Jaguar |
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1922: The company was founded as Swallow Sidecar Company, hence 'SS', by William Lyons and William Walmsley. 1927: Production of a 2-seat body for the Austin Seven, later an Austin Seven Swallow saloon, and bodies for other cars. 1931: The 'SS I' and 'SS II', based on Standard Motor Co. chassis, were unveiled at the London Motor Show. 1935: SS revealed the 'Jaguar' 4-door sports saloon just before the London Motor Show. 1936: The 'SS 100' sports car, and in 1938, an attractive SS 100 fixed-head coupe. 1945: The company name became Jaguar Cars Ltd. -- 'SS' was "on the nose" after WWII. ![]() 1948 1948: The 'Mark V' was the first post-war design, in saloon and drop-head versions.
1960: Jaguar bought Daimler Motor Company (note, not Daimler Benz as in Mercedes).
1961: The large 'Mark X' saloon was announced. 1963: The 'S-type' saloon was announced. 1966: The '420' saloon (4.2 litre) was introduced. 1968: First Jaguar 'XJ6'. 4.2-litre or 2.8-litre straight 6-cylinder engines, £1800 - £2400. 1972 July: 5.3-litre V12 engine offered in the XJ12 saloon. 1972 September: long wheelbase XJ model introduced. 1973: Series 2 XJ. 1975: The 'XJ-S' sports car was launched, with the V12 engine. 1979 March: third generation XJ. 1986 October: 'XJ40' unveiled, 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto., rectangular headlamps (which soon dated).
1990: The Jaguar XJR-12 (7-litre V12) of Brundle, Nielsen & Cobb
won the 1990: Ford acquired Jaguar. 1994: X300 (XJ6/ XJ12) launched, 3.2-litre or 4.0-litre 6-cyl, or 6.0-litre V12 engines. 1996: The XJ-S was replaced by the 'XK8', coupe and convertible. 1997: 6-cyl. and V12 engines discontinued, replaced by V8's in the 'XJ8'. 1999: The 'S-Type' went into production, the name harking back to 1963.
2007 June: Ford put Jaguar, and LandRover, up for sale. 2008:
The 'XF' sedan (replacement for the mid-range S-type);
at the Frankfurt motor show 13-23 2008, March 26:
Cash-strapped Ford
agreed to sell Jaguar, and
2009 July:
Jaguar revealed its new XJ saloon,
with the new Jag. (~XF) look, and
six-speed ZF automatic transmission with paddle-shift --
from £52,500. |
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