Jaguar design chief Ian Callum told one of the judges of the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) award that the win for the Jaguar F-Pace (above) was “priceless.”
That was soon after the SUV had also won the design of the year, only the second car in the 13-year history of the WCOTY to win the double.
Later, Callum sent judge Mike Rutherford a text: “I can’t exaggerate the buzz it has caused around Coventry, Whitley and Gaydon.” (Jaguar Land Rover headquarters in the English Midlands).
Callum went on: “The F-Pace is our first-ever SUV but it is clearly recognisable as a Jaguar. For it to win the trophy vindicates our decision to bring our unique design principles and dynamic qualities to a new sector of the market.”
I had dinner with Callum a few years ago at a restaurant in Sydney. We spent a few hours talking about things he could confirm and things he couldn’t, or wouldn’t.
It was before the F-Type went into production and before the XE sedan (incidentally, a finalist in the 2016 WCOTY) had been confirmed. An SUV didn’t enter the conversation.
Towards the end of dinner I asked him to sketch on a white linen napkin a coupe blending the best of two-door Jaguar and Aston Martin design.
A few brush strokes with a pen and a sleek shape began to take form. Then he stopped. “I don’t think I should finish this,” he said, smiling and perhaps fearing that a complete sketch would find its way into print.
He folded the napkin and slipped it into his pocket. Pity, I was going to ask him to sign the finished product so I could frame and hang it on a wall.
The WCOTY win for Jaguar has been compared in the UK to England beating Germany to win the 1966 soccer World Cup at Wembly Stadium. Why?
Because the final line-up was stacked with German cars, Mercedes-Benz S-Class cabriolet, Audi Q5, Volkswagen Tiguan among them.
Compared with its mainly German rivals, Jaguar is a comparatively small marque, with a limited budget and a tiny workforce. To reach the final was, in itself, cause for great celebration, said Rutherford.
“Jurors across the continents have therefore decided the F-Pace is not only the finest car on sale, but the most handsome, too,” he wrote.
The success of the F-Pace – Jaguar’s fastest selling global model – has prompted Auto Express magazine to name the best British-built car of all time.
It put together a panel of 10 judges, including McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt, Jaguar Land Rover director Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer, and BMW director Ian Robertson, to list the 50 best of British cars.
Older readers will know most, if not all, of these cars; younger ones, bought up on mostly Japanese vehicles, might not. We have left the new cost and present value of the 50 cars in British pounds sterling rather than convert to NZ dollars at the current exchange rate of NZ$1=0.55 pence.
50: Triumph Herald – 1959-1971. Engine: 1.2-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 36kW. Top speed: 130km/h. Price when new: £708. Price now: £500-£10,000.
49: Vauxhall Astra Mk 2 – 1984-1991. Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 60kW. Top speed: 180km/h. Price when new: £7971. Price now: £200-£12,000.
48: TVR Chimaera – 1992-2003. Engine: 3.9-litre V8 petrol. Power: 205kW. Top speed: 255km/h. Price when new: £26,720. Price now: £10,000-£20,000.
47: Land Rover Freelander – 1997-2015. Engine: 1.8-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 88kW. Top speed: 165km/h. Price when new: £15,995. Price now: £500-£30,000.
46: Jaguar XJ6 Mk 1 – 1968-1973. Engine: 2.8-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 134kW. Top speed: 195km/h. Price when new: £1797. Price now: $2000-£30,000.
45: Ford Sierra – 1982-1993. Engine: 1.8-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 67kW. Top speed: 170km/h. Price when new: £6616. Price now: $300-£60,000.
44: Vauxhall Viva – 1963-1966. Engine: 1.0-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 33kW. Top speed: 130km/h. Price when new: £539. Price now: £500-£6000.
43: Rolls-Royce Dawn – 2015-present. Engine: 6.6-litre V12 petrol. Power: 420kW. Top speed: 250km/h. Price when new: £265,155. Price now: £265,175.
42: Jaguar XF – 2007-present. Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel. Power: 121kW. Top speed: 210km/h. Price when new: £33,900. Price now: £32,490.
41: Jaguar F-Pace – 2015-present. Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel. Power: 120kW. Top speed: 190km/h. Price when new: £34,170. Price now: £34,730.
Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 – 1981-1988. Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 67kW. Top speed: 170km/h. Price when new: £6588. Price now: £500-£5000.
39: Rover SD1 – 1976-1986. Engine: 2.6-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 100kW. Top speed: 190km/h. Price when new: £4750. Price now: £1000-£10,000.
38: AC Ace/Cobra – 1953-1967. Engine: 4.7-litre V8 petrol. Power: 202kW. Top speed: 225km/h. Price when new: £2453. Price now: £400,000-plus.
37: Bentley Continental – 2003-present. Engine: 6.0-litre V12 petrol. Power: 410kW. Top speed: 320km/h. Price when new: £110,000. Price now: £141,240.
36: Ariel Atom – 2000-present. Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 182kW. Top speed: 235km/h. Price when new: £19,995. Price now: £30,572.
35: Vauxhall 30/98 – 1913-1977. Engine: 4.2-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 85kW. Top speed: 160km/h. Price when new: £1350. Price now: £400,000-plus.
34: Triumph Stag – 1970-1977. Engine: 3.0-litre V8 petrol. Power: 110kW. Top speed: 185km/h. Price when new: £2093. Price now: £1500-£25,000.
33: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost – 1906-1926. Engine: 7.0-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 36kW. Top speed: 100km/h. Price when new: £998. Price now: £10 million-plus.
32: Jaguar F-Type – 2013-present. Engine: 3-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 250kW. Top speed: 260km/h. Price when new: £51,235. Price now: £51,455.
