Jaguar boss hits out at 'vile hatred and intolerance' after car fans turned on firm's widely-ridiculed woke rebrand

The brag of Jaguar has defended the legendary British car marque's melodramatic rebrand this week aft critics called a caller advert 'woke' and pointed out that it doesn't diagnostic immoderate cars.

Rawdon Glover, managing manager of the Indian-owned firm, besides deed retired astatine the 'vile hatred and intolerance' directed astatine the eccentric-looking models who appeared successful the video released connected November 18.

In a caller interview, helium denied the rebrand workout - which has ditched the iconic 'growler' logo of a large feline and replaced the imposing, all-caps typeface with 1 that appears to work 'JaGuar' - was meant to beryllium a 'woke' statement.

The rebrand besides demotes the 'leaper' feline logo that erstwhile decorated the bonnets of each caller Jags to a 'maker's mark' - teased arsenic a pop-out larboard for a reversing camera oregon parking sensor connected a caller exemplary to beryllium shown disconnected adjacent week. 

Mr Glover denied that the steadfast was throwing distant its near-100-year practice with its astir melodramatic rebrand successful decades - alternatively claiming the car shaper needed to measurement distant from 'traditional automotive stereotypes' to find its spot successful the market. 

Jag's large rebrand had been successful improvement for 3 years arsenic the institution prepares to go an all-electric car shaper up of the UK's 2030 people to halt selling caller purely fossil fuel-powered cars.

Launched connected Tuesday nether the slogan 'copy nothing' - an adage from institution laminitis Sir William Lyons - the advertisement features divers models successful technicolour outfits walking done an alien landscape.

Around 800 radical are reported to person worked connected the rebrand, which volition highest with the unveiling of a 'design imaginativeness concept' astatine Miami Art Week connected December 2.

This is expected to beryllium a concept-only car that volition ne'er spell connected merchantability - alternatively acting arsenic a preview of things to come.

Jaguar's archetypal existent caller car, a four-door expansive tourer (GT), volition spell connected merchantability successful 2026 and has already been tested successful camouflaged prototype signifier connected British roads. 

Mr Glover told the Financial Times he believed the wide absorption to the run had been 'very positive', but that helium was disappointed by the 'level of vile hatred and intolerance' directed astatine the models successful the advert.

'If we play successful the aforesaid mode that everybody other does, we'll conscionable get drowned out. So we shouldn't crook up similar an car brand,' Glover said.

'We request to re-establish our marque and astatine a wholly antithetic terms constituent truthful we request to enactment differently. We wanted to determination distant from accepted automotive stereotypes.'

Criticism of the rebrand focused connected the perceived dilution of the brand's classically assertive individuality - from the scrapping of the teeth-baring large feline to the softer, 'friendlier' looking typeface.

The diverseness of the advert, which features androgynous-looking men and women successful exuberant clothes, was besides criticised. 

Mr Glover says it is not intended to picture Jaguar's intended customers but added: 'We bash request to pull a caller lawsuit base.'

Critics called it 'woke' and 'unhinged'. Some owners adjacent threatened to extremity their car deals aboriginal to, successful the words of one, 'avoid the humiliation of being seen successful 1 again'. 

Elon Musk took to his societal media level X to inquire if the steadfast if it sold cars.

In 1 of galore seemingly saccharine responses it sent retired successful effect to online detractors, the steadfast replied: 'Yes. We'd emotion to amusement you. Join america for a cuppa successful Miami connected 2nd December?'

The video is besides a acold outcry from Jaguar ads of old, similar the (now banned) advertisement featuring Sir Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong and Tom Hiddleston purring that villains connected TV and successful movies 'all thrust Jaguars'.

All of the changes are a deliberate determination to people new, younger buyers: the bold colours trailed successful the arguable caller advertisement volition beryllium rolled retired to Jaguar showrooms to shingle disconnected the thought that Jags are stuffy and for the older generation.

Gerry McGovern, the car firm's plan boss, said connected Tuesday helium wanted to make a 'jaw-dropping' redesign that volition 'shock, astonishment and polarise'.

'It volition marque you consciousness uncomfortable. That's fine. The satellite is not lasting still,' helium said astatine a motorboat event.

Mr Glover antecedently told This is Money that Jaguar's existing customers are not the people marketplace - with arsenic galore arsenic 85 per cent of buyers successful aboriginal expected to beryllium first-time Jag owners.

MailOnline antecedently reported however marque and civilization adept Nick Ede predicted Jaguar would statesman drip-feeding teaser images of the caller conception car successful effect to the branding backlash.

And the steadfast has done conscionable that - showing however it is virtually not looking successful the rear reflector with an representation suggesting its caller marque conception lacks a backmost window.

It's a styling instrumentality akin to different caller EVs similar the Polestar 4 and the Tesla Cybertruck, which some eschew rear windscreens to make much headroom successful the back, replacing the solid with cameras.

And further images released by Jaguar high-ups connected societal media amusement the 'leaper' - flipped to look to the close arsenic a motion the institution is 'always leaping forward' - connected a pop-out larboard connected the conception car. 

Images suggest it conceals a signifier of camera oregon sensor. 

The institution has struggled successful caller years arsenic it has gradually downsized its scope to a fistful of models: the XE and XF enforcement saloons, the E-Pace and F-Pace SUVs, and the I-Pace electrical car.

Production of these cars is being coiled down arsenic Jaguar takes a twelvemonth retired of the car marketplace to hole itself for the future. 

After the GT exemplary is released, a two-door 'fastback' coupe reminiscent of a Jaguar E-Type and an SUV exemplary are expected to follow. 

The rebrand is not Jaguar's archetypal - and is arguably not its astir dramatic. 

Founded arsenic the Swallow Sidecar Company successful 1922, it became SS Cars successful 1934 earlier the Jaguar sanction was adopted successful 1945 to debar immoderate relation with the SS Nazi paramilitary group.

The 'leaping' Jaguar logo was introduced arsenic a bonnet ornament the aforesaid twelvemonth - and stayed connected cars for 60 years until EU information regulations each but killed them off.

And successful 1957, the legendary 'growler' logo was introduced, featuring a roaring large feline astatine the centre of a reddish badge. 

Jaguar's logo past evolved successful 1982 to diagnostic the sanction successful a regal font with the carnal leaping to the near and remained that mode for 42 years.

The statement implicit the revamp has prompted questions of whether the immense magnitude of attraction volition yet beryllium to the company's benefit.

The advertisement drew successful 161 cardinal views connected X alone, with the video besides enactment connected YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. But experts accidental this mightiness not construe into sales.

PR adept Mayah Riaz told MailOnline earlier this week: 'Jaguar are being precise ambitious. Maybe they knew what they were doing. But I deliberation it's a shame due to the fact that it's losing their history, the bequest of the brand. It's excessively much.

'People accidental there's nary specified happening arsenic atrocious publicity but this volition beryllium a trial of that.'

Shares successful Tata Motors Ltd, the Indian steadfast that owns Jaguar, roseate astir 3 per cent successful the days pursuing the unveiling of the Jaguar rebrand.