Design Context: Jaguar Cars

I started off by looking on the Internet to broaden my basic knowledge of the subject. I started on the Jaguar website (http://www.jaguar.com/gb/en/), looking at their current models and building one of my own. In their current range Jaguar have 5 models with a selection of 3 more R-models:

- F-Type

- XJ

- XK

- XF

- XF Sportbrake

- R-Models

o XFR

o XKR

o XKR-S (Coupe or Convertible)

-The design of the Jaguar website is very simple, using mainly greys and silvers; it has several sections that allow you to learn more about the company.

-Jaguar has a very rich history spanning over 80 years.

Timeline taken directly from Jaguar's Heritage section of their website:

1935 – JAGUAR BURSTS ONTO THE MOTORING SCENE

The first car to bear the Jaguar name was the SS Jaguar 2.5 litre Saloon, unveiled at an exclusive event in London’s Mayfair Hotel. It cost a mere £385. William Lyons’ SS Cars company also produced a 1.5 litre version, and a 3.5 litre model followed two years later.

1938 – THE FIRST JAGUAR SPORTS CAR

The open-topped Jaguar SS100 had been released three years earlier but 1938 saw the launch of a 3.5 litre version that offered the classic Jaguar combination of comfort, usability and powerful sports performance. With its sweeping profile and elegant detailing, the SS100 was designed for competition and won prizes in the Alpine Trial and RAC Rally.

1943 – THE ENGINE THAT MADE JAGUAR’S NAME

The straight-six engine was first developed by engineers on night-time firewatch at the Jaguar plant during World War Two. The XK version, introduced in 1949, went on to power Jaguar cars for more than four decades.

1949 – THE ORIGINAL XK

The XK120, designed by Jaguar’s founder William Lyons, caused a sensation when it was launched at the British Motor Show. Although the name XK120 was a combination of its engine and its planned top speed, a model with no windshield was tested on the Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium and reached 132mph, making it the world’s fastest production car.

1951 – THE WINNING BEGINS

Jaguar’s first success on the race track came with the C-Type, originally called the XK120C. Its beautiful, rounded shape was inspired by the principles of aerodynamics. More powerful, yet 25% lighter, than the XK120 it was based on, the C-Type claimed victory at its first appearance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

1954 – A DESIGN TRIUMPH

With its distinctive stabilising tailfin, the Jaguar D-Type, designed by Malcolm Sayers, was one of the most beautiful competition cars ever built. It also featured the first serious use in motorsport of a moncoque construction, still found in the majority of racing cars today. D-Types achieved remarkable success at Le Mans, finishing first, second, third, fourth and sixth in the 1957 race.

1956 – RECOGNITION FOR JAGUAR’S FOUNDER

William Lyons was knighted in recognition of his services to the British car industry, particularly Jaguar’s export success. He had formed the company’s forerunner, Swallow Sidecars, on his 21st birthday and excelled as a designer as well as an entrepreneur.

1957 – JAGUAR PLANT BURNS

In the evening of 12 February 1957 a fire broke out in the service area of Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory and swept through the production line. The blaze caused damage worth £3 million – a colossal sum at the time – but the plant was back in action, working at one-third capacity, just a fortnight later, thanks to the incredible efforts of the workers.

1961 – A TRUE AUTOMOTIVE ICON

The iconic Jaguar E-Type caused a sensation when it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show, leaving all its rivals in the shade. Described by Enzo Ferrari as “the most beautiful car ever built”, it exuded feline grace, power and beauty, with its impossibly long, elegant bonnet.

1966 – WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN…

Often described as “the greatest Jaguar that never was”, the Jaguar XJ13 was developed specifically to race at Le Mans. However, a change to the race rules meant it was unable to compete. The only surviving XJ13 was badly damaged in an accident in 1971 but has since been rebuilt and is now the rarest, most priceless of all Jaguars.

1968 – THE BIRTH OF A LEGENDARY LINEAGE

The XJ6 saloon was the last car designed by Sir William Lyons and became his longest lived creation, with more than 400,000 sales in the following 24 years. With its emphasis on comfort and a smooth, quiet ride, the car set standards of refinement that would lead the luxury car market for years to come.

1972 – COMING INTO ITS OWN

Four years after it was launched, more than 250,000 XJ6s had rolled off the production lines. Jaguar was now in a position to give the model the engine that had always been intended for it, the 5.4 litre V12. It was now officially the fastest production car in the world, capable of 140mph. The original XJ received design facelifts in 1973 and 1979 and a V12 version remained on sale until 1992.

