I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Jaguar, so when they began talking about reinventing themselves last year, I was genuinely curious to see what they had in store. Now, before I start, I want to reiterate that here on Petrolicious, our focus is predominantly on vintage and classic cars. Still, I’m going to make an exception to touch upon something more recent to provide some context and perspective.
The über-luxurious Jaguar Type-00 was unveiled at the Miami Art Week in December last year, and by now, the headlines have likely reached even the most casual enthusiast. You may have even caught a glimpse of the car in person on its global tour, having already hit Paris, Monaco, Tokyo, and most recently, Goodwood. I’m no traditionalist by any stretch of the imagination, but be it the austere typeface, the new logo, or its minimalist Bauhaus styling, nothing about it even remotely says, Jaguar.
It’s certainly sleek, yes, but it’s utterly devoid and detached from everything founder Sir William Lyons spent decades building. His vision, etched into the company’s very DNA, was delightfully simple: grace, space, and pace. So while Jaguar’s intent with this campaign was to garner attention from the world again, and they’ve certainly succeeded on that front, but at what cost? Was abandoning its core audience the right call?
I wanted to have an open mind about this rebrand, but if all this sounds a bit overdramatic, consider this: Jaguar just sold 49 cars across Europe in April. Not 4,900, not 490, forty-nine. That is a staggering collapse of 97.5 percent compared to the 1,961 vehicles during the same period the previous year.
The numbers, as sobering as they are, only reinforce the disconnect, and the damage has been done. For critics, and for those of us who have followed Jaguar through its highs and lows, it’s painfully clear that this rebranding exercise has taken away everything that the marque once represented, elegance woven into the very fabric of British aristocracy.
Now this isn't the first time Jaguar has lost its way. The brand has navigated turbulent times before and has managed to thrive during: the aero-bodied XK post-war era and racing glory and domination at Le Mans in the 1950s, the phase under Ford ownership, and the design-led renaissance that followed under legendary designer Ian Callum.
Even at its lowest, there remained a throughline, a spirit, something that made a Jaguar, well, a Jaguar. If you are indeed a Jag owner, I’m sure you can relate to this, having to put up with the odd reliability hiccup because, frankly, it’s part of the charm, and in the more recent past, its core models have served as great alternatives to the Germans. But from a historical standpoint, cars like the E-Type in particular carried that spirit so purely that even Enzo Ferrari called it “the most beautiful car ever made.”
This time, though, it feels different. There’s no clear thread back to that spirit, and it feels like a blind leap into uncharted territory. I wonder if Jaguar is betting too heavily, too soon, on full electrification? The timing certainly isn’t right with global enthusiasm for EVs cooling.
Even Mercedes and Porsche are delaying their timelines, and at the upper end of the all-electric spectrum, a market that Jaguar intends to tap into, models like Rolls-Royce's Spectre haven't exactly been a runaway success. On paper, the noiseless EV powertrain sounds perfect, but the market seems to think otherwise. Sales of the Rimac Nevera have been slow, and even Lotus hasn’t found massive traction with its EVs either.
The irony here is that Jaguar did have an EV head start over much of the legacy automakers. The I-Pace may not have been a sales hit, but it certainly proved that Jaguar could indeed build a world-class electric vehicle. They already had the right ingredients: a lightweight aluminum platform, a beautiful design language, and a loyal customer base.
Even if they truly wanted to go the EV-only route, they could have leaned into that DNA, continued to build their electrified lineup to include hybrids first, followed by electric variants of the ever-popular F-Pace, XF, and XE. Launch the long-rumored all-electric XJ. Let the market catch up.
Instead, Jaguar axed the XJ project and has come up with something radical. Having said that, radical doesn’t always resonate with the kind of clientele drawn to heritage badges. I once spoke to an automotive designer who once worked for one of the major German brands, and he said that while EVs do present the opportunity to start from a clean slate, what people really want is familiarity.
I feel that things are coming full circle today, as buttons are making a comeback in cabins and automakers are returning to more traditional exterior forms, while offering next-gen powertrains. Design still moves metal. Look at Range Rover's upcoming EV; it’s nearly indistinguishable from the gas-powered model, and that familiarity is precisely why people will buy it.
