Is Jaguar a German Brand?

Are you considering getting a sports car or a luxury vehicle? The name Jaguar might ring a bell with you. It’s a brand associated with refined class, high performance, and opulence. Whether it’s a sports coupe, luxury sedan, SUV, or another segment, Jaguar usually has a model or two that might appeal to you.

Jaguar Cars isn’t a domestic brand. But what country does it come from? Is Jaguar German? British? Or from somewhere else entirely?

Is Jaguar German?

No. Jaguar Cars is the sports car and luxury vehicle brand of Jaguar Land Rover, a British company. But it’s easy to make this mistake. Jaguar is a luxury car brand. It so happens that many other luxury brands are German companies, such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

Who Owns Jaguar Cars?

Jaguar is owned by the Indian multinational automotive company Tata Motors. One of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, Tata Motors produces and sells cars, buses, trucks, and vans in many countries. Its headquarters are in Mumbai, India.

Tata Motors is one of the companies that form Tata Group. Also headquartered in Mumbai, Tata Group is the biggest business conglomerate in India. In addition to car manufacturing, Tata Group holds interests in various fields like hospitality, information technology, steel, and telecommunications.

Previously, the Ford Motor Company owned Jaguar and another British car brand, Land Rover. Tata bought the two British brands from Ford in 2008 for $2.3 billion. The Indian company merged Jaguar and Land Rover together. In 2013, the two companies became Jaguar Land Rover Limited (JLR).

Jaguar Cars History

In 1922, William Lyons and William Walmsley founded the Swallow Sidecar Company. Called SS for short, it built sidecars for motorcycles. Business boomed over the years as the company expanded into manufacturing coaches for cars. In 1930, SS renamed itself Swallow Coachbuilding Company.

By 1934, Swallow had moved from building coaches to full-fledged vehicles. Accordingly, the company transformed into SS Cars and went public.

1935 saw the birth of a legend. SS Cars debuted their first model, a sports sedan called the SS Jaguar. Next came the SS Jaguar 100, a two-seater sports car with an open top. These two models embodied everything that the company desired.

World War 2 reduced the demand for automobiles worldwide. SS Cars shut down production from 1940 to 1945. When the company resumed car manufacturing, it rebranded itself again. SS dropped its generic name and adopted the name of its successful sports car models. And that’s how we got Jaguar Cars Limited.

The renamed Jaguar switched its focus to sports cars that delivered cutting-edge performance. In 1948, it introduced the legendary Jaguar XK120. Capable of hitting 133 miles per hour, the XK120 could outspeed any production car during its debut.

Jaguar put the XK120 to the ultimate test by sending it to the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. In 1951, a version of the XK120, the XK120C, secured the first of five overall victories for Jaguar at Le Mans throughout the Fifties.

The triumphant Jaguar XK120C evolved into the C-Type, which also won at Le Mans. Next came the even more successful D-Type, which swept Le Mans from 1955 to 1957. The Jaguar D-Type dominated the racetrack in 1957 so completely that it took home 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, plus two more positions in the top six.

The Jaguar XK120 family’s dominance at Le Mans led to the development of the E-Type. The company implemented all the lessons learned from racing in the new road car, resulting in a sports car that exuded stylishness while keeping its occupants comfortable.

Furthermore, the Jaguar D-Type became a halo model that displays the company’s drive to innovate technology and impress. Jaguar sold so many cars during this period that it sourced car bodies from third-party coachbuilders to keep up with the high demand for its vehicles.

In 1965, British Motor Holdings Limited bought Jaguar. Its new owners merged with Leyland Motor Corporation Limited in 1968, creating British Leyland Motor Corporation. Under its new management, Jaguar turned its back on sports cars and switched to making luxury sedans powered by massive engines.

Jaguar regained its independence in 1984. It returned to its racing roots, winning the 1988 and 1990 Le Mans. The company also introduced the XJ220 supercar, the second Jaguar to wear the mantle of the world’s fastest production car.

The Ford Motor Company announced its acquisition of Jaguar Cars in 1989 and completed the deal in 1990. Ford later bought Land Rover.

Tata Motors and Jaguar Cars

In 1999, Tata Group tried to sell its Tata Motors car manufacturer to Ford. The American car manufacturer turned down the offer.

Nine years later, the financially-strapped Ford approached Tata Motors with an offer to sell Jaguar Cars and Land Rover. In 2008, the Indian company agreed to purchase the two British car brands plus the rights to the Daimler, Lanchester, and Rover marques.

Tata Motors operated Jaguar and Land Rover as separate but integrated companies. In 2013, the British brands merged into a single company: Jaguar Land Rover, abbreviated as JLR.

Where Are Jaguar Cars Made?

While Tata Motors owns Jaguar, the company remains British. Jaguar Land Rover operates as a subsidiary of Tata Motors. Its headquarters are in Coventry, England. JLR also has development centers in the United Kingdom, such as the SVO Technical Center for Special Vehicle Operations in Warwickshire, England.

Jaguar’s West Midlands manufacturing plants in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton produce the majority of its cars. The company also runs plants in India and China.