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Making an Impact

29 August 2011

Our goal for the Pebble Beach automotive weekend was for Jaguar and Land Rover to make a major brand impact on the enthusiast community for both consumers and media. The feedback we have gotten from both groups tells us that we hit our target in a big way, writes Stuart Schorr, Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.
 
 
 

For Jaguar, the focus was of course celebrating our past (E‑Type), present (XKR‑S launch) and future (C‑X75) and emphasizing our design and high performance credentials. For Land Rover, the focus was introducing the fuel efficient 2012 Range Rover Evoque and offering, for the first time, off‑road test drives of the newest Range Rover.

 

Throughout the weekend, both Jaguar and Land Rover conducted hundreds of new product test drives at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. A select group of consumers were able to get behind the wheel of the Jaguar XKR‑S for a few hot laps at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, with driving legends such as, Davy Jones, Roberto Guerrero, Martin Brundle, and renowned Jaguar racer, Bob Tullius. Not a bad way to take a 550HP Jaguar XKR‑S around the corkscrew.

 

Others took off‑road drives in Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles as part of the brand's displays at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and at The Quail Lodge, home of the Land Rover Experience Driving School. Led by Land Rover North America's Bob Burns, the Land Rover Experience Driving Instructors coached consumers on how to get the most out of Land Rover's Terrain Response® System. 

 

We were blown away by peoples' reactions to the new Range Rover Evoque all weekend. From its styling to its off‑road capability, the compact SUV really resonated with the enthusiasts on the Peninsula.

 

Of course, the Monterey Automotive weekend is about heritage, and in that sense, Jaguar was out in full force. The Pebble Beach Concours Kick‑Off Party at the Lodge was chock full of very special E‑Type cars alongside the 12MY Jaguar XJ, XF and XK Lineup. A real show stopping moment that took place over the weekend was the parade of racing E‑Type cars driven, via police escort, from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to The Quail: A Motorsports Reunion. 

 

Also, our friends at Hagerty Insurance held an intimate E‑Type luncheon in Monterey featuring owners and restorers, including Gary Larson of Gary, Indiana.

 

The real highlight of the weekend may have been the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion, where an 80,000 square feet diorama display highlighted Jaguar's racing history, including Le Mans, Group 44, and Briggs Cunningham. On the track, an E‑Type race featured an unusual father‑son race to the finish with Art Hebert taking the checkered flag in front of Bob Hebert. Both father and son drove 1965 E‑Type 4.2 ‑liter convertible coupes.

 

 
 

In addition to seeing Jaguar cars at the ticketed events, throughout the weekend Pebble Beach attendees also saw E‑type cars cruising Carmel’s famous 17‑Mile Drive and stretching their legs along the Pacific Coast Highway heading towards Big Sur. We really have to thank all the amazing Jaguar enthusiasts for participating and making the weekend such a memorable one for the brand. A special thanks also goes out to JCNA President Dick Maury for organizing a media heritage drive and Mr. Dick Klise who let me drive (for my first time) his gorgeous E‑Type Roadster on 17‑Mile Drive.

 

 
 

Ending the weekend in graceful style as always was Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where three of the most significant E‑Type cars in the world were showcased. Jaguar Cars' Design Director Ian Callum presented a one‑of‑a‑kind specially made Jaguar trophy to Stefan Ziegler for his 1960 Jaguar E2A Race Car. In addition to winning the Jaguar Cup, Ziegler's 1960 Jaguar E2A was also an honoree in the Class O‑1 Postwar Sports Open Category.

 
 
 
With a nod to the future, the sensational C‑X75 hybrid supercar was on the Concept Car lawn outside the Pebble Beach Lodge, which had people stopping to stare throughout the entire day.
 

The day capped off a weekend, in which we repeatedly heard, “Wow, Jaguar is everywhere this weekend.” The feedback we got from the Pebble Beach ‘crowd’ of automotive aficionados, collectors, luxury car buyers and opinion‑formers, was that they approve of the path Jaguar is taking with its beautiful, fast cars.

 

 
 

Only at Pebble Beach would you have people take a look at C‑X75 and ask the question: “So when can I buy one?” And mean it.

 

The Jaguar brand has always been about great design, great performance, and the people behind the brand. Over the Monterey Automotive weekend, all three were front and center at the greatest automotive celebration in the world. It was very cool to be a part of it.