History of Jaguar
THE SWALLOW SIDECAR COMPANY 1922 - 1932
The Jaguar story is a 'rags to riches' one. It was, for 50 years, the story of one man who built up one of the world's greatest automotive names which is renowned for style, performance, tradition and quality.

In Blackpool, England, young motorcycle enthusiast by the name of Bill Lyons, not yet 21 years of age, met William Walmsley, who was building a rather stylish sidecar which he was attaching to reconditioned motor cycles.

As soon as William Lyons came of age, the Swallow Sidecar Company was formed in September 1922, with a bank overdraft of £1,000. With a handful of employees, production commenced.

Pioneering the use of aluminium, the very stylish sidecars were immediately popular and production expanded rapidly.

Then in 1927 Herbert Austin introduced his baby car, the famous Austin Seven. Intended to bring motoring to the masses, the tiny Sevens were cheap, easy to drive, reliable, but lacked individuality.

Lyons saw another opportunity. He created a most stylish two-seater body which was mounted on the Austin Seven chassis. An order for 500 was obtained from one of the main London garages and production commenced.

The splendid little Austin Seven Swallow proved most popular and the company introduced a Swallow body for the larger Morris Cowley chassis. The range then increased significantly with the introduction of the Austin Seven Swallow Saloon, late 1928. Such features as the polished radiator cowl and Ladies Companion Set elevated the Swallows above the average.

With sales of the cars and sidecars continuing to increase, it was decided to move to the Midlands, traditional heartland of the british motor industry. Thus, the young company was moved 'lock, stock and barrel' to Coventry.

In 1931 the Standard 16 hp six-cylinder Enfield chassis received the Swallow treatment and this introduced the company to the 2054 cc sidevalve engine, which admirably suited Lyons and Walmsley's purpose for the next ambitious step forward.

The Swallow company had now been in existence for a year short of a decade and it had been an exciting time of steady expansion and sound success. But the ambitious Lyons was far from satisfied and a further bold step forward was needed.

SS CARS
1932 - 1935
William Lyons was not content to merely build bodies on other people's chassis. This constrained his creative desires and equally restricted him to products which were stolid rather than sporting.

He arranged for the Standard Motor Company to build a chassis to Swallow's design but fitted with Standard engines.

The SS I and SS II Coupés were duly presented at the 1931 London Motor Show, and sensation they certainly caused. The body was ultra low and the bonnet outrageously long. It had, stated the press, the £1,000 look, yet was priced at a very modest £310.

Lyons was almost obsessive about making his cars as low as possible. By moving the engine further back in the chassis than was normal practice and by mounting the road springs alongside, Lyons was able to achieve this long, low, sporting appearance.

In July 1933 the SS I Tourer joined the Coupé, and apart from being the first open SS model, the significance of the Tourers was that they were the first to be entered in a serious competitive event.

A team of three Tourers were entered in the 1933 Alpine Trial in mainland Europe and the following year they enhanced the SS name very considerably, taking the team prize on this particularly tough event.

For 1934 a new saloon was added to the line-up. Known as a four light (four windows) saloon, this model was rather less flamboyant and rather more practical - at least the rear seat passengers could now see out!

Lyons now turned his attention to improving the mechanical integrity of the cars. First he turned to Harry Weslake, a distinguished engineering consultant specializing in cylinder head design. Then he formed an Engineering Department and appointed a young William Heynes to be his Chief Engineer. Heynes was to play a major role with the company for the next 35 years.

The range was once more supplemented in 1935 with the addition of the SS I Airline Saloon.

The fruits of Weslake and Heynes' work were shortly to be seen but, meanwhile, a very stylish sports car was introduced. Known as the SS 90 and powered by the 2.7 litre side-valve engine, the performance once again did not quite live up to its dramatic appearance. But all that was about to be changed.

SS JAGUAR
1935 - 1938
In 1935 the 'Jaguar' name sprang upon the scene for the first time with a completely new saloon and sports car range.

William Heynes had been working to produce a completely new box section cruciform braced chassis for a vastly improved new model range. Meanwhile Weslake had been turning his talents to the Standard engine and by adopting overhead valves he succeeded in increasing output from 75 hp of the previous 21/2 litre sidevalve engine to no less than 105 hp.

