Thursday 19th December 2002

Jaguar USA Targets Gay Sector

Market is worth $450million a year

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[kip]

No wonder Jaguar is having problems in the USA.

[MDG]

A market worth $450? Does this prove that Jaguar has really gone off the deep end into the Daewoo/Suzuku sector of the market?

MDG.

[robert farago]

If the gays like Jaguar, well, then, it's hip. But I'm sorry, I have mnore faith in the gay community.

[fizz]

I knew there was areason why I don't have any Ford stock...

[joust]

No self respecting gay would be seen in a Jag as it's a scientific fact that old gays don't wear slippers so I think Jag's plan is a bit shagged

[corozin]

If Jag want to improve sales in the US, they need to cut'n'shut the XK8 into a pickup, and fit a gun rack on it

[Paceracing]

For Jag to improve sales figures, they should pack F1 in. Their continued embarrasment at every race must be costing them millions of dollars in lost sales anyway!

Jas.

[corozin]

Funny you say that. I some guys at the local Jaguar dealership, and they always thought the idea of Jaguar going in F1 was a bad one because:
a) Jaguar had no heritage in F1
b) Ford does have heritage in F1
c) Jaguar's image could only be damaged if F1 wasn't a success, but more to the point wouldn't be improved dramatically by success in F1.
d) The money could have been better spent on R&D. Witness the well received Jaguar concepts such as the F-type which have been cancelled due to lack of money; my dealer friend knows he could have sold loads of those

Unfortunately it seems the suits at Ford's US marketing dept took the view that with Mercedes & BMW both 'in' it would be necessary to go into F1 as they wanted to break Jaguar into America. Ironically, Jaguar sales in the US are going well, which I guess gives lie to the axiom "win on Sunday, sell on Monday"

[al27]

They should build the F type and skip marketing to 5% of the population that was .00005% of the wealth.

[ErnestM]

No wonder Jaguar is having problems in the USA.

They are doing rather well in the US...

http://autos.msn.com/advice/standardart.aspx?contentid=4020743

ErnestM

[v8thunder]

If Jaguar want to broaden their appeal, they need to make their cars more adaptable. BMW, Mercedes and Audi all have hatchback coupes and estates to add to their line-ups. Jaguar could do versions of the X-Type to suit.

[ErnestM]

v8thunder said: If Jaguar want to broaden their appeal, they need to make their cars more adaptable. BMW, Mercedes and Audi all have hatchback coupes and estates to add to their line-ups. Jaguar could do versions of the X-Type to suit.

X-type estate is imminent this year. The rumour is that there will be a "GT" type version of the S-type within a year also. And then there is the persistent rumour of an X-type R (Supercharged 3.5L X-type) to compete with the M.

ErnestM