Re*Move

Jaguar's 75th Birthday bash

 

Jaguar officially celebrated its 75th Birthday on Friday. And to mark the event, a convoy of 75 Jaguars, featuring every model the firm has made since 1935, left Millenium square in Coventry on Friday morning for Wellington Barracks, opposite the Queen's modest pile somewhere in London, SW1. Having celebrated the anniversary of Sir William Lyons' unveiling of the very first Jaguar model - the SS, in the same room of the Mayfair hotel on Friday night, on Saturday morning the cavalcade resumed its journey, heading to Goodwood and the weekend's Revival festival.

What really made this event special were the owners and the untold, unseen stories behind the cars here. The cars on this run weren't just from Jag's own special heritage fleet, or examples that are molly-coddled within an inch of their lives and never used. Owners had brought examples of just about every single model the company's ever made to Coventry - and had then gone through what must have been, frankly, the unnerving process of being paired with a journalist for the trip, who they'd never met and who they then let drive their pride and joy. I travelled with Matthew Nice in his pristine 1967 3.8 S-type, who's story was quite unique. When he was young, Matthew lived with his mum and his grandad, who had bought this very car when it was just a few months old. His grandad ran it until he died, and although Matthew at the time was just 15, his mum realised the attachment and sentimental value the car held, so tucked it away in a barn rather than selling it as part of his grandad's estate. Roll forward to 1997, and Matthew began what turned into a 9-year project to bring the car up to the fully restored, concours condition you see today. The car had never been back to Coventry, nor visited London, and I was only the 8th person to ever drive it. The experience was as magical as one might expect. Driving a car without modern brakes, that doesn't have wing mirrors and that foregoes a radiator fan can prove an occasional challenge in modern traffic, but we made it to Goodwood unscathed, despite the best efforts of London's kamikaze bus drivers and traffic in Knightsbridge on a friday afternoon.

Jaguar has had a troubled existence over much of the past 30-40 years. I've always held Ford somewhat responsible for failing to develop the brand's real potential over the past 15 years or so - but talking to many (much more knowledgable) folk on this trip, changed my view somewhat. The real dispise is reserved for British Leyland; the consensus view being that Ford spent the best part of 20 years with its hands full simply trying to put right the damage done in the 70s. Today, with a fresh and competitive product line-up and under the new ownership of Tata, there is much hope and much expectation about where the brand can go. There are issues of course. Jaguar's 'beautiful fast cars' mantra perhaps sits uncomfortably in an age of apparent financial austerity and environmental imperatives, while despite the improved products, the brand still appeals to a more mature, overtly male market than is ideal. Yet the sense of occasion, together with the exceptionally well executed planning - not to mention investment - that went into this event suggests that the people now running the company have an understanding of how to take the brand forward for the next 75 years. It won't be easy - and much will depend on the investment and autonomy provided by its Indian parents - but I sincerely hope that my children will get to see this brand celebrating its 150th year come 2085.

Favourite photos from the weekend below, while at the bottom of the page click on a link to a photoset of the weekend.

E-type and XK140 await departure from Coventry's Millenium square on Jaguar's 75th Anniversary

MRT 511E - Matthew Nice's 1967 Jaguar S-type, and my steed for the weekend.

You don't see many E-types with paintwork like this... and no, before some wag asks, it's not a matte black wrap!

E-type and MKII follow S-type through the Cotswolds

Matthew Nice at the wheel of his 1967 S-type

Autumnal leaf fall dances across the hood of red E-type outside Berkshire's Vineyard restaurant and hotel

A mirror full of E-types...

Harrods, reflected in a (real) wallnut dash.

Click on the link above to see the full set on flickr.

Joseph Simpson is associate editor of Car Design News and a consultant at Car Design Research

 

Geneva auto show 2010 - some things you might have missed...

By now, you'll no doubt have read all about the cars and concepts that you were interested in at last week's Geneva auto show. But if you've still apetite to digest and cogitate, Drew Smith - of the Downsideupdesign blog - and myself are producing a two part podcast with pics to cover all of the major production debuts and concepts, which you'll be able to see/hear in the next few days. For now though, you might be interested in some of the details, elements and irreverant bits and bats that I noticed in the Palexpo last week. So without further ado...

