Sir William Lyons enjoyed a seemingly unstoppable rise to fame and
fortune in the motor industry, and the Jaguar brand which he introduced
became world-famous. Yet it did not happen overnight. In the 1920s he
was in Blackpool, styling motorcycle sidecars, in the 1930s he was in
Coventry developing the SS motor car, and the stand-alone Jaguar company
did not appear until 1945. Until 1972, when he retired from business,
Sir William was the mainstream, the chairman, the chief stylist, and the
inspiration of all things Jaguar.
Helped along by the amazing new XK engine of 1948, by motor racing
success at Le Mans, and by the stunning style of cars like the XK120,
the Mk 2 saloons and the extraordinary E-Type, Jaguar soon became
world-famous. Along the way the company absorbed Daimler and
Coventry-Climax, then merged voluntarily with BMC in 1966, and returned
to Le Mans racing with great success in the 1980s.
Although the company was later commercially buffeted by its involvement
with British Leyland, with Ford and latterly with Land Rover, and
finally the Indian conglomerate Tata which now controls the business,
the company's products have always been stunning. Sports coupes which
reach well beyond 150mph, sleek executive saloons with unbeatable
styling, and the promise of much innovation in the next few years make
this a story whose climax is yet to come.
