The origins of the Jaguar Company go back to 1922 when William Lyons and William Walmsley set up the Swallow Sidecar Co. in Blackpool. Before long they also began making motor bodies and so in 1928 the entire business relocated to part of the former
White and Poppe factory in Coventry to be at the heart of the motor industry.
As the Swallow Coachbuilding Co., in 1931 they began manufacturing ‘SS’ cars as well as bodies, becoming SS Cars Ltd. in 1934. These forerunners consisted mainly of beautifully designed six-cylinder sports tourers and saloons.
The outbreak of WWII saw that much production was adapted to that of aircraft and other munitions work along with many similar Coventry operations. In 1945, the business was reformed as Jaguar Cars Ltd., where a steady stream of 1.5 litre saloons were introduced.
In 1951 the company moved all plant and machinery at great expense to Brown’s Lane, a former
Daimler shadow-factory. Here they commenced the production of elegantly-styled sports cars and luxury saloons of which they became famous.
Jaguar added the Daimler name to their range in 1960 and continued to make high-quality prestigious cars in Coventry until 2005. Their most celebrated cars included the XK150 introduced in 1957, the
Jaguar E Type in 1961, and the XJS in 1975.