketing guru Rory Sutherland commented that Jaguar can't survive on a group of people who love the brand but don't buy the cars. "F***ing lunacy" was the verdict from Marketing Week. Reform Party MP Nigel Farage predicted Jaguar's downfall, and Tesla boss Elon Musk even asked if Jaguar sells cars on X. Columnists from all political spectrums have been expressing their opinions, and numerous 'emergency podcasts' have been discussing the matter. F1 grid walk legend Martin Brundle liked it, stating that he has no idea what it's all about but it's genius as everyone is talking about Jaguar.

Why Has It Happened?

The brand revamp came as a surprise to many, but it marks the tangible beginning of Jaguar's efforts to reset its ailing operation. As of November 2024, it's the first time since 1948 that no new Jaguars are in production. The company is in the midst of a 'firebreak' to distance itself from its previous mainstream semi-premium image and target a younger, more diverse 'cash-rich, time-poor' clientele by selling £100k ultra-lux EVs and competing with Porsche and Bentley.On 3 December 2024, Jaguar will reveal an outlandish concept car that will set the tone for its future direction. It is expected to be bluff, angular, massive in scale, and untraditionally bold. Judging from the disguised prototype already being tested at Jag HQ, this isn't just a publicity stunt. Jaguar is determined to make something wild.The bosses needed to generate anticipation for this significant moment in Jaguar's history. The confusing and controversial brand campaign has been highly successful, but it has also angered many. Most people weren't talking about Jaguar before, but now they are, and some are even shouting.

Why Are People So Angry?

As of writing, the YouTube video has received over two million views, and the Instagram reel has been seen 6.9 million times. The comment sentiment across all social media channels is overwhelmingly negative. The word 'woke' (and 'go woke go broke') has been frequently mentioned along with 'RIP Jaguar'. People were confused by the lack of a car, irritated by Jaguar 'fixing' a badge that they didn't think was broken, and enraged by the deletion of all previous social media posts. There is a theme in the responses that Jaguar represents the most traditional side of the car industry - caddish, classically pretty cars that drive well but are often unreliable and behind the times in terms of technology.Jaguar made its name in the Fifties and Sixties by winning Le Mans and building affordable cars that could outpace Ferrari and Aston Martin. The E-Type and XK120 were both beautiful and affordable bargains. Even when Jaguar went radical with cars like the XJS coupe, they still exuded charm. The all-aluminium early-2000s XJ was unique, and the I-Pace opened the premium electric SUV market. People who love Jaguars love them for their stout Britishness, debonair sense of humour, and Saville row style. The new-look Jag vision seems to have abandoned all of that.Moreover, Jaguar's top brass haven't apologized; instead, they have doubled down. The official Instagram account has been responding with sass, and Jaguar boss Rawdon Glover told the Financial Times that if they play like everyone else, they will be drowned out. He also condemned the 'anti-woke' reaction as 'vile hatred and intolerance'.

Did Jaguar Need to Do This?

This is a crucial question. Jaguar has a rich heritage that many Chinese newcomers would envy. It is a brand that is more likely to be seen on the road than an Audi. So, why go through an expensive rebrand? Why move the next generation of cars out of the reach of most people who could afford the current ones? And why enter the EV market when the transition is facing challenges such as high energy prices and stuttering Net Zero targets?The truth is that Jaguar hasn't been consistently profitable for decades. CEOs come and go, parent brands change, and Jaguar changes its strategy, but it never makes enough money. In the last financial year, JLR sold 58,000 Range Rovers, 28,700 Defenders, and only 13,528 Jaguars in total. Even in its peak year of 2019, annual sales topped out at just over 610,000, which is less than two-thirds of the stated goal of one million.

Where Has Jaguar Been Going Wrong?

Before the recent 'let's challenge BMW and Audi' era, there was the retro era when the S-Type and X-Type tried to recapture Jag's heyday styling. However, they failed to compete with BMW's controversial designs and were criticized for looking stuck in the past. Throughout the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties, Jaguar had its highs and lows. It won Le Mans in 1988 and 1990, and the mid-Nineties XK was admired, but it was often derided for poor reliability and aftersales service.Take the XJ220, for example. It is now regarded as one of the greatest Nineties supercars, but upon its launch, it was criticized for its size, weight, and the switch from a naturally-aspirated V12 to a twin-turbo V6. Deposits were lost, and production was stopped early.

Didn't Jaguar Already Try Going Electric?

One might think that the I-Pace was Jaguar's electric standard-bearer, but it was also a financial burden. Jaguar had to rely on Austrian contractor Magna Steyr to make it, and EVs have thin profit margins. The C-X75 hybrid hypercar was cancelled to avoid losses, and the Formula E support series featuring I-Paces only lasted two seasons. In the V8 market, Jaguar invented a racing series to sell Project 8 supersaloons, but it didn't materialize. The F-Type, which was praised by critics, was outsold four to one by the Porsche 911 over its 11-year life.

Where Does This Rebrand Leave Jaguar Now?

Due to a lack of R&D budget, it has been a long time since Jaguar made a truly class-leading car. While the cars are usually handsome and good to drive, they haven't been able to compete with German and Japanese hegemony, which is now being challenged by Korea and China. After trying to be retro, a mass-market German rival, and a low-volume alternative, it seems that reinventing itself as an 'EV-only boutique' is its last chance.However, Jaguar has angered a lot of people who love and care about the brand. These people feel abandoned and that Jaguar no longer wants their business. The question is, how many of these traditionalists actually bought Jaguar cars? And if they did, would Jaguar even be considering such a risky rebrand?

When Will We Know If Jaguar's Rebrand Worked?

This could be a game-changer or a difficult situation to overcome. The first clue will be on 3 December when the new car is revealed. Keep an eye on TopGear.com and TG's social media channels for all the latest news and developments.