By: Keller McCulloch ’28
When you think of a fancy car, what comes to mind? Maybe a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce. But another luxury car brand worth mentioning is Jaguar.
Jaguar was first established in 1934 by William Walmsley and William Lyons under the name SS Cars. In 1945, the company changed its name to Jaguar. Their first car, the SS Jaguar 2.5L Saloon, was also the first to feature the iconic Jaguar hood ornament.
In 1999, Jaguar was bought by the Ford Motor Company due to financial struggles. However, in 2008, Ford sold Jaguar to Tata Motors. After this acquisition, Jaguar began to thrive.
One of Jaguar’s biggest successes came in 2015 when they introduced the F-Pace, a compact luxury SUV. This vehicle became the company’s best-selling model, with over 30,000 units sold in its first year. The F-Pace was a perfect blend of comfort and luxury, making it a popular family car. By 2018-2019, Jaguar was selling an average of 180,000 cars per year.
However, in 2023 and 2024, Jaguar faced major setbacks, with sales dropping to only 66,000 cars per year. This led the company to stop production of all models except the F-Pace. In 2025, Jaguar announced a bold plan to switch entirely to electric vehicles. This decision sparked backlash due to the company’s long history and importance in the car community. Jaguar plans to release at least three electric models by the end of 2025.
This shift to all-electric vehicles is one of the biggest and most drastic changes in Jaguar’s history. Adding to the controversy, they announced that the F-Pace will be discontinued in 2026, making way for a new SUV.
The future of Jaguar is uncertain. If they successfully transition to an all-electric lineup, they could cement their place as one of the most successful car brands in history. But only time will tell if this ambitious move will pay off.
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