This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Jaguar name and 75 years of looking forward, designing and building cars that represent the very best of technical innovation, design leadership and sporting success.
Mike O'Driscoll, managing director of Jaguar Cars, said, "In 2010, we celebrate our past, and 75 years of designing and building cars that celebrate the art of automobile making. We're also celebrating the promise of the future, and the introduction of the all-new XJ sedan. In just three years, we've completely revitalized the Jaguar line-up with the launch of three beautiful, fast cars."
During the year we will celebrate our 75th anniversary at some of the world's most glamorous automotive settings, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival in the United Kingdom; the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in Florida and the Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach in the U.S. and at the Mille Miglia classic in Italy. Jaguar is also returning to the racetrack with its new JaguarRSR XKR GT2 and will compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).
Just a few years ago, we set out to re-make Jaguar and to revitalize the model range. We started in 2008 with the introduction of the all-new, award-winning XF. This four-door, five-seat car has the looks of a coupe and the heart of a sports car. In 2009, we re-engineered the XK coupe and convertible, in the process creating one of the world's great grand tourers. Very shortly in 2010, we will begin selling the ground-breaking, new 2011 XJ which incorporates all of the virtues that make a great Jaguar.
William Lyons founded Swallow Sidecars in 1922, and went on to create a range of "SS"-branded motorcycle sidecars and automobiles in the 1920s and early 1930s. When it came to the launch of the all-new SS 100 in 1935, Lyons wanted a new and evocative name for his cars. After asking his advertising agency for suggestions, Lyons chose a daring new name, and the SS 100 sports car became the world's first Jaguar.
The Jaguar name was an ideal choice. It represented a feline grace and elegance, plus the power and agility that set his cars apart. He once said that a car "was the closest thing we can create to something that is alive;" a sentiment that has stood the test of time. That new brand name captured the essence of all of the cars created from that point forward.
Over the years, Jaguar has built some of the world's most iconic cars. The XK120, introduced in the late 1940s, was an instant sensation and the most glamorous sports car of the period. The C Type and D Type race cars that followed dominated motor racing in the 1950s. The E-Type, launched in the heady 1960s, has repeatedly been called the most beautiful car ever built, and it defined a whole generation. Sports cars have always defined Jaguar, but the company has also built some of the industry's most memorable sedans like the Mark II of the early 1960s and the renowned XJ.
Ian Callum, Jaguar design director, said, "Jaguar design over the next 75 years must respect and reflect on the past 75 while continuing to push boundaries of technology, luxury and sporting style. Designing cars with a presence that demands a turn of the head and an allure that pulls at the heart has been central to the Jaguar brand throughout the years."
Callum continues, "A successful piece of design should stand the test of time, holding its own through passing fashions. Looking at the present with the XK, XF and all-new XJ and with an eye on the future, we will continue to innovate and set the benchmark, not only in automotive design, but in luxury premium design as a whole. Jaguar has a range of cars that are as iconic today as they were when launched. That's a testament to Jaguar's legacy in creating beautiful fast cars."
O'Driscoll summed things up, "The development of our new range of cars is all part of making Jaguar the modern, sporting company that it was under our founder Sir Williams Lyons; a company that made its name creating cars that were innovative, exciting and always original."
