British company Jaguar began in 1922 by producing motorcycle sidecars as the Swallow Sidecar Company. Originally much of the brand’s work was in producing bodies for other makes but in 1931 its own car – the SS1 – was released. The company was renamed as SS Cars in 1933, with Jaguar first being used as a model name two years later.
After the Second World War the company changed its name again (due to the association of the SS initials with the Nazi regime) and has been known as Jaguar Cars since. Production had ceased in favour of aiding the British war effort but in 1948 Jaguar built the first of its now legendary sports cars. The XK120 was so named for its top speed of 120mph – making it the fastest road car of its time.
The brand earned a reputation as a respected luxury car maker throughout the 1950s, before a series of mergers and acquisitions in the late 1960s would lead to the establishment of the British Leyland Motor Corporation. This corporation comprised of such brand names as Austin, MG, Daimler and Leyland but was eventually nationalised in 1975.
Ford bought the Jaguar brand as a separate entity in 1989 and proceeded to promote it as part of the Premier Automotive Group. In 1999 Ford purchased the Stewart Grand Prix Formula One racing team – renaming it Jaguar Racing and beginning competition in 2000. The team saw little success, however, and was sold after five seasons.
Jaguar cars are currently in production at plants in Birmingham and Liverpool. The company’s best selling car – the X-Type, which was based on Ford’s Mondeo model – was released in 2002 but has sold less than half the annual units expected.
EuroNCAP Safety Ratings for Jaguar cars
The European New Car Assessment Programme produces reports on the safety of vehicles based on the results of several crash tests. As well as measuring how the car will hold up in a crash the risk to a pedestrian struck by the car is assessed. The star ratings (maximum 5) of key Jaguar models are shown below.
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