For the new chassis and engine unit, Lyons designed a fresh body style, less flamboyant than previous models, yet still stylish. Indeed it was closer to contemporary Bentleys which cost nearly four times the price! Sophistication was increasing, and now customers were offered four doors for the first time on an SS. Indeed so different were the new models that it was felt that a new model name was needed. The Company's advertising agency suggested 'Jaguar' and though Lyons took some persuading, it was finally adopted. Thus the new cars would be known as SS Jaguars.

The super new sports car design, which had been glimpsed just briefly as the SS 90, reappeared in similar form as the SS Jaguar 100. With a revised treatment around the fuel tank area at the rear, and more importantly, the adoption of the new chassis and engine, the company now produced a sports car to be proud of.

For many, the SS 100 is a pre-war classic amongst sports cars. The price, incidentally, was just £395.

For the Motor Show of that 1938 Lyons had designed a stylish closed body for the SS 100. Reminiscent of the Bugattis of the period, just one was made before the outbreak of World War Two decreed an end to car production.

EARLY POST-WAR INTRODUCTION OF THE XK ENGINE
1938 - 1953
During the war, the manufacture of sidecars was increased for military use with nearly 10,000 made. Additionally, aircraft and fabrication work had the beneficial side effect of introducing the company to aircraft design and techniques.

Not surprisingly Coventry had been a particular target for bombing raids, and it was necessary to organise rosters of people for what was known as 'fire-watching'.

One such group consisted of Lyons himself, Heynes, Hassan and Claude Baily. Together they made plans for a new engine that would establish the company as a world force.

Early post-war times were difficult for british companies. Amongst other problems were shortages of steel and foreign currency. The Government issued the dictum, 'Export or Die' and steel quotas were closely related to export performance - in other words, no exports, no steel!

Firstly however, it was necessary to resurrect production as soon as possible and the best way to do this was to reintroduce the pre-war range in largely unchanged form. At the same time it was decided to drop the SS name, which had acquired an unfortunate wartime notoriety and simply call the company Jaguar Cars.

Soon after the war the sidecar division was sold and the 11/2, 21/2 and 31/2 litre saloons and dropheads were reintroduced to begin the big export push. The 31/2 litre model proved a little thirsty for the UK market, but was ideal for the USA where the majority were shipped.

The SS 100 model was not produced after the war, but a lone example had been stored, unregistered throughout the war. Known by its subsequent registration, LNW 100, the car was very successful in the Alpine and Tulip Rallies in the hands of Ian Appleyard.

In September 1948 Jaguar announced its first new post-war, stop-gap model. Something more radical was being conceived but various constraints dictated that the Mark V would carry the company's fortunes for a couple of years.

The main innovation was the adoption of independent front, suspension conceived by Heynes. The exciting new engine was virtually ready for production, but it was considered that the Mark V was a little too conservative in which to launch this and so the Saloon and Drophead Mark Vs were offered with the usual 21/2 and 31/2 litre power units.

Lyons had specified that the output from the new engine should be that ultimately achieved with 'old Number 8', 160 bhp. the designers bravely chose an overhead camshaft layout and after trying several configurations, the final engine was decided upon. It was to be a straight six of 3442 cc and given the name XK.

The achieved output was - 160 bhp!

Jaguar now had an excellent new chassis, a tremendously exciting new engine, but no sports car. So the decision was made to produce a small number of sports cars, which would generate publicity and perhaps gain a few competition successes.

The task fell then to William Lyons to design a suitable body in just a couple of months for the 1948 Motor Show.

The result 'stole the show'. It as known as the XK120 and was destined to become one of the greatest sports cars of all time.

This was no thinly disguised racing machine. It was refined in the usual Jaguar manner, had unrivalled comfort for such a car, and to cap it all, was priced at just £998 (£1,298 with tax).

The name was based on top speed which made it the fastest production car in the world. Indeed at first people were sceptical and refused to believe what was being claimed for the XK120.

To convince the sceptics however, some tangible proof of the claimed prowess was needed. Accordingly Jaguar took over a closed section of dual carriageway in Belgium where, in front of the assembled press, a standard XK120 proceeded to clock 126 mph. With the windscreen removed 133 mph was achieved and, as if this was not enough, the driver then pottered past the amazed press at a mere 10 mph in top gear.

