ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that in the early 1980s, and almost by accident, the UK at last found the elusive key to effective management and control of public enterprise. In 1980 Jaguar’s sales had fallen to about half their historic peak. Its largest export market, that to the US, had collapsed. Delivery lead times to dealers were unpredictable and dealers were demoralised and ill-organised. Egan immediately instituted a change in product strategy. Before his arrival, the effort in Jaguar’s engineering departments had focused on developing the new model to replace the existing series. Their emphasis was on technological leadership and innovation and little attention was being given to product and process improvements for the existing series. Jaguar’s operations took place in three plants: Assembly and Engine Building in Coventry, and Body and Paint Work in Birmingham. Until 1982, Jaguar’s sales in the UK were through 300 outlets, each with separate showroom and service provision for Jaguar.