1975 – A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO THE E-TYPE

As the replacement for the iconic E-Type, the XJ-S, designed by Malcolm Sayer, inherited Jaguar’s racing DNA, combined with an unmatched air of luxury and refinement. With its V12 engine, it completed the 3,000-mile coast-to-coast Cannonball Run in the US in an astonishing 32 hours, 51 minutes, a record that stood for four years.

1985 – THE END OF AN ERA

Sir William Lyons died at his home in Leamington Spa, 50 years after unveiling the first Jaguar and 13 years after retiring as Jaguar’s chairman.

1988 – RETURN TO THE WINNER’S PODIUM

The XJR-9, with a 7.0 litre engine, proved unstoppable in the World Sports Car Championship, winning six of the 11 races and taking both the driver and team trophies. It also returned Jaguar to the top step of the podium at Le Mans for the first time since 1957.

1990 – A REMARKABLE DOUBLE

Jaguar XJR-12s, owned by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), finished first and second at Le Mans. To celebrate this remarkable success, Jaguar commissioned TWR to create a limited-edition road-going version, the XJR-15. Only 50 were produced, with a price tag of just under $1 million each.

1990 – NEW OWNERS

Jaguar was bought by Ford Motors.

1992 – YET ANOTHER SPEED RECORD

Inspired by the Le Mans success of the XJR-9, Jaguar’s chief engineer, Jim Randle, wanted to build a road car with the same scintillating performance. The result was the XJ220, developed by a group of Jaguar employees known as the Saturday Club, who worked on special projects in their spare time. Only 300 XJ220s were made, and for a while in the early 1990s it was the world’s fastest production car.

1996 – JAGUAR’S FASTEST-SELLING SPORTS CAR

Jaguar’s own design team beat off competition from other parts of the Ford group to create a new sports car for the company’s first V8 engine. The XK8 took inspiration from iconic Jaguars of the past and blended them into a sleek shape that met the contemporary requirements of space, safety and luxury. The XK8 immediately exceeded all expectations and became the fastest-selling sports car in Jaguar’s history.

2000 – ACHIEVING A LIFETIME AMBITION

Ian Callum joined Jaguar as Design Director. More than 30 years earlier, at the age of 14, he had seen an XJ6 in a showroom and dreamed of designing Jaguars for a living.

2008 – ELEGANCE REDEFINED

The first new Jaguar of the millennium was the XK, the design for which echoed past Jaguars yet was strikingly contemporary. The body was based on an aluminium monocoque chassis, and the 4.2 litre V8 engine, derived from its predecessor, was later upgraded to a 5.0 litre version. The supercharged XKR model offered even greater levels of power and acceleration.

2008 – A NEW PARENT COMPANY

Jaguar was sold to Tata Motors of India.

2008 – THE SUPER SALOON

Packed with technological and aesthetic refinements, the XF became an instant success with its classic Jaguar mix of performance, comfort and driver appeal. It was a worthy descendant of the Mark II, the car that created the sporting saloon sector. A supercharged XFR, with minor modifications, became the fastest Jaguar ever by reaching 226mph at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

2010 – BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

The latest XJ marks a clean break with the previous models in the series and has been a worldwide sales success. The aluminium structure has brought improvements in performance and economy, while the advanced dynamics create a level of agility scarcely credible in a car that also offers a wealth of luxury, security and relaxed refinement.

2010 AND BEYOND

There is no doubt Jaguar will continue to focus on innovative, seductive performance well into the future. It is already pushing the boundaries of design and sustainability. The C-X75 electric concept car, unveiled to universal acclaim at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, gave an exciting glimpse into what the future holds for Jaguar

-The most iconic and famous car Jaguar has ever made is the E-Type. This car was both aesthetically beautiful – Enzo Ferrari described it as ‘the most beautiful car ever made’ – it made massive changes to the automotive industry.

-The Jaguar ‘Leaper’, the emblem on the front of the bonnet and although now banned for health and safety reasons, represented all that Jaguar stood for. The ‘Leaper’ is a slick, smooth and curvaceous representation of a jaguar cat. It is also very elegant and sophisticated, epitomizing how Jaguar wanted to present themselves.

-Jaguars have been used in several James Bond movies. Most notably, a Jaguar XKR (modified) was driven in Die Another Day. A Jaguar XJ was also used in the most recent James Bond movie Skyfall.

-Jaguar’s most recent campaign is entitled ‘What Make You Feel Alive?’ A campaign that has brought together famous sportsmen, journalists, chefs, actors and musicians to talk about what makes them feel alive, whilst driving or being driven around in a Jaguar.

-From here I collected a wide range of images and photographs of Jaguars old and new, logos and other images associated with Jaguar.