All you need to know about JAGUAR
Date of birth: 1922
Nationality: British
The genesis of Jaguar was the Swallow Sidecar Company, set up by motorcyclists William Lyon and William Walmsley. After building the 1926 Austin 7 the company added "Coachbuilding" to its name and made bodies for a range of car-makers of the time, including Standard. The SS1 car built in 1931 was based on a Standard chassis and engine, and began the long and low wire-spoked look that underpins even today's Jaguar styling.
1935 was the pivotal year, when the name Jaguar was first used and William Heynes joined as chief engineer. Until the second World War stopped car-making, the company gained a strong reputation for producing a range of sporty cars that did very well in key sports events including Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo Rally.
The company took the name Jaguar cars after the war, and the first new model produced was the XK 120 sports car, in 1946. Two years later a roadster version became the fastest motor car of its time, and the 1951 fixed-head version added the luxury wood and leather trimmings which typify every Jaguar since. XKs continued to be produced until 1961.
During the 1950s, in an effort to expand its model and customer base, the Mk II Jaguar became the breadwinner for the brand through the 1960s. At the other end of the scale, the Mk X became the luxury icon "managing director" vehicle. The Daimler brand was acquired in 1960.
In 1966, Jaguar merged with British Motor Corporation, and two years later the Leyland group was added to the mix. Through the 1970s, the Jaguar entity disappeared into the maw of what was to be the biggest commercial mistake in British motoring history. In 1980, the big cat was rescued by the appointment of John Egan as chief executive and by 1985 was stable once more. That was also the year its founder, Sir William
Lyons died. Though
revered, the Jaguar brand was still suffering from build quality problems which started in the BMC days.
Ford Motor Company bought Jaguar in 1988 and funded new technology and quality control. Since then, though the essential style and shape of Jaguar cars has remained, the availability of platforms, engines and money from Ford has contributed to an expansion of the product base, now comprising X, S, XK and XJ models.
Best Car: Probably the latest all-aluminium XJ.
Worst Car: Any of the cars built during the doldrum times of BMC ownership, when build quality plummeted to a level that almost killed the brand.
Most Iconic Car: The 1960s E-Type
Weirdest Car: 1968 XJ13, more extreme than weird, with 550 bhp from a V12 5.3-litre, and it was roadworthy