Jaguar – From sidecar to big cat
What is sleek, sophisticated and purrs?
If you guessed a big cat from the wild, you’d be right. In this instance, I’m referring to the automobile. The British beauty that is one of the most prestigious and beautiful cars on the planet and is all that and more.
The Jag’s history and models
The hint of this sweet ride began modestly in 1922 in the Swallow Sidecar Company. Its founders William Lyons and William Walmsley were motorcycle buffs and the company made sidecars for both motorcycles and cars.
People part ways and these two did — Walmsley selling out in the early 1930s to buy Swallow and Lyons forming his own company, S.S. Cars Unlimited. Then the two smarties sold shares to the public.
In 1935, Lyons introduced the SS Jaguar, the star and the defining auto of the iconic brand. It as a sedan and featured four doors. In 1948, the XX120 was born and designed by Lyons and it reached speeds of 133 mph — the world’s fastest production car.
In the 1950s, the C-type — bold, beautiful and aerodynamic — was 25 percent lighter and took first place in the 24 hour Lemans race.
The D-type with its monocoque body is one of the most gorgeous race cars in history. It took first place at the Le Mans three years in a row and won five of the top six places in 1957. In 2008, one of these originals sold for the staggering price of $7 million.
Then comes what many consider the most beautiful Jag (and car) of all time — the E-Type. This sleek baby caused such as a sensation in the 1960s at the Geneva Motor Show, that Enzo Ferrari was said to have commented it was the most beautiful car ever made.
The E-Type paved the way for the rest and today. It’s lightweight and distinctive style is beloved among collectors, so much so that Jaguar recreates it today. It was introduced in 1961 and now being made in Jaguar’s Heritage Workshop. Just 12 were built in the 1960s and 50 years later, Jaguar is finishing what they referred to as “The Missing Six.”
The six were built using materials and methods based on the initial 12 E-Type models, but they’re updated with modern technology. According to “Top Gear,” one of the new E-Type Zero (fully electric update of the 1960s version) will run you about $385,000 American dollars.
In 2016, Manhattan closed off the Park Avenue tunnel for the Jaguar F-Type SVR to roar through it at 200 mph. It was the first Jaguar SVR and fastest F-type to ever reach that speed. The coupe price started at $141,350 and the convertible at $148,401.
Their 2018 F-type has pricing between $59,900 and $125,000. All decked out with
the latest gadgetry and technology, it touts a balance of “seductive design, stunning performance and outstanding dynamics.” Yes, please. And, yeah, some still go 200 mph, though the convertible’s speed only reaches 195 mph.
Present-day Jaguar
You don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands to drive a
Jag. Their smaller SUV/crossover starts at $39,950 and their 2019 XJ begins at $76,000.
If you’re looking at the collector series or any of the other aforementioned Jags, then price is probably not a problem for you. For the rest of us, Jaguar is a dream — and one that remains a stand-out star among the industry, synonymous with sexy, stunning automobiles.