Jaguar: Latest News, Media Coverage & More

Another Year Come & Gone at Bergen Jaguar

2011-12-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well another year has come and gone... 2012 starts our 19th year as Bergen Jaguar. Sometimes it seems longer and other times it feels just like yesterday.

Nineteen years ago you had to choose either a glove box or an airbag in our 1993 XJ sedan… a lot has changed since then. People have changed, at our dealership and at corporate, staff has gotten married and had children, some kids even sent off to college… some have also gone.

We should always remember that if not for our customers we would not have been able to accomplish these milestones… but one thing has remained constant throughout our history, people passionate about the brand as though it was living thing.

I tell people this is the best job I have ever had and it is… I have met all kinds of people from all over the world, but the folks that have worked at our stores, Bergen, Englewood, and Madison are the ones I will remember always. They have a special place in my heart—so thank you for making my life special… Happy New Year!

Jaguar at Play

2011-12-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Jaguar’s new ad is proof that sometimes things are worth the wait. Our new television spot hits the brand right on. This is what Jaguar is now… beautiful fast cars that are almost alive.

We are the only luxury brand that is named after a living thing. Jaguars (the animal) are solo creatures, that you very rarely see in the wild (I guess the same can be said of the car)… but it looks like with Jaguar’s new management and direction, that may not be the case anymore.

So fasten your seatbelts… looks like Jaguar isn't playing around anymore.

The Liberace Museum

2011-06-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Way before in another life, I was in the shopping center business. Every year there would be a convention, the ICSC (the International Council of Shopping Centers) was held in May in Las Vegas. At one time it was Las Vegas’ largest convention.

Since we were a small developer (much like the our car company of today) we used to try to make the most unusual displays. We actually hired Vanna White one year and literally emptied out the other displays when she appeared at our booth.

Needless to say, location was a priority, and we always had a great location because we knew a very nice man who was head of the union at the convention center. So I used to travel months before the convention to have dinner with “this nice man” and discuss our location.

Now if you know me, you might say I dress rather differently to other folks. So I’m on this flight to Vegas, in first class, when a rather attractive woman spots me an says, “it’s really quite a shame that we lost him, isn’t it”? I say, “yes it is.”

Now I have no clue what’s she’s taking about but I go along. It’s only about half way through the trip so what else can I do? ”Are you going to the ceremony,” she asks. I say, “Yes”…I still have no idea what she’s taking about but she was rather familiar looking.

After a while, the flight attendant comes over and remarks, “So you’re in show business, do you know Linda Dano well? I love her.” Now it’s starting to come together, she’s not some leasing agent I know, but a soap star and that was the week Liberace had died.

Not a great story, but like most of my stories, yep, there’s more… So I get into the limo and pick up “the nice guy” and proceeded to tell him the story about what happened on my flight.

He says, “you know, there’s a Liberace Museum here. So we go and enter a strip mall center with a nail salon, waterbed store, etc and there it was… sort of sad.

Some folks think of our dealership as a museum... maybe even a little like that Liberace Museum, which of course would make me somewhat like the "Curator of the Liberace Museum."

Goodbye to Gary Temple & Richard Beattie

2011-04-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

It’s never easy saying goodbye... Two very important people that I’ve known for almost 20 years have retired from Jaguar Cars, Gary Temple, President of Jaguar/Land Rover, N.A. and Richard Beattie, EVP of Jaguar Cars.

I’ve spent many hours with both of them personally and professionally all over the world… We’ve talked about family, business, but never golf…

I love you both very much, it would take so long to describe the many experiences over the years, thanks for putting up with me, thanks for your patience, and thanks for teaching me the car business…

Happy 50th Birthday Jaguar XKE

2011-01-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

That big cat on the high end

Dennis Squitieri, president, Bergen Jaguar in Paramus and Madison Jaguar in Madison, said that sales of new cars in 2010 at Madison were up 32 percent, and those in Paramus were up 17 percent over the previous year.

“There are three reasons that consumer confidence is better,” he said. “We have a lot of new product, the product is reliable, and consumers’ perception of where the country is at is better.” He draws the analogy of Neiman Marcus removing its logo from its shopping bags during the recession because customers didn’t want to flaunt their wealth. “They also didn’t want to drive a brand new car like a Jaguar into the parking lot while telling employees there would be no raises, bonuses, or a Christmas party,” he said. “That’s over with.”

Other pluses are a new five-year, 50,000-mile warranty and two new luxury sedans, the XJ and four-door XF. One thing Jaguar always has going for it is aesthetics. Says Squitieri: “It’s low, sleek, feline, ready to pounce, agile like a jaguar.”

