Jaguar Ascot

Jaguar Ascot
Overview
Manufacturer	Jaguar
Production	1977
Body and chassis
Class	Concept car
Body style	2-door coupé

The Jaguar Ascot is a concept car designed by Marcello Gandini and built by Italian firm Bertone for Jaguar. First presented in 1977, it is based on the Jaguar XJS. Visually, the Ascot closely resembles Bertone's Ferrari 308 GT Rainbow, presented a year earlier and based on the Ferrari 308.

Overview

Windshield and dashboard of the Jaguar Ascot.

In the first half of the 1970s, Jaguar sought to replace the aging E-Type, whose sculptural lines had not supported the necessary changes to keep it in line with the American market. The XJS was thus born in 1975, and it was radically different, with a more GT-like style. Unfortunately, the XJS line struggled to convince: after the stunning curves of the E-Type, the straight lines of this new Jaguar lacked finesse in the eyes of the customers of the time. Unfortunately for it, the XJS was released the year in which Jaguar became the property of the British government, just like the rest of the brands then belonging to British Leyland. Saving jobs and the financial stability of the group thus became the number one objective. A context governed by sobriety in which it was not possible to risk everything in terms of design and innovation. Many coachbuilders then attempted to imagine their own version of a successor to the E-Type. Pininfarina caused a sensation with the XJ Spider, while Bertone presented the astonishing XJS in 1978, completely redesigned and renamed the Ascot.

The Ascot followed the Ferrari Rainbow (1976) and the Lamborghini Bravo (1974) with its angular lines and wedge-shaped profile. It allowed Bertone and Marcello Gandini to continue developing the Italian coachbuilder's angular style at the dawn of the 1980s.

The Ascot was ultimately handed over to Bertone by Jaguar after touring numerous motor shows.

Specifications

The interior, featuring a massive dashboard, is clad in a mix of brown leather and suede, paired with the XJS's instrument cluster and a car phone, the height of luxury at the time. The Ascot was not mass-produced because it was too different from the rest of the Jaguar range, with feline curves exuding both sensuality and power, a subtle blend of femininity and muscularity. It is this delicate alchemy that has made the success of Jaguar's most famous models, such as the XK120, Mk2, E-Type, XJ6, F-Type, and many others. The Ascot, however, bucks the trend. Its lines are brutal and sharp, reminiscent of certain Lotus and TVR cars of the 1970s.

Later, stylistic details, such as the rear wings and the shape of the windows, would still be found on future models designed by Marcello Gandini, such as the Volvo Tundra (1979), the Lamborghini Jalpa and the Citroën BX, particularly on the rear.