Jaguar Land Rover had a starring role at a unique event in London showcasing the best of British innovation, excellence and industry. The Coronation Festival celebrated the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Her Majesty The Queen, and was held in the gardens of Buckingham Palace between July 11th and 14th.
HM The Queen, HRH The Prince of Wales and six other members of the Royal Family visited the Jaguar Land Rover displays during the preview day. The Queen arrived in a new Range Rover for the Festival's star‑studded Gala that evening, performed against the backdrop of the west front of Buckingham Palace.
The Coronation Festival was hosted by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, and brought together more than 200 businesses which hold Royal Warrants as suppliers of goods and services to the households of HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Prince of Wales. Jaguar Land Rover is particularly proud to be the only automotive manufacturer to hold all three Warrants.
"Jaguar and Land Rover were each granted their first Royal Warrants in 1951 shortly before The Queen's accession. We are honoured and delighted to be celebrating this long and unbroken relationship at the Coronation Festival," said Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover's CEO. "The association of our vehicles with the Royal Family is appreciated by our customers around the world. So we recognise that the Royal Warrants are an important contributor to the company's accelerating global growth."
Past, Present and Future
As well as marking the long Royal association, Jaguar Land Rover also celebrated 60 years of technology and innovation at the Festival, with a display of vehicles to represent the company's past, present and future.
A highlight for many visitors was the 1953 Land Rover Royal Review Vehicle. This is one of 10 specially‑converted Land Rovers used for many public appearances during the six‑month, 44,000 mile tour of the Commonwealth which The Queen undertook soon after her Coronation. Also representing the past were another Royal Review Vehicle, a Range Rover from 1974, and a Jaguar Mark VII, which Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother used regularly between 1955 and 1972.
This trio was joined by two additional important and historic vehicles: the first pre‑production Land Rover Series 1 from 1948 (known as HUE, after its number plate), and the oldest surviving open Jaguar E‑Type, built in 1961.
Representing the present was another Royal vehicle, one of two Jaguar XJ Semi‑State Limousines, which were presented to The Queen last year. The cars are specially extended versions of the long‑wheelbase Jaguar XJ, and finished in Royal claret and black livery.
This was joined by five of the company's current models: a red Jaguar F‑TYPE convertible ‑ particularly popular with stand visitors ‑ a Jaguar XF Sportbrake, a Range Rover Evoque, an all‑new Range Rover and an example of new Range Rover Sport, which has just started to go on sale (in the UK, other markets follow).
And for the future? That was spectacularly represented by the Jaguar C‑X75, a prototype hybrid supercar which combines the fuel efficiency of a low‑emissions city car with a potential top speed of 220 mph. Its advanced technologies will be utilised in research and development, innovative future products and next‑generation engineering for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.
Guests from around the world
The Coronation Festival was a complete sell‑out, with 60,000 visitors over the four days. These included nearly 1000 Jaguar Land Rover guests, comprising customers, media and business associates from as far away as China and the USA.
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Editors' notes
Jaguar Land Rover:
- Land Rover has been named Responsible Business of the Year by Business in the Community (BITC).
- Jaguar Land Rover has ambitious plans for sustainable growth and profitability.
- In 2012, Jaguar Land Rover sold 357,773 vehicles, up 30%.
- Jaguar Land Rover will invest circa £2.75bn in its products and facilities in the financial year to March 2014.
- Jaguar Land Rover is one of the UK's largest exporters by value (£8.2bn in 2011) and generates in the region of 85% of its revenue from exports.
- In the 12 months to 31 March 2013, Jaguar Land Rover generated profit before tax of £1.675bn with revenues of £15.8bn.
The Coronation Festival:
- The Coronation Festival was a unique event which formed part of The Queen's Programme in the 60th anniversary year of the Coronation.
- Hosted by The Royal Warrant Holders Association the Coronation Festival showcased over 200 of the companies who have supplied goods or services for at least five years to the Households of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The Prince of Wales.
- Royal Warrants have always been regarded as hallmarks of quality, excellence and service.
- Media 10, a privately owned publishing and events company based in Loughton, Essex was the event organiser for the Festival.
- Media 10 is one of the leading players in the events industry, best known for the running of the iconic Ideal Home Show and Grand Designs Live.
- Media Contact & Press Office for the Coronation Festival, Please contact Alexandra Davison or Nicola Formoy on 0207 096 5816 or email coronationfestival@fasttrackagency.com
