Jaguar sales and exports hit an all-time record in 1998. Announcing the sales results at the Detroit Motor Show today (Wednesday) Jaguar’s Chairman and Chief Executive Nick Scheele said that for the first time in its seventy six year history, the Coventry-based luxury car manufacturer had sold over 50,000 cars in a single year.

During 1998 Jaguar sold 50,220 luxury saloons and sports cars in world markets, an increase of 15 percent over 1997 and two percent more than the 49495 cars sold in 1998 – the previous best-ever sales year. Exports during 1998 totalled 38550 cars, nine percent higher than the 34573 cars exported in 1987.

A record 10522 Jaguar cars were exported to Continental Europe where sales were 21.4 percent higher than 1997 – itself a record sales year. Sales in Germany, Europe’s biggest luxury car market, were also a record, with Jaguar selling 4059 cars in 1998 – the first time ever that Jaguar has sold over 4000 cars in this key European market.

Jaguar also shattered sales records in Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Norway (where sales doubled), Finland, Portugal and Ireland.

In the United States, Jaguar’s biggest single market, sales increased by 15.4 percent to 22503 cars, Jaguar’s best sales performance since 1987 and the third best sales year on record. Sales in the United Kingdom were the highest this decade with UK dealers registering 11640 cars during 1998 – an increase of 22 percent over 1997.