According to Jaguar’s American dealers, the new XF is generating a strong demand. Customers who order their car now will have to wait until May even though the car goes on sale in March. A long waiting list could scare potential customers at a time where we want to have our new toy within minutes and, unfortunately, the recent lay-offs at Jaguar reduced the size of its labour force. In the current situation, Jaguar may not meet the demand.
Oddly, Land Rover might be the solution. As luck would have it, the off-road specialist owns a plant near the only remaining Jaguar plant in the Midlands. Both manufacturers’ workforces are represented by the same labour union and Jaguar’s management has seized upon this opportunity to sign a rather clever agreement with the union. From now on, employment contracts will include a “mobility” paragraph stipulating that workers can move between the two plants for up to three months at a time.
It is unknown whether Jaguar will use the new agreement for the XF launch, but this is a major selling point for the Ford Group which has put Jaguar and Land Rover up for sale. Likewise for Jaguar, it will give it enough flexibility to meet the market’s unstable demand.
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