Citroen reimagined the ReVolt from Frankfurt as a racer for the road in the form of the SurVolt (above). Only Citroen could get away with painting it gloss blue, matte grey, pink and orange. But they did. Note these graphics - they were quite fun, a play on PCBs - used to signify the electric drivetrain.

Meanwhile over at Mercedes (above), they'd got wood... (sorry, couldn't resist). The use of wood laminates in this interior was fantastic - it vied with the Pegueot (see below) for concept interior of the show, and previews an altogether more 'light of touch' future Mercedes interior design language...

Peugeot marked its return to form with the SR1 (although special note to the glorious bike also on the stand) - which previews the brand's altogether more acceptable new face (thank god the rictus grin's gone). But it was the interior that really stood out in this car...great work Julien et al:

Speaking of gorgeous things, here's a shot of the superb little Pininfarina Alfa Duettotanta that makes me go a little bit weak at the knees...

New Jaguar XJ - The Designer Overview (with video)

The cat's eye - new XJ features slim, elongated headlights reminiscent of the C-XF

Pity Jaguar. More specifically, pity Jaguar’s design team. Working for one of the most evocative, well-loved car brands in the world, with a rich history of producing sporting, luxury – but most of all beautiful – cars, might seem like a dream job. Yet when every man and his dog has an opinion on what a Jaguar is, and should be, it’s a tricky task. But after the years of retro style mis-adventures (the X-Type and S-Type), Jaguar is returning to form. But while most commentators seem settled on the view that modern Jags are the equal of the German triumvirate for ride, handling, performance and quality; styling and design are somewhat thornier issues.

The last XJ - the best car in its class in many areas - was still more Bexhill Pavilion than White Cube in the style stakes. It was a shame, because this mis-matched terribly with the car underneath – one that was constructed largely out of aluminium, and out-rode, out-handled, and out-MPG’d most of the German opposition. Come the XF, Jag went modern, but then whispers about it being Lexus-like and even not Jaguar enough reared their ugly heads. The company can’t seem to win.

The XJ is the final chapter in repositioning the company in terms of design, completing a job that started with the XK, and continued with the XF. It’s also the most daring, and the most shocking piece of design of the three. No one’s been criticising Jaguar for overt-retro style references this time around. Mark came away from the Saatchi gallery launch in the summer highly impressed. And last week, I got an exclusive two hours with the car and its lead exterior and interior designers, Adam Hatton and Mark Phillips - see the two videos below the photo. 

The XJ, with interior design manager Mark Phillips (left) and exterior design manager Adam Hatton (right)

Watch Adam Hatton talk through the exterior design of the Jag XJ in the video below

Watch Mark Phillips talk through the interior deisgn of the Jag XJ in the video below

The car they – and the rest of Jaguar’s team – have conceived, is now altogether more befitting of the car’s high-tech, light-weight aluminium structure than its predecessor. It looks and feels modern – yet slightly quirky - in a way that sits well with Jaguar’s aspirations to be a dynamic, modern, but still quintessentially British sporting luxury brand.

The video interviews reveal a more in-depth, detailed overview of the design, as told by the designers.  Watch and see whether you think they've succeeded - we'd be interested to hear your comments. I'm not going to pass judgement on the design until I've seen the cars on the road and driven one. Only then will I be able to make up my mind on this car’s two most contentious elements – that blacked-out pillar, and the fully virtual TFT instrument display. Many will have already made up their minds on these aspects based on the pictures – in which there’s a heaviness around the rear three quarters, and over the wheel arches, that feels a tad un-Jaguar-like. Equally, many will dismiss the virtual screen, saying it’ll never match the classiness of a well detailed set of ‘real’ dials. Those doubters may be proved right. 

How my EOS 400D sees the XJ's virtual instrument panel

Yet in the flesh, there’s a presence to the XJ that sucks you in. No, that rear-pillar doesn’t truly work when the car's static, but this car grows on you, and keeps you attention by asking you questions. For all the Citroen C6 / Maserati Quattroporte references made post its summer launch, the cars that the XJ reminded me of most, after a few hours in its presence, were the Audi A5 and A7 Sportbacks. Maybe that sounds like damning with faint praise, but it’s meant more in relation to a sense of modernity - than style or surfacing - and as a compliment.

It’s a different, modern piece of work the XJ, and undoubtedly brave in a class that is probably the most conservative of all automotive segments. Yet in many ways it makes sense. It’s less clear than ever who the luxury car customer actually is. The sector has been shrinking faster than most, and is under great pressure for image and environmental reasons.

