Well put Heinz.
Jaguar may be the first brand to discover how insulting core heritage customers works out.
Interesting you mention this, Dave.
I had written a similar point but deleted it because it felt incongruous to the point I was making about the value of all stories, not simply ones that resonate, or sit comfortably, with our own. Furthermore, as Heinz referenced, the models prior enhance what comes next, not detract from it. To my mind, they actually tell the story of the company and create the mythology and authenticity of the brand. This, in my opinion, is the real value in the years of history behind the wings and one that no marketeer could easily create in a short period of time. However, as we have seen from Jaguar, it is all too easy for said marketing teams (or senior manager) to decimate and divide a legacy brand in one click of a button.
I would like to believe that MMC understand the value of their customer base and can appreciate that nurturing it, whilst also expanding the net to include new customers, is the fiscally sensible one. Jaguar (jaguar?) seem to have taken the 'baby-bathwater' approach and only time will tell how sensible that methodology is...
One aside on the topic of older owners is, perhaps, one that is often missed. Surely there is an element to those owners passing that love on to younger generations within their family, akin to vehicular osmosis? If you asked my daughter what some of her fondest car memories are when she was a child, she will regale you with stories of jaunts in a Morgan. To that point, one of her goals is to own one in the future. To dismiss older owners simply because they may not purchase another car, or perhaps don't fit the image the brand would like to curate, would seem to miss the fact that those same owners can be a positive brand ambassador. By sharing their passion with the younger generation, it can help to create the next age of buyers.
Further to the point I made earlier, I'm old enough to remember being told by someone 'influential' in the Morgan world that I had not bought a 'real Morgan' when I purchased my first Aero. As many of you know, TM came about for this very reason; all are welcome, whatever you are lucky enough to own.
