Jaguar

On September 4, 1922, in Blackpool, England, two young motorcycle enthusiasts, William Lyons and William Walmsley, set up the Swallow Sidecar Company to produce sidecars for motorcycles. The company continued to make sidecars until the advent of WWII.

In 1926 the company built the small Austin Seven, a "people's car" of rather Spartan design. At this point the company changed its name to the Swallow Sidecar and Coachbuilding Co. and moved to a larger manufacturing space. There it made custom bodies for such cars as Morris, Fiat, Wolseley, Swift, and Standard.

The company's first car, the SS1, was based on a Standard six-cylinder engine and a modified Standard chassis. It was introduced to the public at a London exhibition in 1931.  The smaller SS2 had a four-cylinder engine 

In appearance the larger SS1  was a long, low vehicle with a short passenger compartment, wire wheels, and a luggage boot with a spare tire at the rear. Its expensive looks belied its excellent monetary value. In 1933 the name of the company was changed to SS Cars Ltd. with Lyons becoming managing director. He bought his partner out in 1936. In 1934, Harry Weslake, regarded as one of the industry's top engine experts,    joined the company. His new cylinder head with OHV valve arrangement was quite reliable. The name Jaguar was used for the first time in 1935.  Also in 1935, William Heynes joined the company as chief engineer.

The firm's production included limousines, convertibles, and sports cars fitted with 1.5-litre, 2.5-litre, and 3.5-litre engines. The most notable vehicle of the period was the 3.5-litre SS 100 model. This was the fastest and most famous pre-war Jaguar, with speeds of 100 mph and acceleration from rest to 60 mph in about 10.5 seconds. The engine had a compression ratio of 17.5:1. Racing successes in the Marne Grand Prix of Reims, the Villa Real International event, the Alpine Rally, The Monte Carlo Rally, and the RAC Rally made this one of the most famous Jaguar cars.

During WWII, production shifted to the war effort, of course. After the war, the company's name was changed to Jaguar Cars Ltd.  and production resumed.  The first Jaguars were produced with the option of left-side driving controls!

In 1946, in addition to updating the older models, Lyons developed a new sports car, the XK 120, which was inspired by the BMW 328 model and fitted with a six-cylinder x 2 OHC engine with a capacity of 3442 cc.

In 1948 at the Earls Court Motor Show, Jaguar introduced the fastest motorcar to date, the XK 120 Roadster with an alleged top speed of 120 mph, superb roadholding and styling plus a smooth ride.

In 1951 The XK 120 Fixed Head Coupe was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show. This touring car was better trimmed with a veneer dashboard, and wind-up door windows. In 1953 the XK 120 Drophead Coupe was introduced with a fully-trimmed convertible hood. The XK 120 proved to be a super competition car. In 1954 the XK 140 included rack-and-pinion steering, larger bumpers, extra chrome, a cast grill, and 190 hp.  The XK 140 also had room for very small children behind the seat.

In 1957, the Jaguar XK 150 came in with a low roar because the XK design was looking slightly outdated. This  excellent car, however, was produced until 1961.

In the mid-fifties Jaguar had reached a point in its history of selling only luxury and sports vehicles. The company also sold a great deal of its production in foreign markets.

This put Jaguar in a precarious position because:

Jaguar needed to cement a stronger position by producing a car that could be sold at home and to a larger market. Thus, the Jaguar MK I was introduced at the 1955 Motor Show.

The vehicle was designed to fill their product gap and to appeal to the home market.  This Jaguar was of monococoque construction which in itself was new for the company.

The Jaguar MK II  evolved as an instant success with a much larger glass area and a redesigned dash. Leather seats were fitted as standard until 1967 when leather became optional to keep the base cost down. Another Jaguar classic, its fog/spot lights, also became optional at this time.

Several other Jaguar variations were produced to fill a market gap between the 3.8S and the large MK X Jaguar. 

In 1960 Daimler was bought by Jaguar.

In 1966  Sir William Lyons stepped down  as Managing Director of the Jaguar Group, but he remained Chairman and Chief Executive. Grice and England became joint managing directors. On July 11, 1966, Jaguar Cars Ltd. and the British Motor Corporation Ltd. announced they would merge.

Also by the mid-60s,  hind-sight could see that Jaguar was beginning to make too many models.

In 1968 a merger with Leyland formed the largest British car complex.

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