Rather than simply aping the S-class/A8 model, Jaguar’s done something different – and positioned this car slightly apart from that market, doing something that fits both with the brand, and the high-tech, green construction method. Whether this will prove to be a smart move, only time will tell. But that Jaguar has the confidence to do this at all, tells you all you need to know about the spring-in-the-step of this grand old marque as it prepares to celebrate its 75 birthday.

Published by Joseph Simpson on 2nd February 2010

Toyota Prius - a photographic review

Rather than simply post a load of photos into a huge post here on the blog, I've uploaded some Prius photos, to form a photographic review which is hosted on my Flickr account. This set is fully captioned up, so do take a look through and feel free to comment. Click here to go to the set, or on the screengrab preview below:

All our photos, video and material is sharealike creative commons 3.0 licensed, so you can lift and reuse these images as you like. All we'd ask is that you link back to this site.

Finding meaning in Frankfurt - 2009 auto show review

What will the 2009 Frankfurt auto show be remembered for? While you’ve probably read it was all about electric cars, that misses the bigger story from the Messe show floor. This was the moment the auto industry got its mojo back.

Whether this sense of optimism is misplaced (especially when you take into account that scrappage schemes across Europe seem likely to end soon), only time will tell. For now, it serves as an antidote to the damp-squib of Geneva 2009, which was sorely needed.

Carlos Ghosn says "the time for change is now", introducing four Renault EV (or Z.E.) concepts

Back at the turn of the year, people like Renault-Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn were saying things like “I can’t even predict what’s going to happen next month, so don’t ask me about plans for 2010”. In Frankfurt, he assuredly hung Renault’s future on EVs, saying “the time to act is now” before unveiling four electric car concepts, and promising they’d all land by 2012. Whether consumers want them is now the 64 billion dollar question. Should the answer be a full-on no, Renault’s on a very slippery slope. If yes, its alliance with Nissan is extremely well positioned, backed up by its infrastructure partner, Better Place – who placed an order for 100,000 electric Renault’s on the first day of the show.

Alongside Renault’s offerings, BMW was a shoe in for car of the show with the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept. Pictures leaking out prior to the show’s opening didn’t diminish its impact in the flesh, and no-one has missed its relevance to the future of BMW’s M Performance division – previewing a future for high-performance cars in a carbon-constrained world. It’s a great halo car for the Efficient Dynamics campaign, too (which incidentally, is much smarter than the cheesy, over-arching new brand slogan, “Joy”).

BMW's Vision Efficient Dynamics concept, looked terrific from this angle

Pictures-a-plenty: Frankfurt auto show 2009 photoset

Just over one hundred images of the car, people, details and things that caught my eye during the first three days of the 2009 IAA Frankfurt auto show. Click anywhere on the photo to head through to the set in Flickr and then into individual photos. I've added notes and thoughts to photos where they seemed appropriate. Enjoy, and remember these are creative commons licensed, so you're welcome to reuse them as you please:

The last 12 months of auto design - Joe's favourite things

I returned from France a few days ago to find Robb and Mark discussing the last 12 months of cars and car design, because they were thinking about which ones ought to be entered into the upcoming Spark design Awards.

While the auto industry’s been in the doldrums for some time now, Spark Awards provides an opportune moment to take a look at some of the more interesting cars, concepts and automotive details of recent times. So without further ado, here’s a scratch list of some Simpson favourites…

BMW Gina

Designed years ago, but then dumped in a secret hanger until such time when BMW needed an on-demand concept to unveil (the opening of BMW-Welt proved to be just such an occasion), BMW’s Gina is arguably the single most innovative thing to have happened in auto design for years. As its mastermind Chris Bangle remarked at unveiling “what do we need the skin of a car for anyway? What is it made out of? Does it have to be made of metal?” Too few ‘what if’ questions are asked in the auto world, and the moments that they do happen are typically hidden from public view – as this one was for so long. But we’re glad it finally saw the light of day, and that like all the best concepts it asks more questions than it answers.

