Take an exhilarating ride through Jaguar production history, from the original SS to the I-PACE EV, with narratives, photos, and spec tables for each.
In 1935, a pair of motorcycle enthusiasts in Coventry, England—William Lyons and William Walmsley—established a firm called the Swallow Sidecar Company. Soon, they pivoted to automobiles, launching a sporting saloon (i.e., sedan) called the Jaguar SS. The decision set in motion the company that would create Britain’s most beloved line of high-performance automobiles.
The Complete Book of Jaguar, 2nd Edition, tells the whole story with:
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A thorough profile for every production model, presented in chronological order
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Spec tables highlighting key technical and performance specifications and their changes across each model
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Narratives by distinguished motoring historian Nigel Thorley discussing the innovations and technology featured in each model
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Color photography of new and restored examples
- Historical black-and-white imagery
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A new chapter covering Jaguar’s commitment to an alt-fuel future with extensive up-to-date coverage of the hybrid E-PACE and F-PACE SUVs and the I-PACE EV
As you turn the pages, follow Jaguar’s trajectory to becoming one of the world’s most celebrated automakers. In England’s bleak postwar years, the company was a shining star—first with its
XK120, followed by the
XK140 and
XK150. Sporting sedans like the
Mark 2 and
Mark X set the bar for luxury four-door transport in the ’50s and ’60s. Then Jaguar stunned the world in 1961 with the achingly beautiful
E-Type, a genuine 150 mph sports car. Though Jaguar lost its way periodically in the modern era, it has bounded back stronger than ever in the twenty-first century with a strong lineup that includes the new
F-Type sports car.
The Complete Book of Jaguar, 2nd Edition, is the essential and most current guide to one of the truly iconic marques in the history of sports and luxury automobiles.
Filled with photos and data-packed spec charts,
Motorbooks’ Complete Book series presents automotive and motorcycle enthusiasts with authoritative histories celebrating their favorite vehicles. Some other subjects in the series include Corvette, Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, Ducati, BMW Motorcycles, Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars, and Volkswagen GTI.
Also available from the series:The Complete Book of Ford Mustang,
The Complete Book of BMW Motorcycles,
The Complete Book of Corvette,
The Complete Book of Porsche 911,
The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars,
The Complete Book of Chevrolet Camaro,
The Complete Book of Classic Ford Tractors,
The Complete Book of Classic John Deere Tractors, and
The Complete Book of Classic Volkswagens.
The first edition of the present book was published in 2014 and was quickly acclaimed as the bible of these classic Jaguar racers. This greatly expanded new edition runs to more than 400 pages and contains 500 illustrations. It brings the individual stories of over 150 cars up to date, and includes additional useful information and appendices.
Today the name of Jaguar still ranks high in the pantheon of British cars that have won the Le Mans 24-hour race. A mere 20 years since the birth of their first car, Jaguar had become the leading high-performance car in Britain thanks to the revolutionary XK engine, and the XK120 was in its day the fastest production car in the world.
While the company had begun to earn its spurs in motor racing, it was a bold step to build a new car with the specific intention of entering Le Mans, at the time the most famous motor race in the world. Remarkably, the new Jaguar C-type succeeded in winning at Le Mans on the first attempt.
A further four Le Mans victories followed: in 1953 for the C-type again, and then three wins for D-types from 1955 to 1957, by which time the Jaguar works team had been withdrawn from racing. Private entries of Jaguar C- and D-types in other races continued for many years. The E-type was never as successful in racing, since it was conceived as a GT road car rather than a racer, but the small run of lightweight cars and other competition versions added further lustre to Jaguar’s reputation.
C- and D-types were sold in some numbers to private owners on both sides of the Atlantic, many of whom obviously used them for racing, but unlike most later sports-racing cars they could still be used on the road. This was and remains one of their many attractions. Virtually all the cars have survived, and in recent times have seen a steady increase in value.
This updated, enlarged and comprehensive new edition of the Register is a tribute to these glorious cars, to the people who were involved in their design and production, and to the drivers who campaigned them.