In fact, the XK-E, on display at the Museum of Modern Art, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Enzo Ferrari himself dubbed it “the most beautiful car ever made,” according to Squitieri. “That,” he says, “is like Mario Batali liking your tomatoe sauce."

Read more: Hudson Reporter - What’s in your neighbor’s driveway Local dealers say car market improving

The XJ and Jaguar Just Keeps Winning Stuff

2010-12-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

On both sides of the pond…okay so our 2011 Jaguar XJ won the very presgious UK “Top Gear’s Car of the Year” award. Hometown Pride…? Guess not, how about the 2011 XJ winning Automobile Magazines, “2011 All Star Award”…hmmm maybe the secret is out…

Beautiful, fast cars, always in style with the best in class Platittum Warranty…leave your wallet home when you bring in any 2011 Jaguar for service… yep better than BMW’s, and of course Lexus and Mercedes doesn’t even come close to our 5 year 50,000 warranty, free scheduled maintenance, and $0 for wear and tear…

Well it’s not just like Tina Fey winning so many awards this year, more like Sir Paul…271 cars that are sold in the United States qualified and we won…just a note…the XF won the All Star Award for 2009 and 2010…that’s makes 3 years in row…by the way did I mention number one in JD Powers Sales satisfaction…I quess I just did….

J.D. Power's Sales Satisfaction Award Goes to Jaguar... Once Again

2010-11-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

Wow, JD Powers Sales Satisfaction Award for 2010 goes to, “Jaguar”… 6 out of the last 7 years… Jaguar has won more awards this year than Tina Fey and we didn’t even have to dress up like Sarah Palin…

What a proud accomplishment. Over 25,000 individuals were survived and we won…

The study is a comprehensive analysis of the new vehicle purchase experience. 52% of new buyers cited dealer treatment as the reason to purchase while only 38% cited final price.

It not only the price but the experience and Jaguar Dealers are the “Best of the Best”…. Congratulations to all my fellow Jaguar Dealers and a special thanks to everyone at Bergen and Madison Jaguar who helped make this possible… Nice work…

The day I met Tony Curtis

2010-10-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

I met Tony Curtis one night at Nicky Blair's in Beverly Hills about 20 years ago. I was attending a 40th Birthday party and I was wearing a lime green Comme des Garcons sport jacket I had just got at Barney's NY... he commented how much he liked it, I offered to him, he declined graciously, we chatted and then went on my way... I remember thinking how much he looked like a movie star and seemed to enjoy being one...

Tony did love his Jaguars... read this.

Happy 75th Birthday Jaguar!

2010-10-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jaguar! Jaguar this month is celebrating its 75 years in the automotive business. Always exhilarating to drive, stunning to look at & now worry-free (with best in class platinum coverage).

Jaguar is back as a fashion icon, along with Ray-Bans & Converse sneakers. With a sense of theater & innovation the Jaguar line-up, that Ian Callum & his team have designed, has been well received not only by the press, but by the folks who have made Jaguar sales & market share increase double digits. Good for us! So I say thanks Ian.

Jaguar celebrated at the Paris auto show with its concept all aluminum CX75. Pictures & a link are available on our website at BergenJaguar.com. It has never been so exciting, in our 17 years of being with Jaguar, so thank you Mr. Tata, Happy Birthday Jaguar & here’s to another 75 years.

The 2011 Jaguar a the Barkley Hotel in London

2010-02-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

Pictured here with me are some Jaguar folks and the members of The Jaguar Sales and Marketing Committee. It was taken at the Barkley Hotel, in London. Jaguar has a display in the front window. The new 2011 XJ, black carpet and black walls with great lighting…it really looks fabulous…thanks Jaguar for your wonderful hospitality…thanks to Jaguar Dealer Farrar for taking the picture. All in all, a splendid time was had by all…

Read more about the all-new Jaguar XJ on my Paramus, NJ dealership's website by clicking here.

2009, What a Year for Bergen Jaguar

2009-12-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe the year is almost over. Going onto Bergen Jaguar’s 17th anniversary. First and foremost, Happy Holidays to all. What a year, I wasn’t sure we were going to be around when we started this year, but things have certainly changed. We just found out that Jaguar once again won the #1 ranking In the JD Powers customer satisfaction award. By the way that 5 times in the last 6 years, but who’s counting? Great press on Jaguar everywhere you looked this year. Whether it was the new 2010 XF with added features like our new 5.0L engine, or our 510 Horse Power available in our XK and XF versions. Imagine a car with 510 HP, 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, and it does not even qualify for the gas-guzzler tax! New dramatic interiors in our portfolio editions as well as state of the art technology. And what a reaction to the 2011 XJ, words like modern, stunning, and of course gorgeous.

