The advanced lightweight coupe was designed at its research and development centre in Coventry.

The company says the car points the way ahead for the Jaguar marque and claims it will be as significant as the XK120 and E-Type models were in the past.

Unions in Birmingham say they hope it will continue to secure the future of production at Castle Bromwich.

'Important' role

US car makers GM and Ford are scritinising the logic behind maintaining the European production of luxury subsidiaries Saab, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover. Detroit: The industry meets

Last September parent company Ford confirmed that production will end at Jaguar's Browns Lane factory in Coventry.

The new aluminium car, which was designed at Whitley in the city, has a top speed of about 180mph and will retail for about �60,000.

A version of the concept is due to be in showrooms within a year.

TGWU regional organiser, Des Quinn, said: "We are still of the feeling that this car should have been built at Browns Lane.

"It was promised there. They made concessions to get the car.

"Having said that we hope it is a success and we hope it does secure long term the future of Castle Bromwich if indeed the car ends up being built there."

Describing the latest Jaguar, the company's director of communications, Don Hume, said: "It's an embodiment of the design characteristics we're working on for future generations of Jaguars.

"It's a signpost of the way we're going and the new products are absolutely vital to the future.

"(It) is entirely a product of Whitley. Future products based on it will be developed there so Whitley is the centre of engineering and development for Jaguar.