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living:
the scene
 Jaguar XJ launch party: the Body beautiful
Jaguar went all out with its XJ launch at the
Saatchi Gallery in London last night, with celebrities ranging from
Jay Leno and Elle Macpherson to the Hoff himself
photographed by Getty Images
Above: Elle Macpherson and Jay Leno introduce the new Jaguar
XJ at Saatchi Gallery, London.
Above: ‘The Body’, supermodel Elle Macpherson,
and the new Jaguar XJ.
Above: Like proud parents: design director Ian Callum, host
Jay Leno, and managing director Mike O’Driscoll.
JAGUAR KNEW it has the most anticipated
car launch of the year. Since the Shanghai Motor Show, the Indian-owned
car company had been drip-feeding fans and the media glimpses of
its new XJ, after promising for years
that the new model, codenamed X351, would drop the 1968-inspired
shape in favour of something dramatic and modern.
It is only a slight exaggeration to say that
the expectations of the new XJ were
just below that of the Ford Model A in 1928. Everyone knew it was
coming; no one quite knew just how it would look.
Some parts were already common knowledge: the
new XJ would be made of aluminium,
there would be some shades of the smaller XF,
and Jaguar was no longer in pursuing the John Prescott–Arthur
Daley market. For the first time in over three decades, the big
Jaguar saloon was forward-looking.
At the launch on July 9 at the Saatchi Gallery
in Chelsea, hosted by Jay Leno—who then introduced supermodel
Elle Macpherson (the 1980s’ “supers” are in demand
as ever)—the new XJ did not disappoint,
and cemented many car nuts’ feelings that Ian Callum, the Scottish-born
design director of Jaguar Cars, successfully channelled the vision
of founder William Lyons better than any other man in the role.
Callum has an eye for a great shape—the highly acclaimed XK
and XF were developed under his watch—in
the same way Lyons and Jaguar aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer had.
And no one seemed to miss the connection between Macpherson’s
nickname, ‘The Body’ (in a dress that looked a little
like alloy), and the body beautiful that was the XJ.
Jaguar boss Mike O’Driscoll also seemed
to understand the brand’s principles as
our Lucire TV video attests, and the company’s owners
at the Tata Group seem to be right in entrusting its premium division
to him.
Other celebrities attending included David Hasselhoff
(doing his best Ted Lange impersonation in one photograph), former
Bond girl Rosamund
Pike (who was equally stunning in Fracture opposite Anthony
Hopkins), and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. •
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Jay Leno and the new Jaguar XJ.
David Hasselhoff does his best Love Boat Isaac Washington
impersonation.
Design director Ian Callum speaks with the Hoff.
Jay Leno and David Hasselhoff.
Bond girl
Rosamund Pike.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
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