END OF THE ROAD
Major British car brand’s iconic model rolls off production line for final time ahead of shift to EV-only lineup
The car recorded a huge demand bump this year after a major celebrity endorsement
AN iconic British sports car has reached the end of its production run ahead of the manufacturer's shift to an EV-only lineup.
Limited numbers will remain in showrooms for a few more months so fans will have to bag one while they can.
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Jaguar has already announced a plan to transition into small-batch EVs, doing away with its traditional petrol-engined lineup.
This included the discontinuation of the XF, XE and F-Type models.
The brand has now revealed that the final F-Type has rolled off production lines at its Castle Bromwich plant, marking the end of its decade-long run.
It was assembled exactly 50 years on from the last E-Type, which marked the start of a golden age for Jaguar sports cars.
The F-Type very much continued that legacy and was dubbed the E-Type's "spiritual successor" by reviewers.
It even saw a significant bump in demand earlier this year after it was heartily endorsed by Jeremy Clarkson.
The star picked the F-Type for the last episode of the Grand Tour which saw him and co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May trek across the Sahara in modified sports cars.
Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at sales platform Cinch, said: "The Jaguar F-Type, in particular, has made a remarkable impression, and has even stolen the heart of presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who drives the vehicle on the show.
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"Looking at daily searches on Cinch’s website, we noticed a spike in interest for the Jaguar F-Type on Saturday, February 17 [when the show came out], registering an impressive 63% increase in searches for the model compared to the previous weekend."
Indeed, Clarkson loved the car so much that he bought one for himself as soon as he got back from Mauritania.
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The final F-Type will now go off to be part of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust collection, where it will join the equivalent XE and XF.
This will see Jaguar only produce SUVs in the short-term, before transitioning to a broader, all-electric lineup by 2030.
According to a report from Autocar, the brand will reveal a new £100,000 Grand Tourer model later this year, loosely based on the E-Type and XJS models.
A luxury SUV and large saloon are also expected to follow in the future.
A full list of the brands that will scrap their petrol and diesel models by 2023 can be found here.
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