Jaguar Car History
The England-based Jaguar Cars Ltd. manufactures luxury saloons and sports cars. The company can trace its automotive roots to 1922, and in recent years has been owned by several different parent companies, including the Ford Motor Company and most recently the India-based Tata Motors. The automaker is perhaps best known for its famed XKE series sports cars.
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Origins
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The company was originally founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company, but changed its name to Jaguar Cars Ltd. after World War II.
Early Models
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The company started its automobile production building cars powered by 1.5-, 2.5- and 3.5-liter engines provided by the Standard Motor Company.
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Mark V
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The Mark V was Jaguar's first postwar vehicle that was equipped with a 2.5- or 3.5-liter engine that featured hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension.
The 1950s
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The XK120 proved to be a remarkably agile and fast car, and Jaguar's success was cemented with the XK140 and the XK150 models.
XK Series
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The XK120 sports car put Jaguar on the map as a luxury sports car maker. The 1961-74 E-Type, or XKE Series, was Jaguar's greatest accomplishment, with 70,000 units built.
Owners
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Jaguar merged with British Motor Corporation to create British Motor Holdings in 1966, and was sold to Ford in 1989. Ford sold Jaguar to Tata Motors in 2008.
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References
- Photo Credit Tata Motors
