Antoine
03-12-2006, 09:31 PM
Jaguar aluminum plans recycled by Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/12/jaguar-aluminum-plans-recycled-by-ford/)
-AutoBlog
http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/03/jaguar-s-type-concept.jpg (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11659904/)
Jaguar, Ford Motor Co.’s most troubled member in its Premiere Automotive Group (PAG), suffered another setback when its parent company halted the luxury brand’s plans to develop its newest vehicles based on an aluminum architecture. The company had hoped to use this new platform to bolster its image as 'cutting-edge' against such competitors as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Cost of the new architecture, though, lead to Ford’s decision.
"Given the current financial circumstances of Jaguar we have pretty tight reins on them (costs),” said Lewis Booth, executive vice president of Premier Auto Group and Ford of Europe. “That may restrict us getting to the perfect architecture line-up as quickly as we might have liked but…we need short-term improvements as well as planning for the long term."
The upcoming S-Type would have been the first recipient of the new platform. Instead, its current steel-based frame will be upgraded instead.
-AutoBlog
http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/03/jaguar-s-type-concept.jpg (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11659904/)
Jaguar, Ford Motor Co.’s most troubled member in its Premiere Automotive Group (PAG), suffered another setback when its parent company halted the luxury brand’s plans to develop its newest vehicles based on an aluminum architecture. The company had hoped to use this new platform to bolster its image as 'cutting-edge' against such competitors as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Cost of the new architecture, though, lead to Ford’s decision.
"Given the current financial circumstances of Jaguar we have pretty tight reins on them (costs),” said Lewis Booth, executive vice president of Premier Auto Group and Ford of Europe. “That may restrict us getting to the perfect architecture line-up as quickly as we might have liked but…we need short-term improvements as well as planning for the long term."
The upcoming S-Type would have been the first recipient of the new platform. Instead, its current steel-based frame will be upgraded instead.