Jaguar sticks with XJ6 badge

Press, 31 July 1986, Page 30

Jaguar sticks with XJ6 badge

PETER GREENSLADE

Likely to be launched In October, at the Paris or the Birmingham motor shows, Jaguar’s long-awaited XJ4O saloon

will carry the XJ6 badge. The decision to continue with this time-hon-oured label has been made because the Series Three XJ6 has been an unqualified success during the last two years, exceeding all the Coventry company’s expectations. There is a strong feeling among Jaguar’s senior executives that it would be foolhardy not to capitalise on that fact when launching the new model. The XJ4O will be offered with 2.9 and 3.6 litre engines at first, but the company already has additional models in the pipeline. Jaguar is said to be aiming to create a range to challenge MercedesBenz. The next step will almost certainly see the introduction of a longwheelbase version powered by the Vl2 engine. It is likely that it will be called the XJI2.

A coupe, a cabriolet and, finally, a sports car in the tradition of the Etype which was dropped from the Jaguar range some years ago, are all understood to have been developed beyond the drawing board stage. It is unlikely, however, that the sports model will reach the streets before the early 19905. Apart from trading on the success of the Series Three XJ6, Jaguar is also using the label on its new car because it is logical to do so when its Mercedes and BMW rivals do likewise, retaining established and highly-respected names for their new models.

However, the only similarity between the current XJ6 and the new XJ4O is likely to be the name, because it is said that every part bf the XJ4O is new.

Under the guidance of Sir John Egan, Jaguar’s chairman and chief executive, the company has flourished and everything is now going so well that earlier forecasts of achieving a

60,000 sales target by 1990 have been amended, because management now feels that the figure will be achieved well before then. Last year, 38,500 Jag-

uars were sold and this year sales are confidently expected to better 42,000, with the United States continuing to be the biggest market Recently, Jaguar

received the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement for the third successive year — a. remarkable turnaround for a company that appeared doomed five

years or so ago. Royal recognition of John Egan’s contribution to Jaguar came earlier this year with his knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday honours list v