And then, of course, there's China, the very market dominating the EV segment with innovative cars at every possible price point, now contending with oversupply and export backlash. So is this the moment for Jaguar to stake its future on EVs just yet? Meanwhile, across the pond in the United States, once Jaguar’s strongest base, has leaned more cautiously into full EV adoption, and a hybrid-led approach might’ve bridged that gap until the market caught up.
What Jaguar has going for it is pedigree and heritage, which is something that companies like Porsche have successfully tapped into and scaled with severa modernl heritage specials. That is after looking at the success of aftermarket restomod companies like Singer and Gunther Werks. Even within the Jaguar universe, specialists like Eagle, ECD Automotive, and so many more have built thriving businesses on heritage done right.
Perhaps that’s enough reflection on where things stand now, but let’s take a look at where Jaguar once was, some of the British marque’s boldest concept cars and prototypes, which, while radical for their time, helped define several glorious eras. This retrospective and nostalgic throwback should not only serve as a celebration of the brand’s past, but also serve as a reminder of what Jaguar once dared to dream, and what it stands to potentially lose.
10 Noteworthy Jaguar Concept Cars
1. 1957 Jaguar E1A
Long before the E-Type wowed the world at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963, there was this, the E1A. It was never meant for showrooms, but a quiet test bed for big ideas. Aluminum body, independent suspension, and that unmistakable long nose. While Jaguar didn’t make a big fuss about it even back then, in hindsight, this prototype was a massive deal. It set the tone for what would become one of the most beautiful sports cars of all time. So while the E1A didn’t enjoy the fame, without it, there would have been no E-Type.
2. 1974 Jaguar XJ12-PF
Back in the 1970s, Jaguar leaned on Pininfarina to help explore a new design language; something that had eluded them since before the XJ-S. As British Leyland’s (who owned Jaguar at the time) go-to design partner, Pininfarina was asked to imagine a successor to the XJ12, and the result: 1974 XJ12-PF, shown at the 1973 London Motor Show. Sharp, sleek and stylish (this was the height of the Wedge-era), it looked Turin than Coventry and ultimately too far construed from Jaguar’s core identity. Eventually, it was passed over in favor of an in-house design. Still, it made waves on the show circuit and may have quietly shaped the direction of the eventual XJ40. Also, Pininfarina wasn’t the only Italian coach builder to have collaborated with Jaguar. Throughout the 1970s, '80s, and even the ‘90s, Jaguar also worked with the likes of Bertone and Italdesign.
3. 1988 Jaguar XJ 220
This was the fantasy version of the astonishingly fast XJ220. This is the one with the Massive V12, all-wheel drive, and a low-slung body that looked ballistic, while standing still. When it first broke cover, it caused a sensation at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, and people lined up with blank checks. But the production version, i.e, the twin-turbo V6, rear-wheel drive, truly felt like a different car sans the V12, and this is despite the 217 mph top speed, which made the XJ220 the fastest car in the world at the time. So still epic, but by no means the fantasy. This original prototype, meanwhile, was peak Jaguar ambition. Bold, fast, futuristic, and in retrospect, just a little bit too good to be true.
4. 1998 Jaguar XK180
If you’ve ever wanted Jaguar to bring back the spirit of the original XK120 from 1949, the XK180 was the closest they got. Unveiled at the 1998 Paris Auto Show, it had no roof, no frills, just a big V8 and gorgeous lines. Look closely and you’ll find instances of the XK8, XK, and F-Type in its form. Frankly, a modern-classic Barchetta/Roadster wouldn’t look out of place carving up an Alpine pass on a summer's day or parked up outside a glamorous beachside café on the Riviera. Jaguar never planned to build it, but it didn’t matter, because it showed that they still knew how to make a proper sports car, the S-Type of car that made you grin before you even turned the key.
