Some Interesting Facts about Jaguar Cars

January 2011

Jaguar Cars Ltd., more commonly known as Jaguar, is a British luxury auto maker that has been building cars since 1935 in Whitley, Coventry, England. The firm was established by Sir William Lyons and William Walmsley in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company. Since then, it has rolled out a series of iconic sports and luxury cars. It is currently a subsidiary of India’s Tata Motors Ltd. and forms part of the Jaguar Land Rover enterprise.

The original Jaguar models were the legendary SS100 and the SS90. The latter made its official debut in 1935 and came equipped with a 6-cylinder engine with a power output of 68-horsepower. From its introduction, the SS90 received mixed responses from the motoring public. Though the car’s stylish cues were appreciated by auto enthusiasts, it was generally regarded to be lacking in power. The following year, Jaguar unleashed the SS100 in its attempt to market a car with an improved performance, complementing the sleek look. The SS100 hit the market and boasted of a 6-cylinder engine capable of generating 100-horsepower. Along with the power boost, Jaguar engineers added a few more notable features including synchromesh gears and twin carburetors. The SS100 was in the market until 1940.

When World War II ended, Jaguar started making its mark as a manufacturer of classy, high-performance cars. In 1948, Jaguar broke new grounds yet again when it unveiled the XK120 roadster. The car's name represented its top speed of 120 mph, which set a speed record for a production car. The XK120 was offered with a front engine/rear-wheel drive configuration and was powered by Jaguar's 3.4-liter 6-cylinder XK engine. The car was a tremendous hit as it won a number of races and drew the patronage of popular personalities across the globe. In 1954, the XK140 was introduced and it was later followed by the XK150 in 1957.

Jaguar continued catering to the luxury car market when it first sold the Mark V in 1948 and was followed all the way to a Mark X model in 1970. Jaguar cars became the most expensive cars in the market and featured distinct styling cues like the chrome grill and the exquisite Jaguar emblem. The company also ventured in the production of sports cars with the debut of the E-type in 1961. Its production continued until 1975 and was offered as both a coupe and convertible. The Jaguar XJS then took the place of the E-Type in 1976 and ushered in the touring car category. The XJS retained the V12 engine of the E-Type and carried on the tradition of high-performance cars from the company.

In 1968, Jaguar put the wraps off its much anticipated X Series of luxury cars, which included the XJ6, XJ12 and XJ8. Since 1968, the X Series have been competing with other luxury car makers like Bentley, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls Royce. The X Series brought a host of luxury features that later became standard amenities such as power steering, digital displays and new production materials. To date, Jaguar offers four unique models. The XJ represents the flagship full-size luxury car. The XF is a mid-size executive sedan while the entry level X-Type remains among the top luxury vehicles available in the market. Rounding up the range is the XK sports car which comes as a high-performance coupe and convertible.