We also want to congratulate the folks of Bergen Jaguar and Madison Jaguar for making us the largest Jaguar dealer in the tri-state area, yep, we sell more new and pre-owned Jaguars than anyone else and have remained a leader in customer satisfaction. Wow, what a year. We had our grand opening in March at our Madison store, traveled to London for the launch of the 2011 Jaguar XJ, and just had parties at both Madison Jaguar and Bergen Jaguar premiering the new XJ. Jaguar Corporate got a new (actually an alumni) Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Richard Beattie, and we got a new sales manager at Bergen, Paul “the teacher” Sheridan. Mr. Rattan Tata came along with Ravi Kant and took 2 hours to discuss their plans as well as our preparations for the “new Jaguar”. What an honor. If you get a chance, Please take a look at our web sites: bergenjaguar.com and madisonjaguar.com for the latest in Jaguar news, whether real or maybe a little true. I want to thank our customers, vendors, Jaguar, and of course our staff for making a very difficult year survivable…I promise we’ll do our best to earn your trust and anticipate your needs.

Jaguar in the Press - New York Times and Racer Magazine

2009-09-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

You know how Jaguar has come when the New York Times runs one of their “Behind the Wheel” departments and entitles it “From Stray Cats to Super Cats.” The author calls Jaguar “already among the sexiest cars” and writes about parking a 2010 XKR next to an Aston Martin DB9 and suggests that “even enthusiasts might struggle to tell the cars apart”. By the way, the Aston is $100,000 more and has 40 less horsepower. Unbelievable how far Jaguar has come!

Read the full article here.

How about a recent article in Racer Magazine entitled “Super-sedan showdown: Porsche Panamera 4S vs. Jaguar XFR.” Yep, in the same article, let alone in the very same sentence, you’ll find the words: “Porsche and Jaguar” together. The article ends with another feather in Jaguar’s cap. ”When it was time to crunch the numbers, the judges were unanimous. Every single one of us scored the Jaguar XFR above the Porsche Panamera, often by substantial margins.” As special correspondent Colin Goodwin put it, “it’s just got a sense of fun about it.” That, at the end of the day, is the reason Jaguar and Bergen Jaguar is cool…

Read the full article here.

My Trip to London for The Launch of the All-New XJ

2009-07-20T18:39:00.001-07:00

This was some launch… Included
was Jay Leno, a posh gallery in central London and absolutely gorgeous weather.

Before I tell you what I thought of the all-new 2010 XJ I’ll quote what some of the other dealers and press said: “Absolutely Stunning, Jaguar is Jaguar Again, The Kitten is Smitten,” and finally the New York Times said: “Jaguar takes a bite out of the competition.”

All I can say is wow, the pictures and video's just don't do the all-new XJ justice. It's a cross between our Jaguar XF, a Bentley and a Riva speed boat. Some of the highlights of the new car include a panorama roof, a plasma screen instrument panel, a HD center consol screen, an all aluminum body (which is actually 50% recycled and at the end of it's life, 85% recyclable) and the lowest CO2 emissions in it's class.

Plus, the car just doesn’t look great, it also boasts some outstanding performance. 0-60 miles per hour is made in a mere 5.4 seconds for the normally aspirated engine and an incredible 4.7 seconds for the supercharged version… and with great gas mileage to boot! All in all, it’s a “nice sandwich.” It's just so nice to see Jaguar being Jaguar again, beautiful fast cars, always in style. Thanks guys for the opportunity to be involved in such a great company...

Madison Jaguar's Event

2009-04-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

On March 25th we celebrated the opening of our newest store in Madison, New Jersey. Guest’s were welcomed by a Joan Rivers impersonator as well as a walk on the red carpet, search lights, and a wonderful selection of antique Jaguars provided by the local Jaguar Club. Food was provided by The Market Basket, futures told by our Palm reader, and a great band played as our guests looked over the newest and fastest Jaguars ever—the 2010 510 horsepower supercharged XFR and XKR. Many thanks to Jaguar Cars, Angelo Renzulli, Michele and Chris for all their help and support. We are looking forward to our next event with Neiman Marcus at the Garden State Plaza on May 1st and of course the launch of our 2010 XJ sometime during the summer, stay tuned, many exciting things are happening at Jaguar….

