Jaguar is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and saloons. Based in Coventry, it has been wholly owned by Tata Motors Ltd since March 2008 after previously being owned by Ford.
After the Second World War, Jaguar Cars Ltd as we know it today sprang into life and the world started falling in love with their elegant sports and prestigious saloon cars. The first sports car came in 1948 with the XK120. The car was only meant to showcase Jaguar’s new XK engine however the car caused such a stir that company founder, William Lyons, put the car into production. The car was named after the engine and 120 referred to the top speed the car could travel - 120 mph - making the car the fastest production car of its time. Subsequently this early Jaguar became a hit with many Hollywood stars such as Humphrey Bogart.
Renowned for its good looks and performance the E-Type Jag (as it was widely known) became Jaguar’s iconic sports car in the 1960s. At the time it launched Enzo Ferrari described it as "the most beautiful ever made"; a statement that still rings true with many car enthusiasts today, as in 2008 the Jaguar E-Type was named the most beautiful car of all time in the Daily Telegraph’s 100 Most Beautiful Cars Awards.
During the 1960s Jaguar also released its Jaguar XJ, a luxury saloon that has become synonymous with the Jaguar marque. Still produced today (albeit in different formats) the XJ has been used as Jaguar’s flagship model since 1968.
Since creation Jaguar has believed in its mission statement of creating beautiful fast cars. True to this heritage is the latest model the XF; released in 2008 the car has already won a major accolade in the What Car? Car of the Year 2008 Awards.