Ford Cannot Sweeten Any Jaguar Deals with Land Rover, says Trend Tracker

WILTSHIRE, England - August 14, 2006: In a new white paper entitled Jaguar's part in rescuing Ford, UK automotive research firm Trend Tracker's analyst Michael Wynn-Williams suggests that Ford should consider selling its Ford Credit finance arm, or even Volvo, before potentially selling its premium marques, Jaguar and Land Rover.

Michael Wynn-Williams argues that using Land Rover to enhance a potential deal would do nothing to make Jaguar itself more attractive and would deprive Ford of two premium brands and not one. Caught in a market squeeze between the premium brands and the fast proliferating value brands, Wynn-Williams suggests Ford's future lies with its own globally recognised premium brand. Ford should consider selling the Ford Credit finance arm, or even Volvo, before putting Jaguar on the block.

Wynn-William’s latest Trend Tracker white paper analyses the factors that lead to Jaguar’s present predicament, showing that Jaguar’s rumoured sale is the result of a market-led failure. Although product engineering is now world-class the once provocative design has been thrown away in a disastrous attempt to resurrect obsolete styling cues. Wynn-Williams suggests: “Ford’s recovery strategy must now involve cutting costs by moving production to Jaguar’s biggest market, the United States. At the same time Ford should embolden Jaguar’s British product development skills so that it can once again seduce the market with authentic and forward-looking designs”.

“For Ford to let Jaguar go now would be the beginning of the end for both brands” he added.

Notes: The white paper, Jaguar’s part in rescuing Ford, and two previous white papers by the same author on MG Rover’s decline, can be downloaded from www.trendtracker.co.uk, or obtained via email to: info@trendtracker.co.uk or by calling Charles Oakham on +44 (0)870 421 4350.

About Michael Wynn-Williams

Author Michael Wynn-Williams undertook extensive postgraduate study of MG Rover and its forebears at Cardiff Business School’s Centre for Automotive Industry Research, before joining Trend Tracker Limited in 2005. He can be contacted via email (michael@trendtracker.co.uk) or Tel. +44 (0)870 421 4350.

About Trend Tracker Limited

Trend Tracker conducts qualitative and quantitative research for a wide range of automotive clients, besides publishing Trend Tracker and MBFI brand studies on the vehicle, motor finance, aftersales, body repair and other automotive segments. The company also assists clients in implementing performance improvement through training and development programmes.