WardsAuto Podcast: Can Jaguar Recharge Its Business With EVs?

The Jaguar brand has a storied history. The company originated in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, founded by William Lyons and William Walmsley. Initially focused on producing motorcycle sidecars, the firm soon transitioned to manufacturing car bodies, and in 1935, it introduced its first car under the SS name, the SS Jaguar 2.5L Saloon.

Following World War II, the company dropped the "SS" from its name due to negative associations with Nazi Germany and became known simply as Jaguar.

Jaguar quickly gained a reputation for producing elegant and high-performance vehicles. In the 1950s and 1960s, the brand solidified its place in automotive history with iconic models like the Jaguar XK120, C-Type, D-Type and the legendary E-Type, which Enzo Ferrari famously called “the most beautiful car ever made.”

Jaguar also achieved tremendous success in motorsport during this period, including five wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1951 and 1957. Despite its design and engineering excellence, the company faced financial challenges in the 1970s and was nationalized under British Leyland. Later privatized, Jaguar was acquired by Ford in 1990 before being sold to Tata Motors in 2008.

Today, Jaguar is having a tough time making its case to global customers against more efficient and well-resourced competitors. The company sees its survival with an electric lineup. WardsAuto Editor Bob Gritzinger visited Jaguar in the U.K. recently and had a chat with Managing Director Rawdon Glover.