There’s something about Jaguar cars that really fascinates car enthusiasts. Today, the brand Jaguar is synonymous with luxury and performance. However, Jaguar wasn’t always in the automobile manufacturing business, in fact, the company started off as a motorcycle accessory production company. Let’s go through some interesting facts about Jaguar cars.
Fun Facts about Jaguar Cars
From superb styling, to a successful performance history both on and off road, Jaguar cars are known for many things. Let’s uncover some interesting Jaguar car facts in detail.
Jaguar Did Not Start with Cars
Jaguar was founded in 1922 by two motorcycle enthusiasts William Lyons and William Walmsley who got into the business of manufacturing motorcycle accessories, also known as the motorcycle sidecar making business. What’s now known as Jaguar started off pretty different and was known as the Swallow Sidecar Company.
Initially, the owners began producing motorcycle accessories, over a short time, they evolved to coachbuilding, and then finally transitioned to automobile manufacturing.
From a motorcycle sidecar making business to becoming an automobile manufacturer was quite the evolution, but it wasn’t unfamiliar. Many renowned automakers of today had humble beginnings with items like scooters and bicycles before they finally transformed into car manufacturers.
The First Jaguar Car Was Manufactured with Another Name
In 1926, just four years after founding the Swallow Sidecar Company, the company’s name was changed to S.S. Cars Ltd. At this time, the company, now known as Jaguar, was making upscale motorcycle sidecars, but they partnered with John Blake from Standard Motor Company. With their new partner, the company started coachbuilding.
The first ever vehicle produced under the S.S. brand name was the SS 1. The 2-seater sports car debuted in 1929 at the London Motor Show. This is a known fact in the history of Jaguar.
Then the second model made by S.S. Cars Ltd was the SS 90. Like its predecessor, this was also a 2-seat sports car. The car was given the SS 90 name because it could reach a top speed of 90 mph, which was considered lightning fast in the mid-1930s era.
The third SS model was the SS 100 – an aesthetically pleasing model that was sold to the elites of that time. Among other facts about Jaguar cars, a lesser known one is that only 314 units of the SS 100 were ever built.
The Official Beginning of Jaguar Cars
The year when the name Jaguar was finally given to cars was 1945, when the British car brand changed its name to Jaguar Car Company officially. The company also made changes to the iconic Jaguar logo.
The flagship model Jaguar was Mark IV and it was produced from 1945 to 1949. This car was offered with a variety of engines ranging from 1.5-litres to 3.5-litres.
The Mark IV was an important part of the Jaguar car’s history. Case in point: the model garnered a lot of popularity and appealed to consumers in search of high-end cars.
Jaguar Made the Fastest Car in the World
There are many fascinating facts about jaguar cars, but did you know the car manufacturer produced the fastest car in the world? 1948 was the year the company launched the XK120 in 1948 at the London Motor Show. This was the auto manufacturer’s second sports car after the SS 100.
The prototype was well-received and the company decided to go with production. The first ever Jaguar XK120 model has the capacity to reach a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/H) and by 1950 the speed was enhanced to 120 mph (193 km/h).
The ‘120’ in the name referred to the car’s top speed of 120 mph which made the roadster the world’s fastest production car at the time of its launch.
Jaguar Cars Have a Unique Climate Testing Process
We usually assume that a car manufacturer claiming their vehicles are going through strict testing processes, including climate testing, may simply test their cars in extreme weather conditions. But that is not the case with a Jaguar car.
Jaguar ensures their cars start everywhere – even in freezing cold temperatures.
Jaguar starts the testing process by actually placing their cars in a very large freezer that is dialled down to an extreme temperature of -40 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 12 hours.
After the car cools down, it is rolled on a road with a wind tunnel featuring wind gusts. The air blown over Jaguar cars is 0 degrees, and all this time water is sprayed over the vehicle.
All this is done to make sure a Jaguar car runs no matter the freezing temperature.
Jaguar Cars Have Exclusive Leather
Jaguar is very picky when it comes to leather for the car’s interior. The company works with a group of hide specialists that won’t just accept any cowhide. Jaguar models such as the XE and XJ only use leather from Scottish Angus Bull hides.
Only selected herds are used that are grown in pastures or other areas where there is no barbed wire, and during winters, these cows are sheltered indoors. Bull skin leather is preferred over cow skin as cows are susceptible to stretch marks during pregnancies which may have a negative effect on the leather’s quality.
The Leaper Ornament Was Removed from Jaguar Cars to Meet Safety Standards
Used for decades, the leaping Jaguar hood ornament is still iconic. However, it was removed in 2005 to meet the European Union safety standards for car manufacturers. The leaper ornament was removed fearing front collisions. However, customers can still add the Leaper to their Jaguar car models for an additional fee.
Jaguar Cars Are Brushed with Emu Feathers in Paint Jobs
Workers at Jaguar brush the car with ionised emu feathers before it is painted. Case in point: the feathers hold an electrostatic charge, making it possible for the metal to not attract the dust between the final cleaning and painting.
A Rock Star Designed the Jaguar XE
Wayne J. Burgess who plays with his metal band, Scattering Ashes, designed the Jaguar XE. Burgess is a car designer and Rockstar both! After all, designing a Jaguar also makes him a Rockstar but he is one in the literal sense. He divides his time between playing in practice sessions and on the stage for concerts while spending the rest of his time helping shape the future of the Jaguar car company.
Jaguar Cars Won Le Mans 24 Hours Seven Times
The car tagline ‘unleash a Jaguar’ stands pretty real for the auto manufacturer, given its speed and road performance. Then, it is a known cool fact about Jaguar that the company won The Le Mans 24-Hours race not just once or twice but for a total of seven times.
Jaguar E-Pace Set a Guinness World Record
Jaguar E-Pace debuted in 2017 and it was epic! The SUV landed straight in the record book of the Guinness World Record to earn the title of the ‘Furthest barrel roll in a production vehicle’ with a 15.3 metre-long jump finished with a 270-degree corkscrew like (resembling a corkscrew) barrel roll.
According to Jaguar, the purpose of the stunt performed by stunt driver Terry Grant was to demonstrate the precision, agility and performance of its SUV, which was tested for 25-months under the most extreme conditions around the world.
That brings an end to our compilation of interesting facts about Jaguar cars. If you’re a fan and want to know more about the brand’s take on electric car, here are details about the Jaguar Panthera EV Platform.
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