Beginning. The company was established in 1922 under the name Swallow Sidecar Company and, at first, it produced side boxes for motorcycles. Its name was changed to Jaguar after World War II. The abbreviation of the company's previous name was associated with the name of... Waffen-SS. The car manufacturer presented its first models—the SS 90 and SS 100—at a 1935 show.
Development. Jaguar became popular owing to its sports car series XK 1920 (1949) with a 160 HP engine. The XK 140 and XK 150 models were also successful. A year later, a large limousine—Mark VII—was created. Jaguar was perceived as a brand of sports and luxury cars. In 1955, the company launched a middle segment car — Mark I (and later Mark II). At the beginning of the 1960s, Jaguar took over the luxurious Daimler brand, which supplied cars to the royal family. From 1962 until 2002, all of the most luxurious Jaguar cars were sold with the Daimler logo. A new era started for Jaguar in 1989, when the British brand was taken over by Ford. The investments of the American automaker made it possible to introduce new models (such as the S-Type in 1999, X-Type in 2001 and XK in 2006), but no breathtaking success was achieved.
Present. Jaguar's fortunes were turned around in 2008. The company was bought by Tata Motors—an Indian car manufacturer—for 2.3 billion dollars.
Contribution to the automotive industry. The E-type is a model which went down in the history of the automotive industry. The car was manufactured from 1961 to 1975. 70,000 cars left the Jaguar manufacturing facilities during this period. The car was ranked first in the Daily Telegraph list of the one hundred most beautiful cars. The car was powered by the XK-type engine, which was constructed in 1948. This engine was manufactured for 44 years with only slight construction changes. The six-cylinder row unit had a capacity of 3.4 l, 3.8 l or 4.2 l; it contained two camshafts placed in an aluminium head and a cast iron cylinder block. A set of rocker switches were placed on the dashboard lined with varnished aluminium sheets.
Trivia. Jaguar cars took part in racing events. The XK120C model (known as the C-Type) won its debut race at Le Mans in 1951. At that time, in cooperation with Dunlop, Jaguar developed disc brakes, which became its secret weapon in the race two years later, ensuring another victory for the C-Type model. In the years 1955–1957, the Le Mans race was dominated by its successor — the Jaguar D-Type. Jaguar cars won this race on two other occasions: in 1988 the Jaguar XJR-9LM and in 1990 the Jaguar XJR-12.
Currently manufactured models: Jaguar XF, Jaguar XJ, Jaguar XK, Jaguar XFR, Jaguar XJR, Jaguar XKR.
Tyres. Jaguar manufactures sports cars and large executive cars with high-horsepower engines. Such characteristics make it necessary to use tyres from the 16- to 21-inch range. A few popular sizes for Jaguars include: 225/60 R16 (XJ8), 235/55 R17 (XJ6), 235/50 R18 (XK8) and 245/40 R19 (XKR). Jaguar cooperates with numerous tyre manufacturers by providing tyres for original equipment. A few examples: The Jaguar XJR was equipped with Dunlop SP Sport 01 tyres, size 255/35 R20, and the Jaguar S-Type used Michelin Pilot Primacy tyres, size 225/55 R16.