MARKING A MILESTONE

Jaguar has a rich history of offering customers highly‑collectible limited edition models. Perhaps the first example of a true limited edition Jaguar was the 1938 SS100 Coupe. We built just one, writes Chris Lilley, General Manager, Product Planning, Jaguar North America.

Many of the legendary Jaguars in the company’s storied past were limited editions. Those first aluminum‑bodied XK120s from the late 1940s? Just 244 were built. The gorgeous C‑type? A mere 53. The fabulous XK‑SS? A paltry 16. Though we might have built a few more had the factory not burned down.

More recently, we’ve created a series of highly‑collectible low‑volume editions of our flagship supercharged XKR. The XKR Silverstone in 2000, the XKR100 in 2002 celebrating the 100th birthday of Jaguar’s founder and the XKR Portfolio in 2004; so there was no way we were going to let Jaguar’s landmark 75th anniversary pass without crafting a very special, limited edition XKR to celebrate this milestone.

During this year's Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance ‘weekend’ in August, where Jaguar will have a major presence, we’re hoping to get all 16 XK‑SS’s together on the lawn, and we'll also be unveiling our 2011 XKR175 75th Anniversary Coupe.

It’s a stunning car that features, high‑gloss Ultimate Black paint, unique 20‑inch Kasuga 10‑spoke alloys, eye‑popping red brake calipers and aerodynamic enhancements that include new front and rear spoilers, new side sills and a rear diffuser.

Those aero features are there for a purpose. Recalibrating the XKR’s engine management system takes the XKR175’s top speed up from the standard car’s 155mph to 280 km/h, or 174mph, which is close enough to 175 not to matter.

Inside, the cabin is trimmed in Warm Charcoal leather with contrasting Cranberry stitching and glossy Piano Black veneer. To confirm the car’s limited edition status, the door sill tread plates read: “XKR175 – 1 of 175.”

As the nameplate suggests, we’re offering just 175 examples of this very special Jaguar in the US market. All coupes, all Ultimate Black. The price, including destination: $104,500.

We wouldn’t offer special editions if our customers didn’t love them. They provide something that is unique, special and collectible.

Our latest 510‑horsepower XKR certainly makes the perfect platform for customization. That’s why later this year, October, in fact, we’ll be offering buyers the opportunity to create yet another XKR head‑turner with the introduction of our Black Pack.

We debuted it at this year’s Geneva auto show and here in the U.S. we’ll make it available on both the XKR Coupe and Convertible. Talk about making a statement; with a choice of Ultimate Black, Polaris White or Stratus Grey paintwork, you get 20‑inch gloss‑black Kalimnos alloy wheels, gloss black grille, side cheeks and window surround, an aero pack that includes a front splitter and rear spoiler and body colored Jaguar signature blade on the rear. Adding the optional red‑painted brake calipers provides an extra element of stand‑out contrast.

You’ll see more limited edition and unique‑option XKRs from us in the future. Our ultimate aim? To enable our customers to create a car that is as unique and special as that one‑off 1938 SS Coupe.