Nissan Cube

In a world where even family hatchbacks are competing to set the fastest time in the class around the Nurburgring, Nissan offers a leftfield approach. The Cube has been around in Japan for years, but now Europe and the US are getting the second generation. Why? Nissan realise that most drivers aren’t interested in the minutae of cornering finesse, or top speed; they’re interested in something that manages to provide huge utility, but have personality at the same time. The Cube has both in spades. Essentially a box-on-wheels, it features a ‘sun and moon’ set of dials, ‘curvy wave’ seating, and asymmetric styling in the shape of one side rear window turning around the corner into the rear windshield. When he had one on test recently, Michael Banovsky noted “I feel awful leaving the cube downstairs at night. He looks so sad”. It’s the kind of car that elicits such feelings. Jean Jennings, Automobile Magazine and long-time Spark friend, raved about it to us recently, too.

 

Audi LED lights

They’re by no means universally loved, nor were Audi first to introduce LED headlight technology, but through smart design strategy and brilliant detailed execution, Audi have taken ownership of the LED headlight. Subtly different on the R8, A6, A5 and A4, the wavy bands of bright white lights, piercing through the daylight when in DRL mode, are now as much an Audi identification hallmark as the shield grille and four rings - leaving you in no doubt as to just which type of car is behind you, and would like you to move over, thank you very much…

Who said good American auto design was dead?

Good news in the American auto industry is tricky to come by right now. Having spent over half of the last month in the US, the mood – among media and public alike, seems to be that the industry doesn’t deserve the bailout it now looks likely to get, and that the auto companies only have themselves to blame, because they build products no-one wants.

Think of the Chrysler Sebring and it’s tempting to agree. However, America has recently started to kick out some products that even us (occasionally) snooty Europeans, quite like. The Dodge Challenger looks superb, the Corvette ZR1 out Ferrari’s Ferrari at half the price, and the number of self-imported Ford Mustangs on the road in the UK, suggests Ford was wrong not to import it here. To this small group, and for a marker that the industry is on the right track, we could now add Ford’s Flex.

 

Flex features several 'premium' design features such as nighttime puddle lighting around the door, downcast from under the wing mirror

The Flex is all about design, something that a lot of recent American cars seem to have been built without any thought for. How Ford arrived at a modern interpretation of the ‘Woodie' station wagon, and successfully managed to mash-up wagon, SUV and minivan into a single vehicle requires some historical background.

               

A Plymouth 'Woodie Wagon' from the 50s...

               

... reinterpreted as grooves in the door panels on the Flex

Long before the days of the (firstly) feted and (now) hated SUV, the standard issue family car in America was a large Station Wagon. At the beginning of the type’s definition, these wagons were coachbuilt out of wood – and up until the era of the 1953 Buick Roadmaster estate (which single-handedly encapsulates the concept of ‘woodie wagons’), the vehicles featured real wood on their exteriors – a look which lived on throughout the 70s and 80s in the form of fake wooden ‘paneling’.

The 70s oil crisis, and stricter emissions laws saw a serious decline in the popularity of these (often massive) wagons, and for families wanting space aplenty, the birth of the minivan (MPV) in the early 80s made wagons a minority interest. Yet minivans were to have their day too. SUVs were cooler, had greater towing ability and much more visual attitude – and shot to popularity in the late 90s. The minivan’s image became synonymous with stuffy, uncool ‘hockey’ mum drivers.

Yet with many SUVs based on heavy truck platforms, they ultimately lack the refinement and dynamic ability of cars, and with fuel economy and emissions shooting up buyers’ lists of priorities in the past few years, many argue the SUV’s days are numbered too. But, despite calls for America’s car makers to build small, efficient cars, one senses a latent demand - and need for - bigger vehicles capable of hauling bodies and loads alike…

               

By no means is the Flex small, but here, seen next to a Toyota Sienna minivan, and Cadillac Escalade SUV, you can clearly see how the Flex, contextually, isn't so huge - and how Ford is plowing a different furrow

So, with what appears to be rather neat timing, enter the Flex. As capacious as a minivan, but without the van-with-windows vibe; as at home in a Rapper video as an SUV, but without the “screw the planet” image, and with the visual charm of a woodie wagon, but without resorting to retro styling – the Flex is like little else on America’s roads.

I’ve never before driven a car which caused so many people to do a double take as I went past – nor have I ever been so frequently approached and asked what I thought of it upon pulling up – whether I was at the beach, the mall parking lot, or the fuel station.

