[Image Source: Autoblog.it]

Funny what a decade or so will do to a car company and its reputation. If in 1990 you said that Jaguar would stand as one of the most reliable luxury marques and Mercedes-Benz bottomed out as the least reliable, you'd have been accosted with disbelieving laughter from even those with next to no knowledge of cars.

You know the old Jaguar jokes. You had to have two - one for spare parts. Or Lucas electronics' nickname as "Prince of Darkness."

But times have changed and Jaguar now makes reliable cars.

The Coventry Cat has won just about every major accolade there is. International Car of The Year judges awarded the new XKR as "Sports Car of The Year" for M.Y. 2007. The American Automobile Association (AAA) picked the XJ8L as "best in category above $50,000"- the big sedan had to fend off Mercedes' mighty S-Class for that title, mind you. And J.D. Power & Associates reported that its survey data showed that Jaguar dealers bested Lexus and the rest for top spot in overall customer satisfaction.

So, why in the name of all that's graceful, fast, and spacious isn't Jaguar stealing its German rivals' Wagnerian thunder? Why does the luxury subsidiary under the Ford PAG household continue to bleed red ink? How many awards, accolades, and sterling reviews will it take before those in the market to buy, lease, or finance catch on?

Gorgeous demands an answer Jaguar Cars US]