Jaguar’s newest car is actually 70 years old

Bloomberg

Jaguar’s classics department has announced it will make eight more of the curvaceous C-Type that was originally produced from 1951 to 1953.
The continuation cars, set to converge on a special track day in 2022 to mark 70 years since the original release, will be the fourth of its kind for the Coventry, England-based company. Jaguar started developing Jaguar Lightweight E-Type and Jaguar XKSS continuation cars as far back as 2014; in 2018, it began building D-Type continuations.
Jaguar is far from the only company to cash in on the continuation business model, which grants uber-expensive, hyper-limited new cars to well-heeled fans of the brand. In 2018, Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc announced it would make 19 fresh continuations of its classic DB4 Zagato GT from the 1960s and 25 continuations of its DB5s famed from Goldfinger. In 2019, Porsche brought back a single 993—some would say “continued” it—to help launch a new series of Porsche 911 Turbos. The original 993 line was
discontinued in 1998.

The (Re)Birth of Legend
Simply put, a continuation car is a vehicle discontinued from production and then produced anew by the original automaker, usually in extremely stingy amounts. Continuation cars are neither restorations nor replicas; they are built new following the original standards and engineering plan. (Some contain modern components, however.) As for numbering—the real key when it comes to valuing such rarefied machines—each C-type continuation will receive an entirely new chassis number and unique characters to show that it was built in 2021, rather than follow the vintage sequence.
The success of the continuation as a business model remains uncontested, though Jaguar and Aston Martin both consistently decline to specify revenue or profit margins. At the time of the D-Type launch, Tim Hannig, the director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said the continuations are not wildly lucrative but “do make the
company money.”
Virtually each continuation series offered from Aston Martin and Jaguar has sold out before its official announcement—even when pricing can range from the high six figures to more than $2 million.
The consensus among collectors of the originals seems to be that continuation pieces don’t nudge their value one way or the other. Jaguar has earned a reputation for making careful, exact continuations in extremely low batches, which helps preserve the value of the originals. (Of the 53 Jaguar C-type sports cars built in the 1950s, 43 were sold to private owners.)
“There was a lot of concern when we did the first lightweight E-Type [in 2014]—that it might deteriorate values—but the other way around happened,” Hannig said.
Originally produced from 1951 to 1953, the C-Type earned renowned for its cartoon-like body, designed by artist Malcolm Sayer. The car won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race at its debut in 1951, scoring the first of seven outright wins for Jaguar at that series. The vehicle carried pioneering innovative disc brake technology in a revolutionary system developed by Jaguar and Dunlop. In 1952, famous racer Stirling Moss won the Reims Grand Prix in France using the same system. The C-type won the 24 Hours of Le Mans again in 1953.
Each example of an upcoming C-Type will reflect the specifications of the 1953 Le Mans-winning car, including a 220 hp 3.4-liter inline-six engine with triple Weber 40DCO3 carburetors and disc brakes. Additional options include an FIA-approved harness-style seatbelt, since the C-type continuations will be eligible for—and expected at—historic racing and track days.

The best news yet: Some C-Type continuations are available for sale, according to a Jaguar spokesperson. (Usually they sell out even before their public announcement.) An online configuration tool allows prospective buyers to compare colour and trim options from 12 exterior colours and eight interior colours available, as well as apply optional racing roundels and steering wheel badge and hood badging. Pricing is expected to start around $1.3 million.

JLR profit up as China paces sales recovery
Bloomberg

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) reported a 38% rise in quarterly profit as pent-up demand aided a recovery in markets led by China.
Profit before tax rise to $602 million in the three months ended December 31, the British carmaker said. JLR expects to generate strong profit margins and positive free cash flow through March and expects to reduce net debt.
While JLR was encouraged by the Brexit trade deal that largely spared cars and parts from tariffs, there will still
be increased customs administration requirements, the
luxury-car maker said. While quarterly sales fell in the UK, retail deliveries in China jumped 19% from a year ago.
JLR’s parent, Tata Motors Ltd., reported net income of 29.1 billion rupees ($399 million), more than doubling analysts’ average estimate. The Mumbai-based company’s shares had been on a tear this month, reflecting investor optimism that improving demand and sharp cost cuts will boost efforts to reduce its massive debt pile.
In its earnings presentation, JLR confirmed it failed to comply with Europe’s tougher carbon-dioxide emissions rules last year. The company fell short of its target by a smaller margin than expected three months ago, so it reduced its provision for a fine to 35 million pounds. It also purchased a total of about 28 million pounds of regulatory credits to comply with standards in China and Europe.
JLR hasn’t seen any material impact on production even as there has been a degree of border friction following the end of the transition period for the UK and European Union, Tata Motors Chief Financial Officer P. Balaji told reporters in a briefing.
The company is working to find sources for battery components in the UK and the EU to replace parts that are currently sourced from China to meet the so-called rules of origin. Electric and hybrid models were cut some slack in the Brexit trade deal, with the accord allowing a greater proportion of vehicle content to come from outside the UK or EU until 2024.