JAGUAR

  1922 was a great year for two motorcycle enthusiasts from Blackpool, England.  William Lyons and William Walmsley who set up a company producing sidecars for motorcycles and did so until the breakout of World War II.  By the thirties the company (the Swallow Sidecar Company) was also producing limousines, convertibles and sports cars of which the most notable was the 3.5 LT SS-100 Model.  By 1933, the new managing partner had used the name Jaguar for the first time and after WWII production continued under the name of Jaguar Cars Ltd. 
In 1946 the new XK 120 ( a BMW inspired vehicle) was introduced and 2 years later Jag introduced the fastest motorcar to date with the XK 120 Roadster.  By the mid-fifties the XK design was looking a little shabby, however, the body was continued until 1961.  The problem now was that Jaguar was perceived as a luxury car only and that put them in an awkward position. A recession could crash their market or, because a lot of their product was sold in foreign countries, a foreign government could potentially close its market to them.  Jag needed a stronger positioning and thus the MK 1 evolved as a gap and appeal to their home market. By the 60’s Jaguar, the luxury car manufacturer, had thinned out its product lineup and was unfortunately best known for a great looking but mechanically tempermental line of cars. Years later newer, less niche marketed vehicles were developed by Jag, in an attempt to gain a wider piece of the market. Through the years the car company has been owned by several holding groups or companies (Ford most notably) and is currently owned by Tata Motors of Mumbai, India.