The orders came flooding in and Jaguar quickly realized that the couple of hundred originally intended could not possibly meet demand.

The waiting lists were lengthened still further after the XK's racing debut at Silverstone in a Production Sports Car race. Three cars were loaned by the factory to well known drivers Peter Walker, Leslie Johnson and Prince Bira of Siam. Bira was unlucky enough to have a puncture but the others finished first and second.

In 1950 it was decided to take three cars to France for the world famous Le Mans 24 hour race, merely to assess their capabilities against international opposition. They were unlucky not to finish in the top three, when the leading example succumbed to clutch trouble after 21 hours. However, valuable lessons had been learned.

One of six specially prepared XKs had been lent to Tom Wisdom for competition use. He proposed offering the car to a young up-and-coming driver for the famous Dundrod Tourist Trophy race in ulster.

Jaguar were not too keen as this young man was reputed to be too fast for his own good. Reluctantly they agreed, and in appalling conditions, Stirling Moss left the field behind to take one of the most important wins of his career.

On the rallying front Ian Appleyard had replaced LNW 100 with one of the six special XKs. NUB 120 took Appleyard and Lyon's daughter Pat, to success in the Alpine Rallies of '51 and '52 and the Tulip Rally in '51 and became one of the most successful rally cars of all time.

At the 1950 Motor Show the Mark VII saloon was unveiled and once again Lyons 'stole the show'.

Designed with the US market in mind, it was, by European standards, a very large car. It was certainly a full five-seater but being powered by the now-famous XK engine it was no slow coach.

Americans took to the Mark VII and some $30m worth of orders were taken within months of the car's introduction. Such was the demand that a larger factory was required and the company moved to the present manufacturing plant at browns Lane, Coventry in 1951/52.

1951 also saw an addition to the XK120 range - The Fixed Head Coupé. As the name implied, the model had a solid roof reminiscent of the one-off SS 100 Coupé prepared for the 1938 Motor Show of pre-war Bugattis. The long distance capabilities of the Fixed Head Coupé were demonstrably proven when Bill Heynes' own road car was taken to Montlhery Autodrome near Paris. Here Stirling Moss and three others drove the car for seven days and nights at an average speed in excess of 100 mph.

After the three XK120s exploratory trip to Le Mans in 1950, it was realized that Jaguar had the makings of a successful competition car if weight could be saved and aerodynamics improved. Consequently Lyons was persuaded by Heynes and the Manager of the Service Department, Lofty England, that a car should be produced solely with racing in mind.

Hence was born the XK120C, or as the car is more generally known, the C-type.

To reduce weight, a multi-tubular triangulated frame was chosen and designed by Bob Knight. The body was designed by an aerodynamicist, Malcolm Sayer, who had joined the company from the aircraft industry.

Many components were carried over from the production XKs including, of course, the engine. This, however, was modified with larger exhaust valves, higher lift cams and larger SU carburetors.

Three C-types were finished just in time for Le Mans in 1951. They were to be driven by Stirling Moss (now the team leader) and 'Jolly' Jack Fairman; the Peters, Walker and Whitehead (a couple of gentlemen farmers); and Leslie Johnson with Clemente Biondetti.

The Jaguars were an unknown quantity and the crowd were watching the Ferraris, Talbots and Cunninghams. However, Moss set off at a great rate of knots breaking the lap record and the opposition. An amazing 1,2,3 looked possible until an oil pipe flange broke on Biondetti's car. Then a similar fate befell Moss.

The third car's luck held however and Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead recorded a remarkable victory first time out for the C-types.

Unfortunately the return to France in 1952 did not yield the expected second victory. Concerned about reports of the new Mercedes' straightline speed, Jaguar hastily and unwisely fitted more streamlined bodies but were unable to test them at sustained speeds of 150 mph.

Within hours all three had retired with overheating problems.

Jaguar built a small quantity of 'production' C-types and of the 53 built, including the works cars, a number found their way to the States where they were successful in racing.

In April 1953 a third version of the XK120 joined the Open Two-Seater Super Sports and the Fixed Head Coupé. It was a cross between the other two and known as the Drophead Coupé being a more sophisticated open version.

