The 50-year old nameplate will keep on living.
Ian Callum, the Director of Design at Jaguar, is considered to be one of the key custodians of the venerated British marque. And for Callum, his fascination with the Coventry brand began some 50-years ago when he first clapped eyes on the Series 1 Jaguar XJ, a beautiful thing with graceful yet purposeful lines, and a menacing stance. The XJ nameplate is set to celebrate its 50th birthday next year too, and so it was inevitable that someone would ask the esteemed designer what’ll become of the XJ.
Indeed, while it received a facelift earlier this year, the XJ is getting long in the tooth. The present-day XJ, dubbed internally as the X351, has been around since 2009. And while its design has aged rather well over what’s nearly been a decade, the low, sleek limousine is definitely due for a new-model refresh sometime soon, or better yet, in time for its golden jubilee.
On that subject, CAR Magazine asked about the future of XJ during an interview with Ian Callum, which attracted a smile and a hint of excitement from the designer. He said that the car is “nearly signed off,” and went on to say:
“We’ve gone through a lot of debate on the XJ, and come up with something quite special. I won’t say when it’s coming… but it’s not next year. As we work on the next one, I’ll make sure it holds onto the values of the first one, and the latest one.” — Ian Callum, Design Director, Jaguar Cars
Those values, he feels, circle around Jaguar cars having to be exaggerated, desirable, and dynamic. And while 2017 may have been “the busiest year of my life” for Callum, it seems that the future has little intention to ease its pace.
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