Jeremy Clarkson’s love for British brand Jaguar has sparked a 63 per cent increase in searches for the model used in his latest The Grand Tour Special, Sand Job.
In the new Prime Video special, Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May tackle Mauritania and follow in the footsteps of iconic Paris-Dakar rally.
Clarkson chose a Jaguar F-Type V6 Supercharged VS to navigate his way around the West African nation, saying he “cannot lavish enough praise” on the supercar.
He added that he liked the car so much that he purchased an F-Type when he returned to the UK, calling it “so impressive”.
There was a 63 per cent increase in searches after the special was released
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The Jaguar that he purchased when he returned from filming is now stored at his residence in Chipping Norton, the starring location of Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video.
Commenting on his experience with the supercar, the 63-year-old said: “The Jaguar was so tough and so unbreakable.
“I discovered something interesting: Jaguar has a reputation for making flimsy cars, cars that fall to pieces, it has this reputation for unreliability, so I couldn't understand why my car was so capable.”
New data from cinch found that a spike in interest for Jaguar F-Type was seen on Saturday, February 17 – the day after the special was released on Prime Video.
Clarkson's new F-Type is stored at his farm in Chipping Norton
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It registered an impressive 63 per cent increase in searches compared to the previous weekend and also represented the biggest number of daily searches for the F-Type since the start of February.
Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at cinch, said: “Following the recent launch of ‘The Grand Tour: Sand Job’ on 16 February, drivers from all over the country have been wowed with some incredible motors.
“The Jaguar F-Type, in particular, has made a remarkable impression, and has even stolen the heart of presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who drives the vehicle on the show.
“Clarkson loved driving the F-Type so much that he even bought a supercharged V6 model as soon as he got home from Mauritania.”
Clarkson was prompted to buy his own Jaguar F-Type after filming the special
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The other hosts of The Grand Tour: Sand Job were less fond of their cars, with Richard Hammond having particular issues with his Aston Martin.
He said the V12 engine in his Aston Martin Volante was “not the best place to start when you want a rugged machine for crossing deserts”.
Sam Sheehan added: “Once again, this shows that cultural moments can have a significant impact on consumer behaviour – especially when looking for their next car.
“In the same way that pink cars witnessed a surge in searches after the release of the Barbie movie in 2023, we can expect the Jaguar F-Type to be an increasingly sought-after model in the weeks to come.”
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The Grand Tour: Sand Job was released last week
PRIME VIDEO
This can also be seen with the so-called "Barbiemania" craze saw a rise in the number of pink cars sold in the UK.
Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that 210 pink vehicles were registered across the UK in 2023, bucking the trend of a long-standing decline in the colour.