Jaguar's all-important new XF saloon, to be launched early next year, last night won its first major accolade, Autocar magazine's annual Design Award for 2007.
The honour is one of nine announced by Chas Hallett, Autocar's editor, at a ceremony in Westminster attended by more than 400 motor industry leaders and celebrities from Europe, the US and Asia.
The awards panel made special note of the exceptional achievement of Jaguar's designers and engineers in resisting 'retro' styling and leapfrogging an entire design generation to produce original, contemporary interior and exterior themes on which all future Jaguars will build.
Ian Callum, Jaguar's Design Director said "This is the first time Jaguar has won this award from Autocar for a production car and I'm absolutely thrilled the new XF is the winner. It's wonderful to receive recognition for our efforts within the industry.
This award recognises the work we have been doing to develop a new design direction for Jaguar and the XF is the first example of this on a saloon car."
A much younger motoring hero, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton, accepted Autocar's Motorsport Award – by video link – for his stirring F1 achievements of the past season.
Volkswagen's revolutionary up!, an economy car proposal that company bosses have already confirmed as the basis of an entire family of revolutionary economy cars, won Autocar's Concept Car of the Year award, accepted by VW's group head of development, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg.
The judging panel especially admired VW's willingness to use a new concept that replaces traditional transverse front-wheel drive with a compact engine mounted under the rear seat, driving the car's rear wheels.
The most poignant award was Autocar's Idea of the Year, which went to the McRae Enduro, a 'supercar for the desert' to which the McRae family of rally champions – including 1995 WRC title winner Colin, recently tragically killed in a helicopter accident – have lent their name.
This super-tough, diesel-powered racer aims to cater for teams and private entrants in extreme events like the Dakar Rally.
One day the McRae Enduro may be a road car, too.
Summing up, Autocar editor Chas Hallett praised the motor industry's never-ending quest for excellence.
