Storied British car manufacturer Jaguar has a real history. While the brand has undergone acquisitions and changes, highs and lows over its 90-year history, it has also produced beautiful and iconic race cars and luxury sedans along the way — and served as an ambassador for the British automotive industry.

Decades ago, when my late grandfather met the CEO of British Airways on a tarmac in his Mercedes-Benz, the Englishman didn't mention the faux pas. After business happily concluded and my grandfather drove him back to his private plane, the old man thanked him, then said, "Do me a favor and buy yourself a Jag. Send me the bill."

June reports indicated that in April 2025, the once-storied brand sold only 49 cars in Europe.

RELATED: How to destroy a car brand: Jaguar's billion-dollar blunder

  Photo by Krishan Kariyawasam

My grandfather never took him up on that offer, but such was the pride of England (and the grudge against the Germans). But no more. In November 2024, Jaguar launched a nightmarishly bizarre, gender-bending advertising campaign called "Copy Nothing." The ad, which was creepier than any 1990s Smashing Pumpkins or Marilyn Manson music video and was years late to the peak of the broader "make everything gay" corporate ad campaigns, promised to "create exuberant, live vivid, delete ordinary, [and] break moulds."

The ad was widely and immediately panned. Jaguar Land Rover Managing Director Rawdon Glover defended the move, saying, "We wanted to move away from traditional automotive stereotypes" to "re-establish our brand and at a completely different price point," and complaining about the "vile hatred and intolerance" that greeted the campaign. It's worth noting that the ad "re-establishing" the brand didn't include even a single vehicle.

In the ensuing months, Jaguar has ejected its supply of traditional vehicles in favor of luxury electric vehicles expected to cost more than $100,000 each and debuting later this year. Unsurprisingly, this has hurt sales — but even worse than some might have expected. June reports indicated that in April 2025, the once-storied brand sold only 49 cars in Europe. That's less than one dealership's worth and, in view of the 1,961 cars sold in April 2024, is a more than 97% decline.

Compare that to Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, which have also moved toward electric vehicles while not completely rejecting their gasoline inventory, and sold "approximately 50,000 to 75,000 units in April 2025 across Europe."

You can expect real fluctuations when you rebrand, but barring some magical turnaround when the new electrics are launched, there's a solid chance Jaguar goes down in history as the greatest major global brand suicide in automotive history — and as a lesson for those who would consider following.

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