Jaguar Cars Ltd., Coventry. UK 1945 to date

The name Jaguar was first used on an, S.S.Cars Ltd., saloon at the London Motor Show in October 1935. The company had already established itself as a leader in the business of producing stylish and sporting cars at a reasonable price when the war halted production. When hostilities ceased and the full horrors of the activities of the German SS were revealed it was decided the company should change it's name to Jaguar Cars Ltd.

For the first three years up to 1948 Jaguars were pre-war models with the new badge. The 4-cylinder overhead valve 1,767cc engines continued to be made by Standard, but the tooling for the overhead valve 2.5-litre and 3.5-litre engines had been taken over before the war ended. The chassis were of 1930s design with beam axles, leaf springs and the brakes were mechanical. They did however feature 4-speed synchromesh gearboxes. The 4-cylinder model was dropped in 1949.

The first new model was the Mark V which was available as a saloon or drophead coupé and a choice of either the 2,664cc or the 3,485cc engine. The body was styling was remodeled with better forward vision and spats to cover the rear wheels. The chassis was also brought up to date with independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes. By 1951 there had been 10,466 Mark Vs made.

The show stopper at the Olympia Motor Show of 1949 was the Jaguar XK120. Originally built as means of publicising the new Mark VII saloon this attractive sports car was fitted with a new twin overhead camshaft 6-cylinder engine of 3,442cc and a power output of 160bhp. The original plan to produce 200 with aluminium bodies had to be urgently revised when the demand outstripped supply and in the end over 12,000 were built, with steel bodies, up to 1954.

The new engine had been conceived by William Lyons, Bill Heynes and Claude Baily while they were on fire watch at the factory during the war. Heynes took most of the credit for the design and development of this engine which was in production until 1983 and gave Jaguar many successes in racing on the way. The XK 120 was so named because it was capable of 120 mph which when it was announced was a spectacular performance for a car costing £1,263.

In fact it was capable of higher speeds when lightly tuned or the windscreen removed. Unfortunately for the British enthusiasts 92% of the production was exported but it did wonders for the Jaguar name abroad, particularly in the important American market. Originally designed as a fairly basic 2-seat roadster it was refined to include a fixed head coupé in 1951 and a convertible in 1953. It was also possible to purchase a Special Equipment model with a tuned engine, twin exhaust pipes and centre-lock Rudge Whitworth wheel hubs. This 180bhp model was made from 1952.

A very small number of Mark VI drophead coupés were made, with the new engine in the Mark V chassis.

The Mark VII, first shown at Earl's Court in October 1950, was a completely new luxury 4-door 6-seat saloon with a full width body of substantial proportions. The unavailability of curved glass resulted in the two piece V windscreen of the early models which gave way to a single piece curved screen in 1957 for it's successor the Mark VIII. There was also an optional automatic gearbox or overdrive to the manual gearbox. The Mark VII was also surprisingly successful on the race track and dominated the new sport of saloon car racing until 1957. They were also successful in the long distance road events winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1956.

It was the racing version of the XK120 which really captured the imagination. Their first success was in the One Hour Production Car Race at Silverstone in 1949, won by Leslie Johnson at an average speed of 82.8mph. They won the same event in 1950 and 1951 but meanwhile had entered the classic 24 Hour Race at Le Mans in 1950 with limited success finishing 12^th after retiring whilst in 3^rd place. In the Tourist Trophy Stirling Moss gave them a first place at an average speed of 75.15mph.

Developed from these XK models in 1951 was the "C" type, with a tubular chassis frame and an engine tuned to give 200bhp. The suspension was independent at the front but the rear was a live axle located by an "A" bracket. Moss won the TT again and Whitehead and Walker won at Le Mans. They were also very successful in rallying winning the Alpine, Tulip, Rome-Liege-Rome, Rallye Soleil, Morcambe, and Scottish. They took the team prize in the Alpine too, and won their class in the Tour de France and the RAC Rally. The "C" type failed at Le Mans in 1952 but won again in 1953 when they were fitted with disc brakes. It was also the time when Ian Appleyard won The Alpine Gold Cup for three successive unpenalised runs in his XK120 in the International Alpine Rally. His co-driver was his wife Patricia, William Lyons' daughter.

The production X120 was available with a 3.4-litre engine by 1954 but was replaced in 1955 by the XK140 which had improved "rack & pinion steering. The body had a smaller radiator grille and better weather equipment for the roadster and two very small seats behind the driver for this and the coupé version. This in turn was developed into the XK150 in 1957 which by 1959 was available with a 3.8-litre engine giving 250bhp in the XK150S.

