The Jaguar Quiz

Love Jaguar Cars? Take the Jaguar Quiz to see how much you know about Jaguar. Test your knowledge in the Motoring Challenge.

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The Jaguar Challenge. How much do you know about Jaguar? Test your knowledge in the Motoring Challenge.


1) Who was the founder of Jaguar, and in what year did was the company created?

Answer: Two motorcycle enthusiasts, Sir William Lyons and William Walmsley founded Jaguar. The company was originally founded in 1922 and was named SS Cars Ltd, and the name was changed to Jaguar in 1945.


2) The first Jaguar was developed in 1935, what was the name of the First Sports car in the Jaguar family tree?

Answer: S.S.90 - Lyons' first true sports car - so named to imply its anticipated top speed. The model's chassis was essentially that of the revised S.S.1 with an underslung rear and 15 inches extracted from its central section. The engine, the 2.6-litre unit with a bore and stroke of 73 mm x 106 mm, had been mildly modified and now developed around 75 bhp. The side-valve cylinder head had been retained although the camshaft was peculiar to the model, and the aluminium cylinder head was an S.S. fitting.


3) How did Jaguar come to be called Jaguar?

Answer: Pre-war SS Cars Ltd had a change of. It was Bill Rankin who was to come up with a list of animal and fish names, and Lyons "... immediately pounced on Jaguar because it had an exciting sound". And the company became S.S. Jaguar.

It was towards the end of WWII in 1945, that Lyons was the first to recognise that the SS initials had become tarnished by their identification with the Schutzstaffel in Nazi, so in April 1945, SS Cars became Jaguar Cars.


4) In September 1948 Jaguar announced its first new post-war, stopgap model. Why was there a need for a stopgap model?

Answer: A more radical saloon was being conceived by William Heynes; a forward thinking automobile engineer. After the war manufacturing was keen to move away from wartime production activities and to once more produce consumer goods. The new Jaguar Mark VII was still on the drawing board at the end of the war, so a 'stopgap' car was launched to fill the void. It would be another two years before the Mark VII was ready for production.


5) Who designed the iconic leaping Jaguar bonnet ornament?

Answer: It was also Bill Rankin who, as a keen amateur sculptor, was to design the famous leaping Jaguar mascot for the car's radiator.


6) In what year was the Mark VII saloon introduced, and what foundations did it lay for Jaguar?

Answer: The Mark VII saloon introduced in 1950 laid the foundations of continuing prosperity for the Jaguar Car Company. It was the culmination of years of development and was designed to sell in larger quantities than the XK sports car, at approximately 100 per week compared with the XK's 60.


7) 2 years after The XK 120 Fixed Head Coupe was introduced, another car was introduced. What was the name of this car?

Answer: In 1953 the XK 120 Drophead Coupe was introduced with a fully-trimmed convertible hood. The XK 120 proved to be a super competition car.


8) Who did Jaguar buy in 1960, and what were they concerned about with it?

Answer: Daimler, and they were worried about the chassis flex. Jaguar built a prototype Daimler Dart replacement with a neater body style but decided not to proceed with production.


9) Until 1967, leather seats were a standard with Jaguar cars. Why did it become optional, and what other piece of the car became optional?

Answer: To reduce the costs of the vehicle. Fog and spot lights also became optional at this time.


10) Why was it a problem when Sir William Lyons retired in 1972?

Answer: In 1972 Sir William Lyons retired; his retirement was followed by a period of confusion and confusing changes at Jaguar. Whole departments, such as sales and service, disappeared into BL power.