Austin Powers boosts Jaguar's appeal in US

Austin Powers has given Jaguar a groovy new appeal in America which has helped boost sales by 73%, it emerged today.

Analysts said recent hype surrounding the spoof secret agent helped sell 5,131 models of the luxury car in the US last month, up nearly 2,300 on the same period in 2001.

“Americans generally have sillier sense of humour than the Brits, and Austin Powers seems to have made the Jaguar an even cooler car over here,” said George Pipas from Ford, which owns Jaguar.

Mike Myers’ character drives a Union Jack XK8 Jaguar – dubbed a Shaguar – in the Goldmember movie which opened a fortnight ago.

Jaguar invoked the spirit of the gawky spy in a US TV advert launched last month that plays to many Americans’ affinity for all things British.

To the strains of the Clash hit, London Calling, it depicts a US street scene changing into central London as a Jaguar drives through it.

An American phone booth turns into a red phone box, a cop turns into a British bobby and a bar turns into a pub. The change is completed with an appearance of the Austin Powers Shaguar.

Land Rover recorded an even greater success in the US last month, with sales up 95% on 2001.

Some 4,057 Land Rovers were sold in July, compared with 2,001 during the same period last year.

Mr Pipas said the increase was largely due to the success of the new Freelander which was launched in the US last December.