RE: Jaguar's heritage museum to close...
Wednesday 1st February 2012
Fans of Jaguars (and museums) need to hurry along to Browns Lane soon, because Jaguar's heritage centre will close its doors in September - and won't re-open them in another location for the foreseeable future.
Our chums over on Classic & Sports Car, who have been known to enjoy a trip or two round a museum of old cars, confirmed yesterday evening that Jaguar has no plans to create a new publicly accessible museum.
"It is an important collection and though there are no immediate plans to relocate it to a similar facility, as far as we are concerned our Heritage Centre is not closing at all - it is business as usual," a Jaguar spokesman told C&SC.
Jaguar's heritage museum to close...
...And no plans to re-open Browns Lane Museum in a new site
Jaguar says it will work hard to keep the cars in the public eye at motoring and motorsport events (a la Goodwood Festival of Speed), but that the 'proper' museum must go as part of Jaguar's planned run-down of its Browns Lane site.
But although the closure is bad news it could be worse: Jaguar has not ruled out re-opening the 150-strong collection of cars to the public, should it find a suitable site.
"In fact, there are very exciting plans for the collection in terms of activity, even if there isn't going to be a central museum for the moment."
Which sounds lovely, but how about a new 'Jaguar wing' at the Motor Heritage Centre in Gaydon - you own that, don't you, Jaguar?
Discussion
A great shame. With such massive investment in the brand from TATA & bumper profits for the JLR Group, it is a shame the company can't show off their heritage in a purpose built facility somewhere in Brum like the other big German car manufactuers do.
PS I don't mind keeping the XJ220 in my garage if Jag are short of space!
PS I don't mind keeping the XJ220 in my garage if Jag are short of space!
All serious car manufacturers respect their heritage and hold a heritage collection. It is not an optional extra - particularly for prestige cars. Fundamentally it is a vital marketing tool. "A dad takes his 9 year old son/daughter around a collection of old Jaguars... 20 years later and the son/daughter heads to a Jaguar dealer..."
I hope their plans are ways of making the heritage collection more widely available to the public.
I hope their plans are ways of making the heritage collection more widely available to the public.
sunsurfer said:
All serious car manufacturers respect their heritage and hold a heritage collection. It is not an optional extra - particularly for prestige cars. Fundamentally it is a vital marketing tool. "A dad takes his 9 year old son/daughter around a collection of old Jaguars... 20 years later and the son/daughter heads to a Jaguar dealer..."
I hope their plans are ways of making the heritage collection more widely available to the public.
That is a tenuous marketing strategy at best! I hope their plans are ways of making the heritage collection more widely available to the public.
It is strange to me that, on the one hand, Jaguar trades on its brand and heritage and quite clearly, the brand is of great value, while on the other hand they do little to promote the fact that they even have a heritage centre.
Compare and contrast this to Mercedes , with their Brooklands centre, or Porsche with their centre at Silverstone.
Big mistake this.
Note to Jaguar - do not close the centre. PROMOTE the centre. Or relocate it to Brands Hatch or something.
The truth is, I did'nt know it even existed. Now I do, I want to go there.
Compare and contrast this to Mercedes , with their Brooklands centre, or Porsche with their centre at Silverstone.
Big mistake this.
Note to Jaguar - do not close the centre. PROMOTE the centre. Or relocate it to Brands Hatch or something.
The truth is, I did'nt know it even existed. Now I do, I want to go there.
I was lucky enough to be taken around Castle Bromwich and Browns by the production director about a decade ago and it was fascinating to see the differences and the way the plants were. But I was more surprised when it was Browns that was closed rather than Solihull if only cos the people at Browns seemed so dedicated and the site so dripping with history. But decisions of the past are history and a museum effectively isolated seems a little lost in some ways when it really isn't all that big, so I get the decision.
Better to house it where more people will see it in the future.
I also think we do have to realise that this isn't in any way or form a UK company these days. Tata chooses to keep production and most development here and that is a great thing - but everything that could mitigate against some profitability has to be seen as being of little interest to a company like Tata (or any other multinational) and while I might get all misty eyed about the great days at Browns, most purchasers barely know where their cars are built by continent, yet alone town. So history will only be seen to be valuable if it adds to the brand value - and does a collection of cars few people see and most don't know about add to that value?
Better to house it where more people will see it in the future.
I also think we do have to realise that this isn't in any way or form a UK company these days. Tata chooses to keep production and most development here and that is a great thing - but everything that could mitigate against some profitability has to be seen as being of little interest to a company like Tata (or any other multinational) and while I might get all misty eyed about the great days at Browns, most purchasers barely know where their cars are built by continent, yet alone town. So history will only be seen to be valuable if it adds to the brand value - and does a collection of cars few people see and most don't know about add to that value?
It would be a shame but lets hope the savings go into creating an even better future.
What if Jaguar were to loan special cars to it's dealer network? A main agent could hold small exhibits of a couple of cars for a month and then swap them over for a different pair and hopefully let their customers (and potential customers) know what will turn up when.
Obviously this would need to go for their American, European and Asian dealers too so 150 cars isn't really that many and Jaguar wouldn't have to hang on to them all at the same time.
What if Jaguar were to loan special cars to it's dealer network? A main agent could hold small exhibits of a couple of cars for a month and then swap them over for a different pair and hopefully let their customers (and potential customers) know what will turn up when.
Obviously this would need to go for their American, European and Asian dealers too so 150 cars isn't really that many and Jaguar wouldn't have to hang on to them all at the same time.
Bisonhead said:
This is barmy, how much can it cost to keep a museum operational. Electricity, rent, staff, cleaner. Surely these costs are justifiable to allow the public to see these very important cars?
Madness
Keeping a classic collection on the road is a hugely expensive undertaking, as anyone who has owned a classic car will tell you. Particularly when they're of such importance and historic value. This collection aren't simply cars kept under bubble wrap and polished monthly, they're used on a weekly or monthly basis (with a few exceptions). Jaguar employees could even rent them (with driver) for weddings and suchlike.Madness
However, the collection isn't being sold, shelved, or scrapped. It's simply not going to be in that location anymore; and at this stage JLR do not have a suitable public venue in mind. The Heritage Centre would appear an obvious solution, but that's near capacity already and I believe there may be planning resrictions on expansion. Anyone who drives near there at rush hour will tell you there's not much more capacity for extra traffic volume!
A wing on the new engine plant in Wolverhampton may be a solution, perhaps?
toppstuff said:
It is strange to me that, on the one hand, Jaguar trades on its brand and heritage and quite clearly, the brand is of great value, while on the other hand they do little to promote the fact that they even have a heritage centre.
Compare and contrast this to Mercedes , with their Brooklands centre, or Porsche with their centre at Silverstone.
Big mistake this.
Note to Jaguar - do not close the centre. PROMOTE the centre. Or relocate it to Brands Hatch or something.
The truth is, I did'nt know it even existed. Now I do, I want to go there.
Not to mention that Porsche and Mercedes aren't even based here, and the Porsche museum in Germany!Compare and contrast this to Mercedes , with their Brooklands centre, or Porsche with their centre at Silverstone.
Big mistake this.
Note to Jaguar - do not close the centre. PROMOTE the centre. Or relocate it to Brands Hatch or something.
The truth is, I did'nt know it even existed. Now I do, I want to go there.
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