Meanwhile Jaguar engineers had been working in conjunction with Dunlop on a completely new type of brake that had, as yet, only been used on aircraft.

The new development was the disc brake and was to be Jaguar's secret weapon upon their return to Le Mans in 1953.

The 24 hour race that year was notable for having representatives from most of the leading European motor car manufacturers and most of the top Grand Prix drivers. Rarely, if ever, has the competition been so intense.

With their fade-free brakes the C-types could decelerate at the end of the three and a half mile Mulsanne Straight from speeds of around 150 mph time after time with complete confidence and furthermore they could leave their braking far later than their rivals. The result was a complete walkover, the Jaguars finishing first, second and fourth.

THE FIFTIES
1953 - 1963
In 1954 the XK120's were superseded by the mechanically updated XK140's fitted with the more powerful 190 bhp XK engine which had been used in the Special Equipment 120's.

The new models were visually similar to their predecessors differing in external details only. The fixed head had an extended roof line and together with the Drophead Coupe, was given two small extra seats in the rear, suitable for children or adults for a short journey, but they made the XK's a little more practical for the family man.

The D-type was to break fresh ground as it was of largely monocoque construction. To this 'tub' of magnesium alloy was attached a tubular front sub-frame which carried the engine, steering and front suspension. With its bag tanks for the fuel, the D-type borrowed a good deal from aircraft practice. It was created by Bill Heynes and Malcolm Sayer.

Jaguar had now carved for itself a fine reputation. It had in production a superb large saloon and a very fine sports car, but it needed a high volume smaller car.

One million pounds in 1955 was a very significant amount and that was the investment expended on designing and developing Jaguar's important new compact saloon.

The saloon's unitary method of construction was a new venture for Jaguar. This type of body, in which the basic shell doubled as the chassis, had an advantage in that it saved weight and was inherently more rigid.

The decision was made to use a reduced version of the 3.4 litre six cylinder. Thus a 2.4 litre was produced and fitted to the new saloon, the model simply being known as the Jaguar 2.4. Indeed this was to be a most important model for Jaguar and would remain in production, in one form or another, for more than 10 years.

Late in 1956 the Mark VII was replaced by the evolutionary Mark VIII. In appearance the car benefited from being given a one-piece windscreen, and the radiator grille was altered.

Mechanically the car was given a new cylinder head christened the B-type, illogically following the C-type! This new head had an altered valve angle and enabled the engine to produce 210 bhp.

Having developed disc brakes in the best testing conditions possible - endurance racing - Jaguar were ready to fit them to production cars and the first models to benefit were the new XK150's in May, 1957.

At the 1958 Motor Show the Mark VIII was succeeded by the Mark IX. Visually the cars were virtually identical, but the new car was given an enlarged 3.8 litre version of the trusty XK engine and disc brakes. Power assisted steering was also offered.

During '59 it was the turn of the small saloons to receive attention and a vastly improved Mark II model was announced towards the end of the year, these benefiting from an increased rear track and disc brakes fitted as standard. The changes that were most apparent, however, were in appearance, with the glass area being increased significantly by using slender roof supports.

As the horsepower race continued to hot up in the States, Jaguar countered once again by offering the new 3.8 litre engine in the XK150 from 1960. This could also be had in triple carburettor 265 bhp 'S' form giving a top speed of 136 mph.

Not surprisingly, a number of Mark I's and II's, were raced. Their successes were prodigious and examples were driven by top Grand Prix drivers of the day, such as Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Roy Salvadori, bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Mike Parkes.

In 1960 Jaguar purchased the motor pioneer firm of Daimler. Jaguar needed more space and Daimler had a large factory in Coventry, to which engine manufacture would subsequently be transferred.

THE SIXTIES
1963 - 1968
By 1961 the XK150s, though good cars, were no longer pacesetters and Jaguar needed to make a quantum leap forward to maintain sales and prestige.

The E-type, which was announced at Geneva in March 1961, was just that. Like the XK120 in 1948, it was an absolute sensation. The body styling was sensuous, beautiful, and the car set new standards in all areas.

