Saving Jaguar

When John Egan arrived at Jaguar Cars in April 1980, newly appointed as chief executive, the company's very survival was in grave doubt. In fact, the situation looked utterly hopeless. Not only was the once-proud Jaguar company a part of the catastrophic British Leyland (BL) conglomerate but Eagan was greeted at the gates by the workforce on strike! The odds against saving Jaguar were immense. Quality was appalling, the workforce bitter, the management disillusioned, and any profits had been sucked out by BL to stem its mounting losses. The government had introduced the closed shop, giving the unions immense power. This book tells the story of how John Egan gradually overcame the odds to rebuild this great company, winning over the workforce, the overseas dealers and, most important of all, the customers. Working with the government, Egan and his team of managers overcame every obstacle, every setback, every challenge. Using innovative techniques, intelligence, eloquence, openness, motor racing, and much more, they saved the company, which has created some of the finest and most loved motor cars of all time.