The Rise Of Jaguar

The future looks bright for the iconic British brand Jaguar if the recent success story is anything to go by

By any standard the recent rise of the Jaguar marque has been one of the most remarkable and heart warming success stories and all the indications are that its future is going to be every bit as exciting.

Just last year it recorded its best ever sales result with orders up by more than 75 per cent around the world and 45 per cent in the UK.

New and multi-award winning models from sports coupes to saloons to SUVs underpinned by brilliant engines, head-turning looks and competitive pricing are letting the company take the fight to the key rivals – and winning.

Some of the statistics from 2016 are amazing.

Jaguar collected more than 70 international awards and the F-PACE, Jaguar’s first SUV and its fastest-ever selling new car, took a third of them including several Car of the Year trophies.

The respected Auto Express magazine made the F-PACE its Car Of The Year as well as the best compact SUV, the XF was Top Gear’s Car Of The Year and Fleet World magazine’s best executive car and the XE was voted the best compact sector executive car by Auto Express. Remarkably this was the car’s 47th international award.

Even the Germans recognised Jaguar’s market-leading qualities and its motor journalists gave the XF the title of best car in the mid to full-sized saloon category at the country’s Golden Steering Wheel awards, ahead of Mercedes and Volvo.

Sales have grown in every market.

Both at home and abroad, and in the USA Jaguar was the fastest growing premium manufacturer last year.

It has been an extraordinary achievement and is based on two key foundations.

The first is that this success is down to the support and investment of Indian industrial conglomerate, Tata Motors, which acquired Jaguar from Ford in 2008. Since then it has done two things previous owners hadn’t – it has invested (more than £11 billion to date and counting) and it has left Jaguar’s people alone to do what they do best which is engineering, styling and developing world beating cars as the 2016 results prove.

Lightweight aluminium structures and an entirely new generation of engines, the Ingenium range, make the cars agile, fuel efficient and a joy to drive.

In the past five years Jaguar – and its sister company, Land Rover - has doubled sales and employees and more than tripled turnover and invested heavily in new plant, such as the engine manufacturing facility near Wolverhampton.

The future is electric

The second is that with profits from Jaguar Land Rover now in seven figures the money is there to plough into future developments and especially electric cars.  Late last year Jaguar rocked the motoring world when it unveiled the i-PACE, an all-electric concept which will be in the showrooms in 2018.

Part supercar, part saloon and part SUV the i-PACE defies current trends and will create a brand new sector when sales start next year.

Under that dramatic bodywork it has a spacious interior because there is no internal combustion engine and gearbox to install, it promises to deliver 300 miles on a single charge and have rapid-charge capability and will even have a 0 to 60 time of around four seconds.

Jaguar may have been a little slower than others in joining the hybrid and electric revolution but with cars like the i-PACE, and others in the pipeline, it will be at the forefront as we head towards the end of this decade and beyond.

It is no secret that starved of the funds and support enjoyed by rival manufacturers Jaguar lost ground to them in the 1980s, 90’s and early 2000s but Tata’s belief in the brand, its ambitions for it and willingness to back it to the tune of billions of pounds has paid off.

Today Jaguar can stand on its own two feet, its future is secure and self-funding. Its current range is startlingly successful and the i-PACE demonstrates that it has a clear vision for its products over the next several years.

Current Jaguar Car Models

Jaguar XE

From £26,990

Compact sized executive saloon to rival the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C Class or BMW 3 Series. Described as a `game changer’ when road tested by Autocar magazine, it has among the best residual values of any in the class and the lowest CO2 emissions of any non-hybrid car.

Jaguar XF

From £32,300

Multi-award winning mid-sized saloon prized for its looks, spec and ride it comes in a large variety of versions including comfort or sports-oriented derivatives.

Jaguar XJ

From £58,690

The flagship of Jaguar’s saloon range it draws on decades of the company’s experience in building luxurious limousine-like cars. A favourite with heads of state!

Jaguar F-Type

From £51,775

For all those who waited for Jaguar to once again make a brilliant and thrilling sportscar this is the answer. Glorious styling allied to brilliant engines and a ride/handling package as good as any.

Jaguar F-PACE

From £35,020

Jaguar’s first ever SUV and the fastest selling new car it has ever built. If ever anyone still doubts the company’s ability to read the market, see what buyers want and then produce a car better than anyone else’s, the F-PACE should convince them otherwise.

Company founder Sir William Lyons always said his cars should have grace, pace and space; the F-PACE delivers on all three.

The Significant Jaguar Cars

The company’s first products were actually the sidecars it made from the early 1920s and its first major car was the two seater SS 100, so called because of the supposed top speed which was remarkable for its day.  Following World War Two the SS initials were not exactly the best to associate with products and the Jaguar name was adopted.

Here are some of its greatest classics which were recognised in their day as being ground breaking and are now much prized and highly valued cars.

The XK 120. Revealed at the London Motor Show in 1948 just three years after hostilities ceased the car introduced the new six cylinder 3.4 litre XK engine and its sleek lines and performance caused an absolute sensation at home and abroad with strong export sales.

Depending on its condition today you would expect to pay a six figure sum for a good one. Quite a change from the original £1,250 plus taxes…

Jaguar C-Type

Designed as a racing car with the XK engine the beautiful C-Type was launched in 1951 and later that year it took the first of Jaguar’s seven wins in the Le Mans 24 Hours, repeating it two years  later.

Jaguar D-Type

Dramatic aerodynamics gave it iconic looks and with a new chassis it cemented Jaguar’s reputation in motor racing, taking another three wins in the 24 hour event. To buy a genuine one now you  would probably need a seven figure budget!

Jaguar E-Type

Surely a car that needs no introduction. As fast and sleek as a Ferrari but at a fraction of the price the E-Type arrived in 1961, still looks fantastic and is one of the most instantly recognisable cars  of all times.  Prices have rocketed in recent years and their condition varies enormously but an E-Type is still one of the more affordable ways to buy a classic supercar.​​​​​​

Considering a Jaguar as your next car from Swansway Jaguar Crewe?  Search for a new Jaguar or our current Approved Used stock today.