A brand new independent rear suspension was designed by Bob Knight and situated in a cradle which was mounted via rubber blocks to the body unit. This brilliant rear suspension, still used on the XJ-S today, gave excellent roadholding, a first class ride and great refinement.

The car had the triple carburettor 3.8 litre XK engine first seen in the XK150 'S'. Producing 265 bhp in a lighter aerodynamic body gave virtual 150 mph performance, with acceleration of 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds.

The E-type, or XK-E as it would be known in the States, seemed to have the best of all worlds. It was very fast, had vivid acceleration, great flexibility, unheard of comfort, refinement for such a car and pure good looks.

Later the same year, Jaguar announced another new model, a replacement for the Mark IX. This time the new Mark X was no evolutionary update but a completely new concept.

Whereas the Mark IX had still employed a separate chassis, the Mark X was of full monocoque construction. It used a widened version of the new independent rear suspension as fitted to the E-type and was fitted with the same engine.

Three E-types were privately entered for Le Mans in 1962. One retired but the briggs Cunningham entry, driven by briggs and Roy Salvadori, finished a highly creditable fourth followed by the Peter Lumsden/Peter Sargent E-type one place behind.

In 1963 the S-type saloon car was announced. This was a pleasing compromise between the Mark II and the Mark X in shape. Most importantly the S-type was given independent rear suspension and the S-type was offered with either the 3.4 or 3.8 litre engine.

The 420 saloon was introduced in 1966. This was akin to a revised S-type with the Mark X frontal styling treatment. Offered, as the name implied, with the 4.2 litre engine, the 420 was an excellent car. It was, though, a stopgap model for Lyons and Knight who were working on something very special which would appear in a couple of years time.

The car, the XJ13, was built in great secrecy in 1966 but there was an unfortunate lack of urgency about the project. It was eventually run in 1967. Sadly it was never to race and has become a museum piece for enthusiasts.

The shape was another Sayer masterpiece. Of obvious ancestry, it was one of the most beautiful cars ever conceived, and a lasting tribute to this brilliant man who prematurely died in 1970.

In 1968 the E-types underwent changes dictated by the US Federal Regulations.

With a less clean shape and increasing weight, the E-type was in need of another boost both in terms of prestige and performance. Jaguar were working on the answer and it had rather more than six cylinders.

THE XJ6 SALOON AND V12 ENGINE
1968 - 1979
The XJ6 arrived in 1968 and it was undoubtedly just what was required. Without question it was the finest Jaguar yet, and met with instant and ecstatic praise.

First and foremost, the shape was another Lyons masterpiece. In an era when cars were starting to lose their character, the Jaguar bly retained its identity.

Not only did the car look superb, thanks to Bob Knight's sterling work on development, the XJ also set new standards of ride and refinement.

During 1969 William Heynes retired from the company. He had been in overall charge of engineering since 1934 when he joined SS Cars at the age of just 32 and he had moulded together and guided a brilliant team.

Heynes and his colleagues had been thinking of a new engine for some time, inspired by the racing cars, and a need to keep ahead of their rivals. They had always leaned towards a V12 configuration and such a unit had been built for the stillborn XJ13 project in the mid-sixties.

He was now brought back into the fold and there was nobody better the design Jaguar's new engine.

Heynes and Claude Baily designed the four cam racing engine that powered the XJ13 and, following their retirement, Hassan, and colleague Harry Mundy, carried out extensive research with single cylinder engines before building 'their' single cam V12 of 5.3 litres.

The V12 engine was remarkable for being silky smooth. It powered the car effortlessly and thus the image of the V12 E-types was entirely different from that of their predecessors.

In 1972 the car for which the engine had been primarily designed was finally launched. The XJ12 was another triumph of even greater proportions than the XJ6, which it joined rather than replaced.

Aged 71, Sir William Lyons retired in 1972, handing over the Jaguar reins to Lofty England. The company had been in existence for some 50 years and was now one of the most respected in the world.

In 1973 the immensely popular XJ's received a facelift, the new Series II versions were introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Also at Frankfurt, Jaguar launched a new body style. This was the XJ Coupé and exceptionally stylish it was too. The basic shell was changed to have just two doors and no window frames.

