7:56 am, November 25, 2024
The boss of Jaguar has hit out at the response to the brand’s controversial re-launch, accusing some critics of ‘vile hatred and intolerance’.
Rawdon Glover, Jaguar managing director, says that the much-debated 30-second clip, first posted last week, was aimed at trying to attract a new customer base to the historic brand.
He also insisted that the marque is not going ‘woke’ amid criticism from the likes of Elon Musk and Nigel Farage, the latter of whom said he hoped the whole company would now go bust.
‘If we play in the same way that everybody else does we’ll just get drowned out,’ Glover told the Financial Times.
‘So we shouldn’t turn up like an auto brand. We need to re-establish our brand and at a completely different price point so we need to act differently.
‘We don’t want to necessarily leave all of our customers behind. But we do need to attract a new customer base.’
Despite the criticism, Glover says the overall response to the campaign has been ‘very positive’ but he did express disappointment in the ‘vile hatred and intolerance’ in the comments towards those featured in the video.
More Jaguar
- Hallucinogenic sci-fi movie: Inside the rather bizarre relaunch of Jaguar
- Jaguar dealership network confirmed to shrink to ‘around 20’ showrooms
- Jaguar’s new logo combines upper and lower case letters as it doubles down on electric future
- ‘Firebreak’ – Jaguar says pulling new cars from sale was ‘strategic decision’ not a mistake
- Big Mike: Jaguar’s re-launch has ripped away one of used car dealers’ biggest perks
Car Dealer reported last week that following the re-brand, Jaguar is expecting to hold on to just 15% of its current clients as it moves towards being an electric-only brand.
Three new cars, all costing more than £100,000, will be launched from 2026 and sold from just 20 showrooms in the UK – down from 83.
On X, where owner Elon Musk asked if the brand sold cars, Jaguar’s post has been viewed 97m times.
Jaguar responded by inviting Musk to its next car’s unveiling on December 2 in Miami for a ‘cuppa’. He didn’t reply.