Jaguar Named Number One in Vehicle Dependability Study by JD Power & Associates

2009-03-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

It’s truly exciting to be with Jaguar these days, not only have we won JD Power’s Dependability Study, but also JD Power’s 2008 Sales Satisfaction, as well as Business Week’s list of “Customer Service Champs” ranking Jaguar number three with an “A plus”, ahead of such customer service icons as The Ritz Carlton, Nordstrom’s and Lexus. Yep, even Lexus, wow. Even our parent company is an award winner. The Tata Group recently earned Fast Company Magazine’s “most innovative companies” status. Jaguar was among just a handful of automobile companies that actually had an increase of 8% over 2007. Stay tuned for more great news from Jaguar… or should I say, The New Jaguar…

My Trip to the UK to Test Drive the XFR & XKR and See the 351

2009-02-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the pleasure, with a few of other Jaguar Dealers from JBOC, to visit the UK for a ride and drive of the new XKR and XFR at Jaguar’s race track. Only Jaguar could arrange snow for the week we were there. We also discussed colors and trim for our new XJ (code name 351). I can’t really reveal too much, but it is the best looking Jaguar ever! Elegant, modern, sleek, and certainly has some XF DNA. The 351 probably has the nicest interior ever and technology that even your grandmother could use and understand.

The real excitement besides reviewing the new XJ came when we drove the new XFR, the XKR and the normally aspirated 5.0L XK on a race track with ice. I forgot to mention that the new R’s have the new 5.0L supercharged engine that beats out 510 horsepower. Fast, is it ever, but not in a brute way. It’s more like you can’t really tell that this is the fastest Jaguar ever. It even gets better CO2 ratings and is as fast, or maybe just 2/10ths less fast than any of our competition. I guess the real story is the interior of the 2010 XK—it has some of the styling cues of the XF, making it even more relevant.

You can sense a difference in the company—they know they have “over delivered” and now when you look at the lineup of Jaguars, you can see the future taking shape. Nice work guys and gals at Jaguar. The future of Jaguar is going to be more historic than it’s past.

My Trip to the Detroit Auto Show

2009-02-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Detroit on Sunday January 16th, got my press credentials and was off to the auto show. As always, Jaguar press conferences draw a crowd, and what a crowd indeed. Jaguar’s newest model launches include two very special Jaguars, the XKR and the XFR. These super-powerful Jaguars feature our newest engine, a 5.0L supercharged with 510 horsepower which performs 0-60 in just 4.7 seconds according to Jaguar, but manufacturers always underestimate—I bet they probably can do it under 4.5 seconds.

What can I say except the XKR and XFR were absolutely gorgeous. Just a few minor trim and interior changes just make these new models look so much better. The interior of the XK has a more mornernodel look, with some styling cues from our XF, including weaved aluminum trim. More leather, if there’s any room for it, just looks better, but the car doesn’t look beefier. While very fast, a woman wouldn’t feel like she was in a Smokie and the Bandit car, it’s elegant and modern, like a Jaguar should be. The 3 days I spent at the auto show were great as usual.

More to follow…

Bergen Jaguar is a Part of the New Jaguar

2008-12-20T15:14:00.000-08:00

Jaguar continues to be manufactured in the UK under new ownership by the Tata Group. The 60 billion dollar company, which is invested internationally in diverse brands ranging from Tetley Tea, The Pierre Hotel, Anglor Steel to Virgin Mobile India, is committed to the marque as a niche European luxury auto manufacturer--dedicated to the history and future of Jaguar. Over the next four years you will be seeing some of the most exciting Jaguar motorcars ever, such as an all-new XJ replacement codenamed 351 which promises to be as dramatic in its evolution as the new XF.

The old joke of buying two Jaguars, one to drive and the other to keep at keep at the service department is ancient lore. Jaguar is at the top of the charts in reliability and quality as demonstrated by the J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction and Dealer Experience awards for yet another year in a row.

The newest Jaguar, the XF has been garnering some of the best press ever witnessed for a new luxury vehicle introduction. The XF recently came in first place when up against the BWM, Mercedes and Lexus in a recent Motor Trend comparison. NADA says it’s one the five best luxury cars for the money and Motor Trend has already named it one of the top ten cars for the year.

While now enthralled by the mainstream press, Jaguars have never been ordinary cars. Much like their owners, they are entirely unique. Americans will only enjoy seeing about 15,000 Jaguars this year as compared to over 300,000 each from our German and Japanese luxury competitors. Jaguar’s aren’t mass-produced, we still craft our wood interiors by hand and many of our leather hides come from many of the same sources Rolls Royce uses to this day.

Today’s Jaguars are modern, luxurious, fashionable and awe-inspiring behind the wheel. While other brands complicate technology, Jaguars are cutting-edge with easy to use technology that never interrupts the driving experience. If you are in the market for a luxury vehicle, now is the best time to add Jaguar to your shopping list. Drive a Jaguar and you’ll not only enjoy personal service and attention, you’ll get pleasure from standing out from the crowd.