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Jaguar Cars
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When the British automobile firm that would become Jaguar was founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, it was essentially in the business of making a specialized aftermarket product for owners of Norton and BSA motorcycles. But by 1935,...
When the British automobile firm that would become Jaguar was founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, it was essentially in the business of making a specialized aftermarket product for owners of Norton and BSA motorcycles. But by 1935, the Jaguar name would finally appear on an automobile, a long (186 inches) four-seat sedan model called the SS Jaguar, "SS" being the initials of Swallow Sidecar and a formal part of the company's new name, SS Cars, from 1934 until World War II. In 1936, a shorter (153 inches) two-seat version of roughly the same car, the SS Jaguar 100, was released; it had no roof and a windscreen that could be lowered to improve the car's aerodynamics.
After the war, given the extremely negative connotations of the letters "SS" in the U.K. and the civilized world, the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Limited. Sedans produced in the 1940s are known today as Mark IVs, but at the time they were sold as Jaguar 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and 3 1/2 Litre vehicles, the fractional numbers referring to the various sizes of the cars' engines, which were manufactured by the Standard Motor Company in nearby Coventry, England. By 1948, Jaguar had also introduced its sleek XK120 model, the first of which was purchased by movie star Clark Cable. That same year, Jaguar released a luxury four-door sedan, also called a "saloon," called the Mark V.
By 1951, the XK120 had been streamlined even further to create Jaguar's first C-Type automobile. These cars, of which on 53 were produced from 1951 to 1953, were made for racing, and straight out of the gate a C-Type won one of the most prestigious races in the world, 24 Hours at Le Mans.
Two more XK models appeared through 1960, leading to the famous E-Type sports car (marketed as the XK-E in the United States) in 1961. Sold as a two-door in fastback hardtop or roadster convertible models, the XK-E had an incredibly long hood, or bonnet, that opened at the windshield rather than from very front of the car. Invariably, the XK-E is often compared to another hyper-stylish sports car of the 1960s, the Porsche 911. Anecdotally, the XK-E generally turns more heads for its dramatic design, while the 911 typically gets higher marks for its sense of style coupled with the sort of precision engineering that has always seemed to elude British automotive engineers.
Continue readingWhen the British automobile firm that would become Jaguar was founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, it was essentially in the business of making a specialized aftermarket product for owners of Norton and BSA motorcycles. But by 1935, the Jaguar name would finally appear on an automobile, a long (186 inches) four-seat sedan model called the SS Jaguar, "SS" being the initials of Swallow Sidecar and a formal part of the company's new name, SS Cars, from 1934 until World War II. In 1936, a shorter (153 inches) two-seat version of roughly the same car, the SS Jaguar 100, was released; it had no roof and a windscreen that could be lowered to improve the car's aerodynamics.
After the war, given the extremely negative connotations of the letters "SS" in the U.K. and the civilized world, the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Limited. Sedans produced in the 1940s are known today as Mark IVs, but at the time they were sold as Jaguar 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and 3 1/2 Litre vehicles, the fractional numbers referring to the various sizes of the cars' engines, which were manufactured by the Standard Motor Company in nearby Coventry, England. By 1948, Jaguar had also introduced its sleek XK120 model, the first of which was purchased by movie star Clark Cable. That same year, Jaguar released a luxury four-door sedan, also called a "saloon," called the Mark V.
By 1951, the XK120 had been streamlined even further to create Jaguar's first C-Type automobile. These cars, of which on 53 were produced from 1951 to 1953, were made for racing, and straight out of the gate a C-Type won one of the most prestigious races in the world, 24 Hours at Le Mans.
Two more XK models appeared through 1960, leading to the famous E-Type sports car (marketed as the XK-E in the United States) in 1961. Sold as a two-door in fastback hardtop or roadster convertible models, the XK-E had an incredibly long hood, or bonnet, that opened at the windshield rather than from very front of the car....
When the British automobile firm that would become Jaguar was founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, it was essentially in the business of making a specialized aftermarket product for owners of Norton and BSA motorcycles. But by 1935, the Jaguar name would finally appear on an automobile, a long (186 inches) four-seat sedan model called the SS Jaguar, "SS" being the initials of Swallow Sidecar and a formal part of the company's new name, SS Cars, from 1934 until World War II. In 1936, a shorter (153 inches) two-seat version of roughly the same car, the SS Jaguar 100, was released; it had no roof and a windscreen that could be lowered to improve the car's aerodynamics.
After the war, given the extremely negative connotations of the letters "SS" in the U.K. and the civilized world, the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Limited. Sedans produced in the 1940s are known today as Mark IVs, but at the time they were sold as Jaguar 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and 3 1/2 Litre vehicles, the fractional numbers referring to the various sizes of the cars' engines, which were manufactured by the Standard Motor Company in nearby Coventry, England. By 1948, Jaguar had also introduced its sleek XK120 model, the first of which was purchased by movie star Clark Cable. That same year, Jaguar released a luxury four-door sedan, also called a "saloon," called the Mark V.
By 1951, the XK120 had been streamlined even further to create Jaguar's first C-Type automobile. These cars, of which on 53 were produced from 1951 to 1953, were made for racing, and straight out of the gate a C-Type won one of the most prestigious races in the world, 24 Hours at Le Mans.
Two more XK models appeared through 1960, leading to the famous E-Type sports car (marketed as the XK-E in the United States) in 1961. Sold as a two-door in fastback hardtop or roadster convertible models, the XK-E had an incredibly long hood, or bonnet, that opened at the windshield rather than from very front of the car. Invariably, the XK-E is often compared to another hyper-stylish sports car of the 1960s, the Porsche 911. Anecdotally, the XK-E generally turns more heads for its dramatic design, while the 911 typically gets higher marks for its sense of style coupled with the sort of precision engineering that has always seemed to elude British automotive engineers.
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