31: Jaguar XK120 – 1948-1954. Engine: 3.4-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 120kW. Top speed: 195km/h. Price when new: £1263. Price now: £60,000-£120,000.
30: Range Rover Evoque – 2011-present. Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel. Power: 110kW. Top speed: 185km/h. Price when new: £27,995. Price now: £30,760.
29: Austin Healey 3000 – 1959-1968. Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 92kW. Top speed: 185km/h. Price when new: £1257. Price now: £20,000-£70,000.
28: MGB – 1962-1980. Engine: 1.8-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 70kW. Top speed: 170km/h. Price when new: £849. Price now: £1000-£30,000.
27: Land Rover Discovery Mk 1 – 1989-1998. Engine: 2.5-litre 4cyl diesel. Power: 82kW. Top speed: 140km/h. Price when new: £19,249. Price now: £200-£10,000.
26: Ford Cortina Mk1 – 1962-1966. Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 45kW. Top speed: 132km/h. Price when new: £643. Price now: £500-£55,000.
25: Morris Minor – 1948-1971. Engine: 948cc 4cyl petrol. Power: 28kW. Top speed: 100km/h. Price when new: £628. Price now: £400-£20,000.
24: Aston Martin Vanquish – 2001-2007. Engine: 6-litre V12 petrol. Power: 345kW. Top speed: 320km/h. Price when new: £164,349. Price now: £80,000-£120,000.
23: Jensen Interceptor FF – 1966-1971. Engine: 6.3-litre V8 petrol. Power: 246kW. Top speed: 225km/h. Price when new: £5249. Price now: £80,000-£100,000.
22: Jaguar Mk2 – 1959-1967. Engine: 3.8-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 150kW. Top speed: 200km/h. Price when new: £1843. Price now: £10,000-£70,000.
21: Aston Martin DB11 – 2016-present. Engine: 5.2-litre V12 petrol. Power: 453kW. Top speed: 320km/h. Price when new: £154,900. Price now: £154,900.
20: Delorean DMC 12 – 1981-1983. Engine: 2.9-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 96kW. Top speed: 210km/h. Price when new: £16,660. Price now: £20,000-£40,000.
19: Austin Seven – 1922-1939. Engine: 747cc 4cyl petrol. Power: 8kW. Top speed: 85km/h. Price when new: £135. Price now: £5000-£25,000.
18: New Mini 2000-present. Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 85kW. Top speed: 200km/h. Price when new: £12,396. Price now: 500-£29,990.
17: McLaren 570S – 2011-present. Engine: 3.8-litre V8 petrol. Power: 420kW. Top speed: 330km/h. Price when new: £143,250. Price now: £143,250.
16: McLaren P1 – 2013-2015. Engine: 3.8-litre V8 petrol. Power: 670kW. Top speed: 350km/h. Price when new: £866,000. Price now: £1.5 million.
15: Jaguar XJ220 – 1992-1994. Engine: 3.5-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 404kW. Top speed: 343km/h. Price when new: £415,544. Price now: £250,000-£500,000.
14: Lotus Esprit – 1976-2004. Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 120kW. Top speed: 225km/h. Price when new: £7979. Price now: £9000-£40,000.
13: Aston Martin DB9 – 2004-2016. Engine: 6.0-litre V12 petrol. Power: 330kW. Top speed: 300km/h. Price when new: £125,050. Price now: #30,000-£170,000.
12: Lotus Elan Mk2 – 1962-1973. Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 75kW. Top speed: 170km/h. Price when new: £1596. Price now: £15,000-£50,000.
11: Nissan Qashqai – 2007-present. Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 87kW. Top speed: 175km/h. Price when new: £13,499. Price now: £2895-£25,475. (Qashqai was styled, engineered, and built in UK).
10: Lotus Elise – 1996-2001. Engine: 1.8-lite 4cyl petrol. Power: 88kW. Top speed: 200km/h. Price when new: £19,950. Price now: £7000-£30,000.
9: Ford Escourt Mk1 – 1967-1975. Engine: 1.3-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 56kW. Top speed: 155km/h. Price when new: £666. Price now: £500-£50,000.
8: Caterham/Lotus Seven – 1957-present. Engine: 1.2-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 25kW. Top speed: 130km/h. Price when new: £1157. Price now: £10,000-¢33,990.
7: Ford GT40 – 1964-1969. Engine: 4.7-lite V8 petrol. Power: 228kW. Top speed: 270km/h. Price when new: £5200. Price now: £2 million-plus.
6: Range Rover Mk1 – 1970-1996. Engine: 3.5-lite V8 petrol. Power: 98kW. Top speed: 155km/h. Price when new: £1998. Price now: £1000-£140,000.
5: McLaren F1 – 1992-1998. Engine: 6.0-litre V12 petrol. Power: 467kW. Top speed: 390km/h. Price when new: £540,000. Price now: £8 million-plus.
4: Aston Martin DB5 – 1963-1965. Engine: 4.0-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 210kW. Top speed: 235km/h. Price when new: £4248. Price now: £100,000-£1 million-plus.
3: Land Rover Series/Defender – 1948-2016. Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol. Power: 39kW. Top speed: 80km/h. Price when new: £1730. Price now: £1500-£50,000.
2: Jaguar E-Type – 1961-1975. Engine: 3.8-litre 6cyl petrol. Power: 198kW. Top speed: 243km/h. Price when new: £1934. Price now: £35,000-£100,000.
1: Mini – 1959-2000. Engine: 850cc 4cyl petrol. Power: 25kW. Top speed: 120km/h. Price when new: £506. Price now: £500-£30,000.
