Jaguar Master Tech

"Jaguar has made great strides in quality and customer satisfaction in recent years, and we are the first to recognize that this progress would not be possible without the hard work and diligence of our dealers and their personnel," said Jaguar President Michael H. Dale. "It is because of people like these that Jaguar has consistently improved product quality and customer satisfaction."

Technicians with a variety of qualifications may become Certified, Associate or Master Technicians. To achieve Master status, service technicians must have a minimum of five years' experience at an authorized Jaguar dealership, complete a minimum of seven current Jaguar training courses, and have full Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification in engine repair, automatic and manual transmissions, suspension and steering, electrical systems, climate control and engine performance.

Each technician who meets these criteria is then eligible to take a written, 50-question Technical Exam prepared by Jaguar technical staff members. Technicians who pass this test achieve Master status, and the three top-scoring Masters from each service district may take part in the Master Technician Guild Competition.

There are currently 177 Jaguar service technicians in the United States who have achieved Master status; however, these titles are neither granted nor maintained easily. In order to retain the title, Masters must constantly upgrade their training and skills according to specific criteria set by the manufacturer.

This year, 41 Master Technicians took part in the Guild Competition, held at Jaguar's headquarters in Mahwah, New Jersey. The Guild competition tests each technician's ability in four hands-on tests -- three diagnostic exercises and a shop repair. Each technician must complete the assessment or repair within 30 minutes and is scored on problem solving knowledge and use of correct procedures.

The top-scoring Master technician from each of 14 districts becomes a Guild member winning, among other prizes, a one week trip to tour Jaguar's design, manufacturing and testing facilities in Coventry, England.

The Master Technician who scores the highest marks among the 14 Guild winners is awarded the Brian Fuerstenau Trophy. The trophy is dedicated to the memory of the Chief Engineer for the Group 44 racing team that won both National SCCA and TransAm championships for Jaguar in the late 1970's, and went on to represent Jaguar at Le Mans in 1984 and 1985. A brilliant, self-taught engineer, Fuerstenau developed the racing Jaguar V12 E-type that won the SSCA B Production championship in 1975. He went on to engineer the Jaguar XJS that won the TransAm Manufacturers Championship in 1978. Brian Fuerstenau was killed in a plane crash in 1993.

The Brian Fuerstenau Trophy, a crystal E-type on a marble base engraved with the names of the winners, is on permanent display at Jaguar headquarters. Each winner receives a miniature version of this trophy.