Jaguar’s storied history: From sidecars to James Bond to the latest rebranding

• The founder of Jaguar started in the motorcycle sidecar business before building his first Jaguar in 1935.
• The luxury automaker is rebranding with a new logo and a controversial advertising campaign.
• Here’s a look back at the British car manufacturer over the last century.

British luxury automaker Jaguar has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the early 20th century.

The company’s founder began producing sidecars for motorcycles in the 1920s before producing the first Jaguar car in 1935. Over the next few decades, Jaguar became synonymous with elegance and power. It was used in racing, as the vehicle of choice for the British royal family and by several villains in James Bond films.

Today, Jaguar is preparing to launch its all-electric vehicle range, due to hit the market sometime in 2026. And in preparation for the next generation, Jaguar unveiled a new brand campaign – complete with a new logo, a redesigned jumping Jaguar sign and a promotional video that is causing controversy on the Internet.

Here’s a look back at the company over the last century and surprising facts about its history that you may not know.

Beginnings as Swallow Sidecar Company

In 1922, Sir William Lyons – later known as “Mr. Jaguar” became known – together with a man named William Walmsley, he founded the Swallow Sidecar Company. Within a few years, Lyons had built his first car, called the SS1.

In 1934 Lyons bought the company from Walmsley and renamed it SS Cars Limited.

And in 1935 the first Jaguar was born, a model called the SS Jaguar.

Lyons renamed the company Jaguar Cars Limited in 1945 to build a brand around the luxury sports cars manufactured at the time.

Mid-century success

The 1930s to 1950s were characterized by a number of innovations for the company that will go down in the company’s history.

Jaguar introduced its first four-door model in 1937 with the SS Jaguar 2½ Liter Sedan and by 1948 had created the world’s fastest production car – the Lyon-designed XK120, which could reach speeds of up to 133 miles per hour.

In 1951, Jaguar introduced its aerodynamic C-Type model, which was 25% lighter than the XK120 and took first place in its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Then, in 1954, Jaguar released one of the first cars with a monocoque body, the D-Type racing car. Like the C-Type before it, the D-Type made history at Le Mans, taking first place three years in a row, including 1957, when the car secured five of the top six places.

All of this lasted until 1961, when Jaguar introduced one of the most iconic cars of all time – the E-Type.

Italian racing driver and Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari is often credited with declaring the E-Type “the most beautiful car in the world,” according to classic car auction house RM Sotheby’s.

According to the lifestyle magazine Gentleman’s Journal, the most famous owners of the E-Type included Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot and Steve McQueen.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City acquired and first exhibited an E-Type in 1996, making it only the third car in the museum’s design collection.

“Seldom has a car inspired such passion among both car enthusiasts and the general public as the Jaguar E-Type. “Today, the E-Type is still considered an icon of the post-war British sports car,” Christopher Mount, MoMa curator who organized the Jaguar exhibition, said in a press release at the time.

Jaguars in popular culture

Jaguars have long been a favorite of the British royal family, as have Land Rovers and Range Rovers, which are part of the Jaguar Land Rover brand owned by India-based Tata Motors.

The family’s love for the brand dates back at least to 1955, when the Queen Mother Queen Elizabeth purchased the Jaguar Mark VII M Saloon 464 HYV, which was specially crafted in the royal color of burgundy, according to the historic preservation organization Jaguar Heritage Trust.

Other members of the royal family, including Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II, have also owned and driven Jaguars over the years.

And a number of Jaguar vehicles have been driven by villains in James Bond films, such as the Jaguar ” and the Jaguar C-X75 driven by assassin Mr. Hinx in 2015’s “Spectre.”

Jaguar’s next chapter

Jaguar first announced in 2021 that it would abandon internal combustion engines and switch fully to electric vehicles.

In November, Jaguar stopped selling new car models in the UK as it prepares to launch its electric vehicle, expected to hit the market sometime in 2026.

As part of this next phase, Jaguar has introduced a new brand identity focused on the creative philosophy of “exuberant modernism,” which the company defines as “imaginative, bold and artistic at every touchpoint.”

Gerry McGovern, Jaguar’s chief creative officer, said in a statement that the company’s new vision was inspired by Lyon’s belief that “a Jaguar should be a copy of nothing.”

The company’s new marketing campaign included a promotional video that featured models dressed in colorful high fashion, with no cars in sight.

Some conservative social media users criticized the company for being too “woke” – partly because of the look of the models it chose, while others questioned why the ad didn’t show cars.

There are now high-profile critics of the rebranding video – which has been viewed more than 160 million times on X – included Elon Musk, CEO of Teslainfluencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate and conservative personality Ian Miles Cheong.

In response to the Video posted on X from Jaguar, Musk wrote: “Do you sell cars?” And Nick Freitas, a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, replied Jaguar to X: “Well…we know where the Bud Light advertising team went,” referring to that Backlash to a Bud Light ad in 2023 with a transgender influencer.

Jaguar CEO Rawdon Glover defended the British luxury car maker’s rebranding campaign the Financial Times – called out some of his online critics, calling their reaction “vile hatred” and “intolerance.”

Jaguar said it would provide further details of its new brand strategy in December. However, it is not clear whether this will include details about the upcoming electric vehicles.

As part of the brand’s positioning, the newly announced Jags are expected to be significantly higher quality than those being phased out, Car and Driver previously reported, citing a Range Rover from the brand’s corporate cousins ​​that costs about $400,000 than the brand wants to be. (Most 2024 Jaguar models have list prices of around $50,000 to $80,000.)

Without specifically addressing the recent backlash against the new brand campaign, Jaguar previously said in a statement to Business Insider: “The unveiling of the brand is just the first step in this exciting new era, and we look forward to learning more about Jaguar’s transformation.” to report in the future.” coming days and weeks.