Otto Explains — Iconic Cars
10 Iconic Cars From Jaguar
Short Answer
Otto’s ten iconic Jaguars are each remembered for one specific achievement, from a 100mph sports car of 1935 to a 2019 lap record. In date order they are the SS100, the D-type, the E-type, the XJ13, the XJ-S, the XJR-9, the XJ220, the supercharged XJR of 1994, the XK8 and the XE SV Project 8.
How did Otto choose these ten cars?
Each car here is remembered for one specific, documented thing: a speed, a race result, a record or a first. Together they run from 1935 to 2019 and cover sports cars, racing cars, grand tourers and a saloon. The cars that changed Jaguar as a company, such as the first Jaguar-named saloon of 1935, the XK120, the C-type, the XJ6, the X-TYPE, the F-PACE, the I-PACE and the Type 01, have their own article on the legendary cars that defined Jaguar, so this list looks further. The order is chronological, not a ranking.
Why is the SS100 remembered?
Introduced in September 1935, alongside the first saloon to carry the Jaguar name, the SS100 was the sporting car of the SS range. With the 2½-litre 102bhp engine it reached 94mph, and with the later 3½-litre 125bhp engine it went just over 100mph, the figure its name suggested. At the time, no other 100mph car on sale in Britain cost less.
What made the D-type special?
The D-type used monocoque construction, with a central tub, and a low-drag body that let it exceed 170mph on the XK engine. It won Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957, and in 1957 D-types finished first, second, third, fourth and sixth, a result no manufacturer had achieved before. It was also a racing car private owners could buy and drive on the road.
Why is the E-type so famous?
Presented to the press in Geneva on 15 March 1961, the E-type combined the shape created by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer with a 3.8-litre XK engine of 265bhp, and was capable of 150mph. Jaguar built more than 70,000 between 1961 and 1974, and the last one, a Series 3 V12 open two-seater built on 12 June 1974, stays in Jaguar’s heritage collection.
What was the XJ13?
The XJ13 is a one-off. Developed from 1964 as a possible Le Mans contender, it had a 5-litre V12 of 502bhp mounted behind the driver. Changes to the Le Mans rules meant it never raced, and only one was ever built, but the V12 it pioneered went on to power Jaguar’s road cars.
Why does the XJ-S stand out?
Launched in September 1975, the XJ-S was Jaguar’s first model in the International Grand Touring class, with a 5.3-litre V12 of 285bhp. It stayed in production until 4 April 1996, when the last XJS was built and the XK8 took its place.
Why is the XJR-9 on the list?
In 1988 the XJR-9 of Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace, powered by a V12, won the Le Mans 24 Hours, Jaguar’s first win there since 1957, and Jaguar also took that year’s world sports car championship. It is one of seven Le Mans wins for Jaguar.
What made the XJ220 remarkable?
The XJ220 began as a concept unveiled on 18 October 1988. JaguarSport then built 281 production cars between 1992 and 1994 at Bloxham, with a TWR V6 and rear-wheel drive. Independent road tests recorded around 213mph (343km/h), making it the world’s fastest production car at the time.
Why does the 1994 XJR matter?
The 4.0-litre XJR of the X300 generation, launched in 1994, was Jaguar’s first supercharged R car, with 326bhp. Jaguar chose supercharging rather than turbocharging because it judged it gave more effortless performance, and later R models such as the XKR and XFR also used supercharged engines.
Why is the XK8 iconic?
Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1996 as the replacement for the XJS, the XK8 was the first Jaguar production car with a V8 engine. Jaguar built 91,406 XK8 and XKR coupés and convertibles until 2005.
What did the XE SV Project 8 achieve?
Developed by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations, the XE SV Project 8 has a 600PS supercharged 5.0-litre V8 and all-wheel drive. In July 2019 it set a four-door production car record of 7min 18.361sec on the 20.6-kilometre Nürburgring Nordschleife, as stated by Jaguar at the time. If you are considering a high-performance Jaguar, understanding how superchargers and turbochargers differ helps, and a pre-purchase inspection checks the condition of the individual car.
Common Questions
- Why isn’t the XK120 on Otto’s list? Because it changed Jaguar as a company: its XK engine and 120mph top speed shaped Jaguar for decades. Otto covers it, with the other cars that defined Jaguar, in a separate article.
- What was the first Jaguar with a V8 engine? The XK8 of 1996, the first Jaguar production car with a V8.
- Which Jaguars have been the world’s fastest production car? The XK120, whose 120mph top speed made it the fastest production car of its day, and the XJ220, which reached around 213mph in independent road tests.
- How many times has Jaguar won Le Mans? Seven times: in 1951 and 1953 with the C-type, in 1955, 1956 and 1957 with the D-type, in 1988 with the XJR-9 and in 1990 with the XJR-12.
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