1954 saw the first appearance of the new "D" type sports racing Jaguar on which William Heynes had been working. This was a radical design with a monocoque centre section to the chassis/body with a square tube space frame at the front to support the front suspension and cradle the dry sump engine. The rear suspension was independent and the car was fitted with disc brakes all round. The wheelbase was shorter than the "C" type by 7 inches and the aluminium body, designed by Malcolm Sayer, was more curvaceous and aerodynamic with a headrest for the driver, which ended in a long tail fin. These lightweight racing cars with the engine developing 250bhp were capable of almost 200mph.

The most publicised achievements for Jaguar were finishing 2^nd at Le Mans in 1954 and winning the race outright in 1955, 1956 and 1957 finishing 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 6^th. By this time the engines were running with fuel injection and were turning out about 300bhp. Since 1952 the cars had been entered by Ecurie Ecosse, a privately funded Scottish racing team, with works support. The "D" type Jaguar was successful at Sebring, Ulster and many minor events.

The saloon car range had also undergone significant change by 1956 with a completely new range of smaller and neater unitary construction models. The first to be announced was the 2.4-litre which used the XK engine with a short stroke crankshaft to reduce the capacity to 2,483cc. This was followed in 1957 by the 3.4-litre which used the XK engine in it's original size. This model was the first to be produced after the Jaguar factory had been completely destroyed by fire earlier that year. As with the XK models a larger engine of 3.8-litres was available from 1958 and this became an option in the saloon at about the same time. Renamed the Mk II this much more powerful car was fitted with disc brakes.

At the top end of the Jaguar range there were changes too, with a completely new model in 1961 called the Mark X. This had a new unitary construction body/chassis with wishbone and coil spring front suspension and power steering. It was also the first Jaguar saloon to be fitted with independent rear suspension, designed for the new "E" type sports car. By 1964 the engine had been increased to 4,235cc and in 1966 it had a restyled front and was also available as a Daimler Sovereign.

The 1960s were a time of consolidation in the motor trade as manufacturers tried to compete for volume and diversification. Jaguar had acquired the Daimler-Lanchester company in 1960 together with their coachbuilding subsidiaries Barker & Hooper and followed this in 1961 with the old established commercial vehicle manufacturer Guy Motors. They also took over the engine manufacturers Coventry Climax in 1963 and Meadows in 1964. In 1966 Jaguar was itself merged with The British Motor Corporation but succeeded in retaining it's identity and individuality. Changes were rapid in these difficult times and the company became British Motor (Holdings) Ltd. and in 1968 was forcibly merged with Leyland Group to become British Leyland, yet another example of British government and Civil Service intervention in matter far outside their limited knowledge or understanding. From 1975 to 1978 Jaguar was part of Leyland Cars before being hived off into a new grouping called Jaguar-Rover-Triumph in an attempt to rationalise and identify the, so called, quality marques from the mass produced volume cars. Michael Edwardes was brought in by the government from Chloride, the battery manufactures, to try and rescue their investment and he had the sense to understand the need for Jaguar to retain an independent brand image. So in 1980 the name of Jaguar Cars Ltd. was revived with John Egan as the chairman. Unfortunately the lack of management control caused by these constant changes of policy led inevitably to a decline in productivity and quality control. This resulted in ever decreasing sales, particularly in the all important American market. Under John Egan these problems were addressed and when the government decided to privatise in 1984 the shares were 8 times oversubscribed, valuing the company at £300 million, so the incompetence in government even extended this far.

Sir William Lyons (he was knighted in 1956), the founder of Jaguar, remained as chairman but retired in early 1972 having foreseen the problems ahead.

Jaguar dominated the sports car market in the mid 1950s and so it was natural that they would continue to provide enthusiasts with a replacement for the XK models. In 1957 they announced a roadster version of the "D" type called the XK SS, but only a few were made before the Jaguar factory was destroyed by fire. By the time production had restarted it was decided to press ahead with the already well advanced replacement sports car in spite of the inevitable delay.

In March 1961 the "E" type Jaguar was announced and was an immediate success. Here was a sports car with independent suspension and disc brakes all round in a monocoque chassis/body and with a 3,781cc engine delivering 265bhp. The styling was sleek and appealing, the top speed was 150mph, and all this could be purchased for £2,100. It was over £1,500 cheaper than the equivalent Aston Martin. A coupé version was available from 1966 giving 2 + 2 seating with an automatic gearbox option.

As the cars became heavier and the American emission regulations reduced the power output the demand for a larger engine was satisfied in 1971 by the 5,343cc V-12 with two overhead camshafts and fuel injection. There were some initial problems with engine fires due to fuel escaping and collecting in the "vee" but these were cured and the V-12 E type became a very good car. The American specification cars were giving 272bhp and so the performance was maintained. The coupé version was equipped with automatic transmission and air conditioning

The Series III was discontinued in 1975 after 15,287 had been delivered.