Meanwhile in the USA the V12 E-type was making a big impact on the racing scene. Bob Tullius, whose team Group 44 had successfully entered Triumph and MG sports cars in SCCA racing, persuaded Jaguar that the E-type would be competitive.

The E-types dominated their respective regional championships for two years, breaking the Corvette domination of the series. In 1975, Tullius easily won the B Production Championship.

Launched in September 1975 the XJ-S was closely related to the XJ saloons. While some considered the overall appearance of the new car to be somewhat controversial, no one could argue about its impressive specification. The fuel injected V12 engine was used and gave the car superb performance. 0-60 mph was achieved in 6.9 seconds and the maximum speed was 150 mph. Levels of refinement and quietness were raised to saloon car standards with air conditioning as a standard feature.

In 1979 the XJ saloons were extensively revised. The new Series III range was subtly restyled with a flatter roofline and a larger glass area giving the car crisper lines. This, together with improved ancillary equipment had the effect of modernizing the car and increasing rear seat headroom. Indeed it seemed almost to have become a timeless style of enduring popularity.

XJ40 AND RACING
1979 - 1989
In 1980 a new era began at Jaguar with the appointment of John Egan as Chairman and Managing Director. Egan's motor industry career had taken in General Motors (AC Delco), Triumph Cars, Unipart (british Leyland) and others.

Jaguar's quality had not been all that it might have been in the late seventies and Egan's immediate goal was to restore customers' confidence in the british marque. This he proceeded to do and Jaguar enjoyed a b resurgence of demand, particularly in the States. Jaguar's style stood the company in good stead and ensured loyalty amongst owners.

However, fuel crises of the seventies had not helped matters and in 1981 Jaguar announced new High Efficiency cylinder heads for the V12 engines.

The result was a very healthy decrease in fuel consumption which gave the V12 engined saloon and XJ-S a considerable advantage in the more fuel conscious eighties.

The XJ-S HE was now capable of 155 mph and returning 27 mpg at a steady 56 mph. Also Jaguar could claim that the model was the fastest production car in the world, fitted with automatic transmission.v In 1983 a new version of the XJ-S also became available. This was the Cabriolet, Jaguar's first open car since the demise of the E-type. Retaining the cantrails, roof pillars and a cross bar, the Cabriolet had two lift off, interlocking roof panels and the option of either a folding rear hood or a fixed rear window. Safety regulations decreed that the XJ-SC was just a two-seater.

Back in britain a new force had appeared on the competition scene. Racing driver, Tom Walkinshaw had prepared an XJ-S for racing in Australia in '82 and had the idea of building a pair of cars for the European Touring Car Championship. The first season brought first and second in the Tourist Trophy Race at Silverstone.

The following year the Jaguars took five wins to the BMWs six; weight of numbers telling with around five of the German cars entered for each of the two Jaguars.

The 1984 season was a good one for Tom Walkinshaw Racing, who had added a third XJ-S to the team. The team dominated the European Championship with a string of wins and Walkinshaw ended the season as the European Champion.

In February 1985, Sir William Lyons passed quietly away at his home, Wappenbury Hall. The tributes were plentiful and glowing. For fifty years 'he' had been Jaguar and the part he played in the history of the automobile is quite immeasurable.

The engineers in Coventry had been working for some time on a saloon replacement. The XJ6 was still selling well which meant that Jaguar could ensure the new car would be really right.

Jaguar consulted several distinguished Italian styling houses but eventually it was Bob Knight who created the initial shape of the XJ40, as the project was entitled.

Bob Knight had retired at the beginning of the decade and Jim Randle took over responsibility for engineering, designing a completely new suspension for the car. Prototypes were built and tested in every extreme of climate over a total of 51/2 million miles.

Launched in Europe in late 1986 and in the States in early '87, the new XJ6 met with widespread approval. Offered with the 3.6 litre AJ6 engine and, in Europe, a 2.9 litre version as well, the waiting lists were once more extended. The 3.6 had very lively performance and the new suspension gave superb levels of ride and sporting roadholding.

Three model derivatives were offered - the XJ6, Sovereign and, top of the range, Daimler. The Series III was not to be completely dropped from the range continuing in V12 engined form for certain markets.