5. 2003 Jaguar R-Coupe
The R-Coupe was Jaguar proving, once again, that it still understood how to do cool and sophisticated without losing the plot. Pulling off a MKII grille on a modern Jag is no easy task. Revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2001, this was on of Ian Callum’s earliest concepts for Jaguar, showcasing a different future. Long-hood, short-deck proportions, a pillarless roofline, and just the right mix of muscle and restraint. Underneath, it rode on the same platform as the humble S-Type, but you'd never guess. Though it never made production, you can trace its influence in the XK (150), the mid-size XF sedan, and subsequently the modern-day flagship XJ.
6. 2007 Jaguar CX-F
This was the moment that Jaguar finally moved on from the wood-and-chrome image. Having debuted at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, the C-XF looked bold, sharp, modern, and different from the get-go, and yet, there was something quintessentially Jaguar and a bit sporting about it. This form had attitude, and a face that meant business. It previewed the XF sedan, yes, the car with the rising rotary gear selector, the opening air vents that added drama, but it did a lot more by giving Jaguar a fresh start, while staying true to its roots. Some folks missed the old-school charm, but others saw this move as a much-needed shift. Either way, this concept was a reset button for the brand and one that they certainly got right, because this design aesthetic featured on everything from the XF Sportbrake wagon and the F-Type to the mass-market E-Pace for well over a decade.
7. 2010 Jaguar CX-75
I bet this one probably still stings. Unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, this car was a celebration of Jaguar’s 75th anniversary. The “C-X” in its name stood for “Concept Experimental,” and “75” marked the milestone year. A radical hybrid hypercar blending F1 tech, electric motors, and jet-age ambition. It began with micro gas turbines and then came a twincharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder mated to electric motors, for a combined 900 horsepower. The CX-75 would famously star in Spectre (2015), tearing through the streets of Rome in a car chase against James Bond’s Aston Martin DB10. Only five working prototypes were built by Jaguar and Williams Advanced Engineering, plus a few stunt and show cars. This was supposed to be Jaguar’s modern XJ220, but with a global economy that was still recovering from the financial crisis, and an eyewatering price tag, Jaguar couldn’t justify building a hypercar, eventually pulling the plug.
8. 2011 Jaguar Bertone B99
Bertone stepped in again with the B99, and honestly, with its stately lines, it looked more like a proper old-school Jaguar than the ones coming out of Jaguar in the 2010s. Classic lines, rear-hinged suicide doors reminiscent of classic Jag saloons, and a profile and proportions that just felt right. It was everything a modern XJ could’ve been; elegant, reserved, sophisticated, and British to the bone. But Jaguar wanted nothing to do with it, because by this time, they were well into redefining the brand, by trying to shed the old-world image, leaning into clean, contemporary surfaces with more dynamic proportions.
9.2013 Jaguar C-X17 Sports Crossover Concept
Making any SUV look good is challenging, but the 2013 CX-17 managed to pull it off, all in a bid to tap into the fast-growing crossover segment. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and rode on Jaguar’s new aluminum-intensive iQ[Al] platform, the C-X17 previewed both future tech and the design DNA of the F-Pace. It featured athletic proportions, a driver-focused cockpit, and styling that merged Jaguar elegance with SUV toughness. While traditionalists bristled, Jaguar knew where the market was heading. This concept laid the groundwork for Jaguar’s most commercially successful model of all time.
10. 2022 Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo
The Jaguar Vision GT Coupe may have been a virtual fantasy, but it understood something very real about the brand’s DNA. Designed for Gran Turismo, the Vision GT nodded proudly to Jaguar’s past with its teardrop tail that drew from the Le Mans-winning D-Type, and the cockpit that was pure E-Type drama. It was futuristic, yes, but never disconnected from the past, something that you can’t necessarily say about the Type 00. The Vision GT proved you can reinvent Jaguar without forgetting what made it matter.
Ultimately, where the Jaguar brand ends up remains to be seen. Some fear an existential threat, but if you are indeed a Jag fan, you should be relieved to know that they are no longer working with the agency behind that infamous ‘Copy Nothing’ ad campaign, which showcased everything else but cars. So already a step in the right direction, and if they continue to listen to what we want from a Jaguar, we might just be in for a surprise in 2026. Watch this space.
