Overview & Reviews

Jaguar cars have a long history of elegant styling and sporting performance. The brand was born in the United Kingdom, and for years its vehicles were synonymous with the old-world luxury of the British upper classes. More recently, Jaguar has been under the ownership of other automakers, but Jaguar cars will always bear the unmistakable gleam of traditional English refinement.

The company traces its roots to the Swallow Sidecar Company, founded in 1922 by Bill Lyons and William Walmsley. Based in Blackpool, England, the company produced a popular line of aluminum motorcycle sidecars. Swallow eventually switched its focus to automobile production, changing its name to SS Cars Ltd. in 1933. The first vehicle to carry the Jaguar name was the SS Jaguar 100, released in 1935.

After World War II, SS Cars switched its moniker to Jaguar so as not to be associated with the Nazi paramilitary organization that bore the same initials. Its first postwar offering was 1948's Mark V. The luxury sedan was joined that year by the XK 120, a sports car that was the fastest production automobile of its day — its name indicating its top speed. The XK 120 proved quite popular, and helped Jaguar establish a strong presence in the sports car market.

By the 1950s, Jaguar had begun exporting luxury vehicles to the United States. Created just for the American market, the Mark VII Saloon was introduced in 1951 and was a hit with stateside motorists. In 1956, the car took the prize at the Monte Carlo Rally. Later in the decade, Jaguar added the Mark VIII and Mark IX to its lineup. Meanwhile, the XK became the XK 140 as performance increased. Then came the XK 150 which was obviously even faster, though not quite as curvaceously alluring as the 120/140 models.

The 1960s saw the launch of one of Jaguar's most well-known models. The E-Type (or XK-E as it was known in the U.S.) debuted for 1961. The new sports car, available as either a coupe or convertible, provided performance and refinement wrapped up in an undeniably sexy package. The success of groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and icons like Twiggy the fashion model made British culture a hot commodity during the '60s — a fact that likely had positive implications for Jaguar's popularity in the U.S.

A decade later, Jaguar introduced the XJ6C and XJ12C coupes to join the sedans. At one point, the XJ12 was the fastest production sedan of its day. By the mid-'70s the lovely E-Type was replaced by the relatively bland XJ-S. The 1980s saw Jaguar continuing to raise the bar in performance with the launch of the XJ-S HE and a true world supercar, the XJ220.
By this time, however, Jaguar's cars had also built up a reputation for questionable reliability, electrical problems being the chief source of owners' angst. Increased competition from German automakers and adverse exchange rates didn't help matters either. Without much capital to work with to improve matters, the company decided to pursue a partnership with another company. This decision ultimately led to a full buyout of Jaguar by Ford in 1990.

Ford's influence (and financial support) was evident with the 1997 launch of Jaguar's XK8 and supercharged XKR sports cars. Powering both was Jaguar's new AJ-V8, a compact yet powerful engine that was also used in certain Land Rover vehicles. A few years later, Jaguar made an effort to broaden its product line with the introduction of a lower-priced, entry-luxury compact sedan known as the X-Type. Unfortunately, this model sold poorly, as its modest European Ford sedan underpinnings proved to be a liability. Around this time, Jaguar's old-school traditional styling grew stale as competitors moved into the new millennium with cutting-edge, modern designs inside and out.

Sales plummeted, and Jaguar's financial problems caused further headaches for parent company Ford, which was also experiencing financial turmoil. Ford cut its losses and sold Jaguar (and fellow British premium brand Land Rover) to Indian manufacturer Tata in 2008. Though reliability still remains a concern, new models like the XF and redesigned icons XK and XJ seem to indicate a bright Jaguar future, as they feature modern designs sprinkled with a fair share of classic Britannic charm.

User Reviews:

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  2002 Jaguar X-Type - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By Bloyd - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I love the exterior styling, the performance and the comfort. The navigation system is a real winner for guiding you to your destination as well as finding cafe, hotels, etc., along the way. The xenon headlamps, promimity waring system, and rain sensing wipers are nice touches. The Alpine stero can simply blow you away. Although I have dual bike racks for my X-Type (evidently rare for Jaguars), Ive never used them. The only negative has been a couple of logic chips that have had to be re- programmed. And the navigation system bumps the exterior temperature LCD to a place thats difficult to read. The Jaguar service has been fantastic.

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  Slightly used Vanden Plas - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By RAK - January 20 - 1:50 am

  Recently bought a 2006 VDP which came fully loaded. The car is an absolute treat to drive, with a responsive, powerful engine that still gives good gas mileage. It is quiet and smooth, yet can take corners at speed. The interioir is a place of calm and comfort. I like this car very much.

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  My experience with my 2000 S type Jaguar - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By Geogia - January 17 - 10:00 am

  This has been an exciting and fun car to drive. Gets lots of looks and compliments from the young to the old. Everyone love the car and how it looks. No problems with the car after one year of ownership. Easy to keep clean--best paint job I have ever seen on a car.

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  WHY I BOUGHT A 2003 RATHER THEN A 2004 - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By RICHARD STANGL - January 17 - 10:00 am

  IVE BOUGHT NEW JAGUARS SINCE 1985. THE 2004 MODEL IS THE BIGGEST LET DOWN I HAVE SEEN SINCE THE EARLY 90S WHEN THEY REMOVED THE TRADITIONAL HOOD STYLING , ONLY TO LOSE SALES AND REPLCE IT LATER. THERE MUST BE SOME YOUNG STYLIST FROM FORD , THAT RUINED THE VENERABLE JAGUAR LOOK . THEY FORDIZED THE 2004 XJ. THE GAS CAP IS NOW LIKE THE CROWN VIC, THE HOOD OPENS LIKE A TAURUS, AND THE ONCE SLEEK LINES ,NOW RESEMBLE THE TOWNCAR. BUY A RMAINING 2003 ASAP BEFORE THEY ARE GONE. ONE MIDWEST LONG TIME DEALER/ OWNER REFUSED TO DISCOUNT OFF LIST ON THE 03. HE SAID " PEOPLE COME IN AND TAKE ONE LOOK ATR THE 04 AND SAY ILL TAKE AN 03.

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  Satisfaction with prestige - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Paquette Roger - January 16 - 3:30 pm

  Best car we have driven overall. Could be quieter in the engine department.

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  excellent xk8 - 2003 Jaguar XK-Series
  By jagxk803 - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Love this car for the fact that my father had a e-type back in the 60s and these bring me back to those days. Jag has wonderful services and excellent reliability.

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  Wonderful xk8 - 2001 Jaguar XK-Series
  By lashayjag -owner - January 11 - 2:00 am

  This is my 6th Jaguar and my second Jag convertible. Jag has really improved since the xjs conv. I love the exterior styling and the AJ-V8 engine.

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  the rolling piece of art - 2001 Jaguar S-Type
  By lastingjag - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I love this car very much. I got it in 2001 and have had no problems since then. This car is a great on looker. I even had one guy stop me in the gas station to tell me that my Jaguar look like a masterpiece on wheels.

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  jag-owner - 2004 Jaguar S-Type
  By jag-owner - January 11 - 2:00 am

  This is my second next to the x-type and jag have excellent styling and great reliability.I dont have a problem with either Jags.

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  vdp is just wonderful - 2004 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By vdp04-owner - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I love this and it is wonderful. Love the new extra room and the craftmanship of the interior. Just enough gadgets. look at the BMW but it was too complicated. Jaguar did an excellent job on this car.