The History of Jaguar

The Swallow Sidecar Company was set up by two motorcycle enthusiasts in Blackpool on 4th September in 1922 by William Lyons & William Walmsley which made sidecars until 1939. The company then changed its name to the Swallow Sidecar and

By this time the company was producing limousines, sports cars and convertibles with 3 engine sizes: 1.5L, 2.5L and 3.5L. The fastest being the 3.5 SS 100 capable of speeds of 100mph and a 0-60 time of about 10.5 seconds. The SS 100 had plenty of success with wins at the Marne Grand Prix at Reims, the Alpine rally, the Villa Real International Event and the RAC rally.

The Jaguar XK120

1946 saw the introduction of the XK120, developed by William Lyons, inspired by the BMW328. The XK 120 was fitted with a 3442CC Straight Six DOHC engine. By 1948 the XK120 Roadster was capable of 120mph and yet combined road holding with a comfortable ride. The XK120 Fixed Head Coupe was introduced in 1951 and was better trimmed with a veneer dashboard and

In the mid Fifties the company decided to increase its share of the market. Precarious because of only selling sports and luxury models Jaguar decided to aim at the home market and the MKI was first shown at the 1955 Motor Show. It was a the first Jaguar to have a monocoque chassis.

The MK 1 Jaguar

The MK 2 Jaguar

The Mk II featured the same engine sizes, plus the addition of the 3.8 from the XK150. It also spawned a host of variants during the 1960's such as the 1963 S-Type and the 1966 420. Each model went upmarket, filling perceived gaps between the compact Jaguars and the MKX (later renamed as the 420G). In 1960 Daimler was bought by Jaguar. Sir William Lyons stepped down in 1966 as Managing Director of the Jaguar