We got a chance catch up with Ed Neyra, owner of the Jaguar and Land Rover Dealership of Cincinnati…
Matt: Ed, thank you on behalf of the Jaguar Club of Greater Cincinnati for sitting down with me and talking about everything.
Ed: I’m more than happy to talk.
Matt: I know you’re a busy man, so we’ll get right into it with just a few questions. First off, you have the whole Jaguar museum and the exclusive Jaguar dealership in the area, what got you into Jaguars?
Ed: Well, my first memory was in 1972 when I bought a 1953 XK120 in New York from a military guy who was going home to Washington state. I was sitting at breakfast at this diner and here comes this gorgeous XK120. The guy comes in, orders a coffee, and starts telling everyone how he’s headed home but would have to lug this car across the country that he had rebuilt. I told him, “I can take that car home for you” and he sold it to me on the spot for $900. I drove it a little bit and mostly kept it in a storage locker. One day, almost three years later to the day, I was cleaning out said storage locker. I had the car sitting outside. This person walks up to me and starts talking about how much he loved the car and offered to buy it. I didn’t really want to sell it, but I ended up selling it for $10,000.
Matt: Absolutely a stunning car! That is quite a first experience and quite a first Jaguar. Out of the whole lineup and history of the marque, what is your favorite Jaguar?
Ed: I have two. I love the 1957 XK140 as the design is timeless to me, but second has the XKE because it was such a popular car when I was a teenager.
Matt: True classics of the brand. So you’ve obviously been a fan of Jaguars for quite some time. What motivated you to get further involved with the brand and become the owner of Jaguar Land Rover Cincinnati?
Ed: I was honored to have purchased the dealership when I did, during the switch form Ford to Tata Motors. We are the exclusive dealership, but that is also a double-edged sword. We not only have a responsibility to carry on the complete process from sales to service of Jaguars and Land Rovers in the area, but we also must be the champion for the brand and carry the brand. This is a commitment I take very seriously. That’s why I like to stay involved with the Jaguar Club of Greater Cincinnati.
Matt: We are honored to be able to work with you on different events and always appreciate the support you provide. Looking into the magical globe, if you would, what do you see as the future of the brand and what excites you the most about the future of the brand?
Ed: Well, being the dealership, we always here the rumors after everyone else. But the rumor is that within 10 years, the entire line of Jaguars will be electric. As you may know, the XJ has been pulled out of production. The plans? They’re going to be releasing a fully electric version within 18 months. Jaguar has already released the I-PACE, which is an all-electric crossover. Tata Motors has been investing a ton of money into the future of Jaguar, and I’m truly excited to see the future of the everything.
Matt: Beyond the specific cars and what not, what is your favorite part about the brand and where does your passion lie?
Ed: My passion behind the brand is design of the cars. Look at a Jaguar or a Land Rover sometime as it sits still. What is incredible is that they seem to show movement, even when the car is sitting still. My secondary passion is the customer. I work with the staff and spend as much time as possible at the dealership to create the best experience from end to end in all aspects of the dealership.
Matt: Ed, I would like to thank you yet again for taking the time and we look forward to seeing you at our next event!
Ed: Thank you as well Matt, I look forward to seeing you at the next event as well.
