Jaguar's Mad Men bump, and how the brand unknowingly helped write the episodes

Remember the story line in this year's Mad Men? The acclaimed series on AMC about an ad
agency in mid-1960s New York City [SPOILER ALERT] depicted the partners going after and ultimately landing the Jaguar account.

Today's Jaguar Cars did not advertise in the series, nor did it pay for any product or brand placement. But, according to spokesman Stuart Schorr, the company received more searches and traffic to its website during the episodes than companies that actually advertised during the series.

While not all of the story line was favorable to Jaguar, the company was certainly content with the attention, so much so that it ran an ad in Advertising Age congratulating the producers and cast.

One of the episodes showed a British account man at the fictional Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, Lane Pryce, was so distraught over being asked for his resignation, that he tried to kill himself by asphyxiating himself in the Jag E-Type his wife had given him. As Pryce started the car, the engine wouldn't turn over. All too typical of a '60s vintage Jag.

Turns out that writers or researchers for the show had called Jaguar anonymously, posing as students, seeking information about Jaguar dealerships of the mid 1960s, specifically how they looked. They also found their way to vice president of brand vice president David Pryor to ask, "How do you make an E-Type not start?"

One might have glibly said, "Turn the key," but Pryor told the caller that loosening the wires to the distributor would certainly do the trick.

It wasn't until the episode aired did Pryor and Schorr put it together, and realized they had contributed to the seminal episode of the series this year.

Jaguar still hasn't spent any ad money on Mad Men, but on August 17 the company will co-host a party at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with Playboy Magazine at which Mad Men star Christina Hendricks will be the special guest.
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Jaguar Adds New Engines And AWD To XF And XJ Lineup

2013 Jaguar XF with Instinctive All Wheel Drive Image: Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar seems to be doing all the right things as of late to grow the brand, which was all but dormant under Fords ownership. Despite major revisions to the XF in 2012, Jaguar has introduced two new engines and a new all-wheel-drive system to the XF product line. Even the flagship XJ gets changes, in the form of the same available AWD system (which Jaguar is calling Instinctive All Wheel Drive) and a new supercharged V-6 engine.

For 2013, the XF product range will now start with a new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, good for 240 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque. Its primary mission is two-fold: make the XF more affordable to attract more buyers, and improve fuel economy across the XF range. The next XF engine, a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 that replaces last years 5.0-liter V-8, hopes to do the same. Rated at 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, the engine powers the rear-drive XF from 0-60 mph in just 5.7 seconds.

Jaguar XF models with the supercharged V-6 can also be ordered with Instinctive All Wheel Drive, which sends the bulk of the engines torque to the rear wheels under normal driving conditions. When the system predicts a loss of traction (hence the Instinctive name) it sends up to 50-percent of the available torque to the front wheels.

Performance-oriented XF models, like XF Supercharged and the XFR, return for 2013 with the same supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 as last year. As anyone whos driven one of these cars will tell you, thats a very good thing indeed.

2013 Jaguar XJ with Instinctive All Wheel Drive Image: Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguars XJ lineup sees some changes for 2013 as well. The base engine is now the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, and Instinctive All Wheel Drive is an available option on V-6-equipped XJ models. Topping the range for 2013 is the limited production, $155,875 XJL Ultimate, which packs a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 rated at 510 horsepower under its hood. Billed as a High Performance Bespoke Limousine, the XJL Ultimate is all about rear seat passenger comfort with features like massaging rear seats, rear seat infotainment system, a beverage chiller and a custom, machined aluminum table. Only 30 will be imported into the United States, making the XJL Ultimate a rare sight at yacht clubs nationwide.

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Jaguar Heritage hosting Swallow-to-Jaguar 90th Anniversary Tour

Long before Jaguar was a five-time Le Mans victor instantly associated with the Leaper icon and cars like the the E-Type, it was Swallow Sidecar, making hexagonal outriders like the one pictured above. When the company got into automobile production it maintained the name Swallow and produced ornately turned-out coupes like the Austin-Swallow, Wolseley-Swallow and the prewar speedster known as the SS-100, the SS standing for Standard-Swallow. It wasn't until after the war that company head William Lyons would, for obvious reasons, swap the SS tag for Jaguar.

This year is the 90th anniversary of the Swallow Sidecar company, so the Jaguar Heritage Trust is hosting a circuitous Swallow to Jaguar 90th Anniversary driving tour from Coventry to Blackpool. The eight-day jaunt begins September 2, 2012 and is open to any of the marques under the historic Jaguar umbrella, including Swallow, SS, Lanchester, Daimler and Jaguar.

There's a press release after the jump with all the details. And for those who have wondered about the closure of the Jaguar Heritage center this September, we just spent two days in Coventry walking through the whole collection and we'll have a report with good news shortly.
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