Day: Sep 1, 2014

History Repeating: XJ40 Part 6

Phase Two – 1975-1980: Knight Falls. The disastrous 1979 launch of Series III almost sinks Jaguar entirely, precipitating Bob Knight’s downfall.

On the home stretch - Series III styling elements feature strongly on this 1978 proposal
The home stretch – Series III styling elements feature strongly on this 1978 proposal – image: AROnline

1978 saw a brief reprieve in Jaguar’s woes. Under Sir Michael Edwardes, interference eased sufficiently to finally allow a consensus to emerge on XJ40’s style. Customer research backed the assertion that a strong family resemblance was required. The revitalised styling of the Series III XJ also cast a mighty shadow, because despite its age, Pininfarina’s revisions combined to create a sleeker, more modern car. Continue reading “History Repeating: XJ40 Part 6”

Theme of the Month : Advertising – Introduction

“Marketing is what you do when your product is no good, ” said Edwin H. Land. David Foster Wallace said of an ad: “It did what all ads are supposed to do: create an anxiety relievable by purchase.”

1898 adver for Winton. It´s horseless.
1898 advert for Winton. It´s horseless.

This month’s theme is the about the ephemeral products of automotive advertising. As long as cars have been available, there have been people making money trying to help manufacturers get yours. At first, the main theme of car advertising was to Continue reading “Theme of the Month : Advertising – Introduction”