For 1969 there was a new saloon called the XJ6, which used the well tried and tested 4,235cc 6-clinder twin overhead camshaft engine. An economy model with a smaller "lean burn" engine of 2,790cc was also introduced but it had a tendency to burn it's pistons as well as the fuel and was soon phased out. The V-12 engine became an option in this model from 1973 as the XJ12 and a Daimler badged version was called the Double-Six reviving an old name. These cars were refined, well appointed, luxury saloons at a price that many executives, or their companies, could afford. A 2-door coupé version, the XJC, was made with either the 6 or 12 cylinder engines. A sporting version known as the XJ-S coupé was introduced in 1983 with the first of a new generation of Jaguar engines. This was a single overhead camshaft design of 3,590cc but with four valves per cylinder, fuel injection and electronic ignition. The AJ6 engine delivered 225bhp and was coupled to a 5-speed Getrag manual shift gearbox. Those who had expected a car to replace the "E" type were disappointed, it was designed for, and appealed to a different market. It never achieved the charisma of the "E" type although it sold quite well, 9,052 being made in 1986. A cabriolet version was introduced in 1988 and the XJ-S HE (for high efficiency) could top 150mph and fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon, but not at the same time.

The XJ6 saloon was revised for 1986 and although it looked very similar to the previous model there were many changes. Apart from a slightly longer wheelbase (1.2 inches) it had improved rear suspension and used the Bosch anti-lock braking system. The engines were variations on the new AJ6 ranging from a 2.9-litre with 12 valves to the 3.6-litre with 24 valves. These were augmented, in 1992, by the addition of a new 5,993cc V-12 engine giving 318bhp and supercharged version of the 6-cylinder engine with 320bhp.

In 1996 a new sports Jaguar finally arrived. This was the XK8 with a new V-8 engine of 3,996cc and from March 1998 it was available as the XKR with a supercharged engine giving 363bhp. The XJ8 and XJR were built as coupés or convertibles.

For 1997 the saloon was called the XJ8 and featured 3,253cc or 3,996cc V-8 engines whilst outwardly looking similar to the previous models. As so often seems to happen with motor companys in decline they embark on wild unrealistic projects. Jaguar did just this with the XJ220 a mid engined supercar with a 6,222cc 48-valve V-12 engine developing some 500bhp. It had 4-wheel drive through a viscous differential and a 5-speed gearbox. The car was developed by TWR at Bloxham and in this form was shown at the Motor Show in Birmingham.

The car created considerable interest and a limited number of 280 were made, but these had a 3.5-litre V-6 twin turbo engine driving the rear wheels only. At £332,000 each it was not surprising that they did not sell very well.

By November 1989 the cost of developing new models was so high that Jaguar could no longer manage on it's own and the company was taken over by the Ford Motor Company. The injection of capital and experience in quality control, not to mention the added purchasing power made a significant impact on Jaguar. The result was the S-type which revived the concept of a small sporting saloon, so successful with the earlier Mark II. There was a new 2,967cc V-6 engine or the, by now, familiar 3,996cc V-8 and here was a rival to the BMW 5-series and the Mercedes-Benz E-class. Sales of Jaguar cars in the last three quarters of 1999 were 50% higher than for the whole of 1998 and five times those of 1980 at 75,312.

An interesting statistic to consider is that Walter Chrysler produced 125,000 cars in his first full year of car production in 1924!

Jaguar has, once again, entered into motor racing, this time with an ambitious Formula 1 programme. The cars have yet to become competitive but with Ford backing they will have the resources to do so. Watch this space.

There are several Clubs catering for Jaguar owners:-

The Jaguar Drivers Club. Secretary; Kathy Beech, Jaguar House, 18 Stuart Street, Luton, Bedfordshire. LU1 2SL

The Jaguar Car Club. Secretary; Mr. H Ebner, 43 Irlham Road, Flixton, Manchester, M41 6JR

The Jaguar Enthusiasts Club. Secretary; Graham Searle, Sherborne Mead Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol. BS12 6TS

Bibliography:-

Jaguar, by Lord Montague of Beaulieu, published by Quiller Press . 1990

Jaguar XK Series, the Complete History, by Jeremy Boyce, published by Crowood Press. 1996

The Classic Jaguar Saloons, by Chris Harvey, published by Motor Racing Publications. 1981

Jaguar XJ6 and XJ-S, by Chris Harvey, published by Osprey. 1982

Jaguar Project XJ40, by Philip Porter, published by Haynes. 1987

Jaguar E-type, the Definitive History, by Philip Porter, published by Haynes . 1989

Jaguar XJ-S, the Complete Story, by Graham Robson, published by Crowood Press. 1997