It was appropriate that in the year that the new XJ6 appeared, John Egan was knighted for his vital contribution to Jaguar. An excellent ambassador, he had admirably filled the gap left by Sir William's retirement.

In May, 1988 the XJ-S Cabriolet was replaced by a stylish full Convertible with a power-operated hood fully lined and insulated, which could be raised or lowered in 12 seconds. This hood was fitted with a solid, heated rear window as opposed to the usual flexible type.

In September 1989, Jaguar announced considerable enhancements to the XJ6 range. The fundamental change was an enlarging of the 3.6 litre AJ6 engine to 4 litres. This new 235 bhp engine would accept either or unleaded petrol and gave a 14% improvement in torque. This was reflected in the 0-60 mph times reducing from 7.4 seconds to 7.1, and a top speed now of 140 mph for the manual model.

It was as well that Jaguar had not rested on its laurels for the luxury car market was becoming an increasingly competitive one.

Though the company had a fine range of products, the management increasingly realized that to meet the challenge of the nineties and beyond, it would be necessary to have the backing of one of the automotive giants behind the scenes. Without Jaguar losing its essential identity and relative autonomy, there were a myriad of minor, but important, ways in which a benevolent parent could assist.

A NEW ERA
1989 - 1996
The Jaguar Story now entered a totally new era. Since its flotation in 1984 Jaguar has achieved considerable success in the growth and development of its business. The demand for its cars has increased significantly and output increased accordingly. The profitability of the company funded substantial improvements to manufacturing and engineering facilities, and the establishment of a new £52 million product engineering centre at Whitley in Coventry.

Plans to manufacture Jaguar's own body panels by the early 1990s through a joint venture with GKN led to the formation of Venture Pressings, and during 1988 another joint venture, JaguarSport, was formed to produce and market sporting versions of Jaguar's saloons and high performance sports cars, including the breathtaking XJ220 and the racing XJR-15.

Difficult trading conditions and adverse exchange rates latterly, however, led the Jaguar Board to recognize the potential value of collaboration with a world class car manufacturer. Discussions took place with a number of major car companies, including Ford, to explore ways of broadening Jaguar's product range and achieving access to world class technology and components.

On 19 September 1989, Ford announced its intention to purchase up to 15 per cent of Jaguar's issued share capital, and on 16 October 1989, Ford advised the Jaguar Board that, with their support, it was prepared to make a full bid for the company.

On 1 November 1989, Ford approached the Jaguar Board with a proposal which, after long discussion of the terms offered, led to agreement being reached. The agreed plans for Jaguar's future recognized the integrity of the Jaguar Marques and stipulated that Jaguar was to remain a separate legal entity with a self-sustaining capital structure and its own Board of Directors.

An Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders was held on 1 December 1989, when the Board's recommendation to accept Ford's offer was approved. It became unconditional seven days later, and Ford announced the closure of its offer on February 28, 1990, when application was made to remove Jaguar from the Stock Exchange list.

William J Hayden CBE, who had assumed the position of Chief Executive in March, took over as Chairman and Chief Executive with effect from July 1, 1990. Bill Hayden had vast experience in the british motor industry in which he had held a number of very senior positions. Commenting on his appointment, he said: "I believe in Jaguar, its products and its people. The skills, education and abilities of the employees are as good as any I've seen anywhere."

The worldwide economic decline during 1990, which resulted in tougher market conditions particularly in the luxury car sector, meant reduced Jaguar sales in many markets. Despite the decline, however, the company did establish record sales in Germany, Italy and Japan during the year.

It was a period of great change that was however, not without its bright moments. Jaguar regained the Worlds Sports Car Championship with the revolutionary XJR-14 totally dominating the series which included the Le Mans 24-hour race in its calendar. Despite narrowly missing out on victory in this race, Jaguar recorded one of its greatest Le Mans results in 1991 with three V12 engined XJR-12's finishing second, third and fourth.

Having made its public debut as a concept car at the 1988 Motor Show the sensational XJ220 became a production reality during 1991. JaguarSport created a purpose built factory at Bloxham near Oxford for a limited production run of 350 cars. Even with a price tag of £400,000, options to purchase the 200 mph mid engined supercar were heavily over-subscribed. Following an intensive test and development programme final assembly began in early 1992 with the first cars being delivered in July.