The test car’s ‘cinnamon red’ paintwork with contrasting white roof and brushed metal tailgate finish certainly contributed here – the white roof leading to many comparisons with the new Mini, which I’ve come to realise ‘owns’ the contrasting white roof as a brand motif.

               

To most casual observers, the contrasting white roof is a Mini design hallmark

           

2005 Ford Fairlane concept

But I think Ford should be applauded for their bravery here. The Flex takes its visual cues from 2005’s Fairlane concept – Fairlane being the name of Henry Ford’s country estate, marked out for classiness, good taste and attention to detail. The Fairlane concept embodied these principals, in its calm surfacing, elegant proportions, innovative use of materials and ‘surprise and delight’ features – such as the suicide door. What’s impressive about the production Flex’s exterior is that it appears to have made the translation from concept car to production without dilution or unnecessary augmentation – and that’s a rare trait these days.

Sadly, the Fairlane’s cool minimalist interior didn’t make the translation. Although the Flex is ok inside, with a pleasing amount of soft-touch plastic, it’s way behind anything offered by the likes of Audi – and looks somewhat cheap when you first step inside. One interesting European perspective surrounds the engine choice and economy of this car. The 3.5l V6 struggles a little with the weight of the car and got an average of 19 US mpg (23 mpg UK) - which is horrifying for a Brit used to $8/gallon fuel pricing. Its a shame American’s don’t ‘get’ Diesel, because resting within its stable, Ford has an amazing 2.7 twin-turbo diesel they donate to Jag and Land Rover, which would be perfect for the Flex [yes TopGear fans, I am talking about the engine from the Jag XJ Jeremy Clarkson recently drove from Basel to Blackpool on a single tank].

        

Viewed from this perspective, Flex could easily double as a Range Rover

Ultimately though, the Flex convinces not only because it works on a functional level of being as happy with one, or six, on board – in a way that minivans don’t - but on an emotional, visceral level.  Some will doubtless make quips about ‘hearses’ (tip, don’t buy one in black) – but I kept catching myself staring back at it out of windows, or looking for interesting architecture and locations to juxtapose it against in photos. In the end, if the world is looking for a signpost that an American auto maker is capable of designing and producing not only a good car, but an interesting one – this is it.

Perhaps the biggest compliment one can pay it is to say that far from feeling like a larger, upscaled Mini, after a week of driving this car, we came to the conclusion that what it actually feels like is an affordable, downscaled Range Rover – the fact that from the front they share a deal of resemblance is surely no coincidence. It’s certainly not the answer to all of the industry’s problems, but it might just be what suburban America wants right now.

Full flickr photo set here - thumbnails below:

Posted on 9th December 2008 by Joseph Simpson.

All photos Joseph Simpson (thetrickytree on Flickr.com) except:

• Fairlane concept image - Ford Motor Company
• Range Rover griller - Land Rover
  
• Plymouth Woodie - Gem66 on Flickr
  
• Minis by Nick Simpson (Iwoaf) on Flickr
  

- all under creative commons license.

Thanks to Maggie and Zoe at SocialMediaGroup for sorting out the loan of the Flex, and to the guys at Prestige Auto in Miami for making everything run so smoothly. Disclosure: The Movement Design Bureau has been commissioned to follow Ford's sustainable design work. We aim to snap things with an independent take. Tell us if you think we don't.

Meeting Ford's 'Bio Babes'

Joe and I were privileged to meet the ladies of the Materials Research and Advanced Engineering Department at Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, today.

We filmed Deb Mielewski, Cynthia Flanigan, Angela Harris, Ellen Lee, and the marvellous Christine Perry, the celebrity chef of advanced materials research. She grew soy foam in front of our eyes. The team explained how they research ways to incorporate natural materials into car components. This can reduce the amount of petroleum involved in car manufacture, make vehicles easier to recycle and produce more interesting, attractive, lighter-weight and environmentally sustainable materials than we've ever seen before in cars. Bill Ford kicked this programme off in 2001 and it was the first of its kind in the world.

You can see photos of our time by clicking on the montage below.

Updated: Videos of our time with the team can be viewed here.

Photo: Christine Perry, formulation chemist, Materials Research & Advanced Engineering Department, Ford, Dearborn, Michigan.

Disclosure: The Movement Design Bureau has been commissioned to follow Ford's sustainable design work. We aim to snap things with an independent take. Tell us if you think we don't.