Jaguar Celebrates its 75th Anniversary With a Quiz

By Lyndon Conrad Bell

Lyndon Conrad Bell

Contributing Writer

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755 views Sep 29, 2010

2011 Jaguar XKR

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September 23, 2010, marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of Jaguar. To celebrate, the company hosted a gathering of leapers and growlers for a two-day drive from Coventry—the ancestral home of all things Jaguar—to England’s largest motor festival, the Goodwood Revival.

Somewhat poetically, the drive was limited to 75 pristine examples of the marque. Well-represented were the E-Type, C-Type, pre-war SS Jaguar saloons and a selection of Jaguar’s latest models. 

A commemorative iPhone and iPad app, charting the British marque’s history, was developed, pulling together a host of materials that tell the company’s story over the past 75 years through the people and machines that have made it a British motoring icon.

Included were legendary Jaguar motorcars such as the SS 2.5-litre Saloon, XK120, C-Type, D-Type, XKSS, MKII, E-Type, XJ13, XJ6, XJ-S, XJR-9, XJ220, XK8, XK, XF and XJ.

Just for grins, here’s a quiz to test your knowledge of Jaguar’s past. All the answers can be found in the app, which you can download by searching ‘Jaguar 75’ in iTunes.

1) When the first ever Jaguar was revealed, Sir William Lyons (founder of Jaguar Cars) asked guests of the launch event to speculate on how much the SS Jaguar 2.5 Litre Saloon would cost. The average guess was 632 Pounds. In fact, it cost: 

A. 385 Pounds   B. 785 Pounds  C. 985 Pounds

2) For the 1938 British Motor Show, Lyons penned a coupe version of the SS100. With beautiful sweeping curves and Art Deco detailing it proved a sensation. How many were built?

A. 1   B. 100   C. 500

3) At Le Mans in 1953, three Jaguar C-Types finished in the top five. The company sent a telegram to the Queen, dedicating its win to her in her coronation year and received a congratulatory reply from Her Majesty. What was their finishing order?

A. 1st, 2nd and 4th    B. 1st, 3rd and 5th   C. 1st, 4th and 5th

 4) Steve McQueen owned a Jaguar XKSS and kept it for 10 years before selling it. Clearly regretting his decision, McQueen later bought the car back and owned it until his death. How many XKSS cars were produced in total?

A.16   B. 36  C. 26

5) The first time he saw one, Enzo Ferrari proclaimed the E-Type to be “the most beautiful car ever built”. Road & Track magazine reported it “the greatest _____________ known to man.”

(Fill in the blank.)

6) The XJ220 was developed by an informal group of Jaguar employees known as the ‘Saturday Club’ who, as the name suggests, dedicated their spare time to special projects. Why was the car called the XJ220? 

A. Its planned top speed was 220 mph.  B. They built 220 of them.  C. Its 2.2-liter engine.

7) Sir Williiam Lyons’daughter was co-driver of ‘NUB 120’ the most famous competition XK120 ever. Her husband Ian Appleyard drove it to three Alpine Cup victories and two RAC Rally wins. Her first name was: 

A. Pat   B. Margaret   C. Esmerelda

8) The introduction of disc brakes was thanks to Jaguar. They were first fitted to the C-Type raced by Stirling Moss and Norman Dewis in the Mille Miglia. Italian race officials were mystified by the new technology and demanded a demonstration to prove it was in fact a brake and not some illegal addition. What year was the race?

A. 1952  B. 1950 C. 1948

9) In his teens, Ian Callum, Jaguar’s current design director, wrote to Bill Heynes (then chief engineer) enclosing some of his own designs for a Jaguar. Heynes kindly replied, suggesting to Callum he should learn engineering draughtsmanship and study industrial design. Callum’s design influence was subsequently first seen on Jaguar’s:

A. S-Type  B. XK  C. XF

10) The fastest Jaguar ever was a slightly modified production XFR that ran at the Bonneville Salt flats in November 2009.  It’s top speed was:

A. 225.675mph   B. 205.575mph   B. 223.975mph

(The answer to all questions, except number five is "A". The answer to number five is “crumpet catcher.”)