Ab tak jo bhi automotive news follow karta hai, usne Jaguar ke rebranding drama ke baare mein zaroor sun liya hoga. Aur wo video bhi dekhi hogi, wahi wali jo itns controversy create kar chuki hai or jiske baad negative reactions ka flood aa gaya.
Haan, or maybe tumne Type 00 concept car ki images bhi dekhi hongi, jo supposedly Jaguar ke new design direction ko demonstrate karta hai.
Is article ka focus bhi yehi hai, or by the way video or revised logotype pe already kaafi baat ho chuki hai, so main us cheez pe focus karunga jo mujhe lagta haiabhi ke time ka most tough design assignment hai. Because agar Jaguar kisi cheez ke liye jaana jaata hai, so wo design hi hai.
Pehle ke time mein, jab American market pe domestic manufacturers ka hi zyada control tha or "foreign" cars rare hoti thi, tab Jaguar ek different level ki car maani jaati thi, pure class or prestige ka symbol.
Kabhi large numbers mein produce nahi hui, but phir bhi inka automotive world or enthusiasts par kaafi massive impact raha. XK (120, 140, 150) jaisi cars, jo late '40s mein launch hui thi, unhone basically is country mein sports car ka meaning hi define kar diya.
Jaise E-Type (US mein jise XK-E bola jata tha), jo 1961 mein launch hui thi, wo '60s ke most iconic designs mein se ek ban gayi. Itni iconic ke New York ke Museum of Mordern Art ki permanent collection mein bhi include ki gayi.
Image Courtesy: Autoweek
Jaguar ka real bread and butter to sedans se hi aata tha, jaise Mk II, jo 1959 se 1967 tak bani. Ye car 'sports sedan' ka concept tab hi define kar rahi thi, jab ye term exist bhi nahi karta tha.
Phir 1968 mein Jaguar ne XJ6 introduce ki, jisne next 40 years tak brand ke premium sedans ka look define kar diya. Although ye all examples ek-dusre se kaafi different hai, phir bhi in sab mein ek common grace hai, jo hamesha se Jaguar ke hallmark rahi hai.
Elegant ho, sporty ho, ya thoda slinky type, jo bhi bolo, style toh full on hota tha. That's the reason, whether Jaguar kabhi sabse practical, efficient, ya phir honestly most reliable car nahi rahi or ye baat consumer report ki most reliable cars ki list mein dikh bhi jaayegi, but people phi bhi isse buy karte the. Because style ka koi replacement nahi hota.
Image Courtesy: Autoweek
Ya phir simple words mein bolein, Jaguar ke liye other brands se zyada unka look hamesha hi bahut matter karta aaya hai.
Gerry McGovern, jo Jaguar Land rover ke former creative head the, unka work kaafi tough tha. Ek taraf socho toh big cool position hai, ek aisi company ko direction dene jisne world ki kuch most beautiful cars banayi hai.
Par other side, itni history ka burden bhi hota hai jo hamesha saath rehta hai. Jaguar ne pehle bhi apni design heritage pe kaafi rely kiya hai, or honestly, jab look itna distinctive ho, toh samajh aata hai.
But isse jo design ki original purity hoti hai, wo gradually dilute ho jaati hai, jab har next version mein thoda-thoda charm lose hota jata hai, ya phir jab, jaise Jaguar ne kaafi baar kiya hai, car ko production mein bahut zyada time tak rekhna.
Icon ko reinvent karna easy nahi hota. McGovern ne ye skill Land Rover ke saath already prove kar di thi, current Range Rover ek big, two-box SUV hote hue bhi surprisingly kaafi elegant lagta hai, or show karta hai ki is format mein kitna kuch achieve kiya ja sakta hai.
Aur apne career ke early phase mein, jab wo LincIn design ke head the, tab unhone kaafi interesting concepts banaye the, but unfortunately koi bhi production tak nahi pahunch paya.
Concept car banana toh comparatively easy hota hai, par usi cheez ko production version mein bhi utna beautiful banana, wo bilkul different game hai.
Aur yahin se Type 00 ki baat start hoti hai. Har ache concept ki tarah, ye kaafi striking lagta hai, or isme colors ka bhi kaafi big role hai.
To some extent ye surprisingly conventional lagti hai, classic front engine, rear wheel drive type proportions ke saath. Dekhne se bilkul bhi electric car jaisi feel nahi aati. additionally massive wheels or tyres, or ek low, fastback profile jo kaafi sporty lagti hai.
Image Courtesy: Autoweek
There is nothing new, but ismein ek different quality feel hoti hai. Maybe body ke side surface or unke clean cut lines ki wajah se, ya phir front se jo overall look aata hai. Thoda bahut Range Rover ko remind karhai, or saath hi original Audi TT ki simple, no nonsense design ka bhi hint milta hai.
Agar Range Rover kabhi ek GT build karta, then maybe aisa hi present hota. Par concept hai, so ye kehna difficult hai ki future production cars mein actually kya-kya aayega. Kya ye Jaguar jaisa lagta hai? Honestly, pehle jo humne Jaguar dekha hai usse toh bilkul nahi or maybe wahi poora point hai.
Jab Jaguar ne XK120 introduce ki, tab unka koi plan nahi tha usse proper full scale production mein involve karne ka. Bas mind mein tha thodi limited cars build karne ka, but jo reaction public ne diya, wo bilkul expected hi nahi tha.
Image Courtesy: Autoweek
E-Type ke saath bhi first reaction same aisa hi tha, jab usse Geneva mein first time present kiya gaya tha, then poora sensation create ho gaya tha. Dono cars ke case mein na toh koi deliberately controversy thi, or na hi koi over the top, 'artsy' type ka media campaign.
Public ne unhe isliye embrace kiya because unhone public ki imagination capture kar li thi or honestly, wo simply beautiful the. Agar Jaguar again aisa reaction la paata hai, ek aisi car ke saath jo sirf concept na ho, tab hisamjhenge ki unhone finally wo magic wapas gain kar liya hai jo unhe past mein itna great banata tha.
Conclusion and my observation
Finally I would like to say that, Jaguar ke iss project ko ab tak follow kar ke (and I hope ke iss platform par aapne bhi news read ki ho), isse lagta hai ki Jaguar or unki management kaafi saare fronts pe struggle kar rahi hai.
Abhi bhi, jab launch mein around 1.5 year hi reh gaya hai, tab tak sales model, dealership network (kitni dealership hogi, kahaan hogi), or production volume, kuch bhi final nahi hua hai. And the biggest challenge is car ka depreciation yeh sab abhi pending hi hai.
Furthermore, Jaguar ke creative head McGovern ka company se sack karna ye industry mein kaafi big topic ban chuka hai, or company ke internally bhi thodi uncertainty hai.
Jaguar ko ye saare issues carefully handle karne hone. Jab ye model market mein finally aayega, tab public ka reaction kaisa hoga, uske liye bhi company ko ready rehna padega.