Although no actual new mainstream production models were introduced during this period, there were many exciting new developments to enhance the product range. The most significant came in May 1991 with a substantial face-lift to the XJS range. The new cars incorporated body styling changes, a redesigned interior, improved feature and equipment levels and the adoption of the AJ6 4.0 litre engine in place of the 3.6 litre version in the six cylinder coupé.

The following year the XJS range was further extended with the introduction of the 4.0 litre Convertible. The new model featured a driver's-side airbag, making Jaguar the first UK company to offer this facility, and the fitment of a stainless steel strut assembly under the front end of the car increasing torsional rigidity of the body shell by 25%.

When the company celebrated it's seventieth birthday in September that year Nick Scheele made it clear that Jaguar would continue to build on its strengths, "Sir William Lyons believed in providing his customers with distinctive, exciting products which offered world class performance, ride and handling at a value for money price. These qualities are still at the heart of the company today. Our aim for the future is to remain true to that tradition and produce new products which are unmistakably Jaguar and are worthy of their heritage."

At the end of 1992 a new range of Jaguars were launched called 'Insignia'. This bespoke service provided customers with the opportunity to make their Jaguars more individual and distinctive. Insignia was available on Jaguar and Daimler saloons and on XJS. Ten special exterior colours were available, together with interiors trimmed in a unique range of matching hides and stained wood veneer finishes.

Although during 1993 there were no entirely new products launched, the company did put a lot of resource into improving and extending the current range. A new V12 saloon was the first addition to be announced. The new Jaguar XJ12 and Daimler Double Six featured a more powerful, refined and economical 6.0 litre version of the V12 engine providing 318 BHP and a new 4-speed electronic automatic transmission.

The final additions to the saloon range were the XJ6 3.2S and 4.0S. These new cars were aimed at the younger driving enthusiast who requires a tauter handling car, a more sporty exterior and interior design, as well as a high level of equipment at a value for money price. These cars also featured the additional standard fitment of both driver and passenger airbags. Jaguar's developments in the area of occupant protection earned the XJ6 the title of 'The Safest Car In britain' in a study carried out by the Department of Transport.

Jaguar's engine plat at Radford was also demonstrating its commitment to quality improvement, becoming the first Jaguar plant to receive the coveted Ford Quality Standard - Q1. By the end of the year all three of Jaguar's assembly plants had gained registration to BS5750 and early in 1994 both browns Lane and Castle bromwich also achieved Q1.

In a constantly changing world Jaguar is always looking for opportunities to capitalise on new markets. During 1993 Jaguars went on sale in Russia and many of the new Eastern Block countries. In October, Nick Scheele signed an agreement with Inchcape Pacific as Jaguar's distributor for the whole of China, a country with tremendous opportunity for economic growth.

The new XJ Series made its world debut at the Paris Motor Show in October 1994 and the launch of the new car dominated the year for Jaguar. The launch was even more remarkable as for the first time the company launched a new car, built to world class quality standards, simultaneously in every one of its markets around the globe.

Code named X300 during its development, the new XJ Series represented an investment of over £200 million and was the first product programme to be delivered by Jaguar since its acquisition by Ford. The new car maintained the long heritage of engineering excellence and styling pedigree but combined this with world class manufacturing process management.

Jaguar began 1995 with sales of the new XJ Series soaring to a five year high with all of the company's major global markets showing impressive gains over the previous year. In May the company announced two Celebration XJS models to commemorate 60 years of the legendary Jaguar marque.

Jaguar's product range was further extended in June with the launch of long wheelbase versions of the XJ Series Saloon range. The new models incorporate a 5 inch (125 mm) stretch behind the centre pillar, which provides significantly improved rear passenger comfort and space. The long wheelbase saloons truly embody the Jaguar and Daimler hallmarks of grace, pace and space. The cars were designed to extend the appeal of the XJ Series saloon in all major markets world-wide, providing a springboard for further sales success.

In July it was confirmed that the X200 programme, Jaguar's smaller, more affordable saloon car, would be built at the Castle bromwich plant. The programme was approved by the Ford board after the UK government indicated there would be a substantial grant towards the cost of the new project.