Painstakingly researched and written by a team of acknowledged authorities on Jaguar's history, this is the definitive information source for Jaguar's outstandingly successful sports-racing cars - the C-type, D-type and Lightweight E-type - and the most in-depth study ever published

In 1935, when a small company in Coventry, England, launched a sporting saloon (i.e., sedan) called the Jaguar SS, it set in motion an inexorable process that would lead to Britain’s most beloved line of high-performance automobiles. The Complete Book of Jaguar covers the SS and all of the Jaguar's subsequent production models, from the original SS Jaguar to today’s F-Type sports cars, F-Pace SUV, X-Type sedans, as well as concept cars. As with other books in the Complete Book Series, author Nigel Thorley organizes the content chronologically with entries for each year. Narratives for each discuss the cars and technology, while spec tables highlight key technical and performance specifications. Originally begun by a couple of motorcycle enthusiasts—William Lyons and William Walmsley—as a firm called the Swallow Sidecar Company, Jaguar would become one of the world's most celebrated automakers. In England’s bleak postwar years, Jaguar became a shining star—first with its XK120, followed by the XK140 and XK150. Sporting sedans like the Mark 2 and Mark X set the bar for luxury four-door transport in the '50s and '60s. Then Jaguar stunned the world with the achingly beautiful E-Type in 1961, a genuine 150 mph super sports car. Along the way, the company competed on road courses around the world, going head to head with greats like Ferrari and Aston Martin. Though Jaguar lost its way periodically in the modern era, it has bounded back stronger than ever in the twenty-first century with a strong lineup, including the new F-Type sports car and F-Pace SUV. The Complete Book of Jaguar is the essential guide to this important chapter in the history of sports and luxury automobiles.

In 1922, a company calling itself Swallow began manufacturing motorcycle sidecars. In 1927, adopting the name SS, the company built its first automobiles, and in 1945, it switched to the name Jaguar. This richly illustrated book tells the colorful story behind one of the most revered makers of high-performance and sports cars. From the inklings of greatness in its distant beginnings to its ascension to fame with the postwar XK series cars followed by the iconic E-Type introduced in 1961, this book traces the path of a company that produced vehicles of unprecedented power and beauty--including four-door saloons, race prototypes, the GT-oriented XJ-S, and the fabulous XJ-220 supercar. The story continues today when, under Ford ownership, Jaguar continues to thrive, offering a line of top-notch modern cars. Jaguar: The Complete Story is an exhaustively researched account of the companys story, with a detailed look at every car it has built. Racing vehicles and prototypes receive due treatment as well, and an extensive appendix of technical specifications rounds out the book.

ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION (1957): “ ... A thorough and detailed account of the development of one of the world’s finest sports cars. The author discusses every sports model the company has produced, from the early SS-90 to the D and the XK-SS. Engineering, design, performance, racing records—nothing is omitted. There is even a chapter on the people who build the Jags. And then, finally, the book contains complete maintenance and servicing information and technical data for every model. A guide in every sense of the word—one that all Jag owners and would-be owners will read with pleasure and profit. John Bentley’s numerous articles and books on sports cars, published both in the U.S. and in Europe, have earned him international recognition as an authority on this subject. No writer is better qualified to tell the fascinating story of the Jaguar car.”

Following on from his book S.S.I and S.S.II Cars, Allan Crouch details the models that succeeded them: the 1½ and 2½ Litre of 1936-37, the SS100 sports car, the1½, 2½ and 3½ Litre of 1938-48, and the Mark V of 1948-51. Apart from the 1½ Litres, what was common to these cars was the six-cylinder engine, based on a Standard sidevalve unit for which Harry Weslake designed an overhead-valve cylinder head giving very respectable power outputs. Combined with flowing body styling inspired by William Lyons himself, the result was some strikingly attractive and desirable cars, at extraordinarily keen prices. Here the development and evolution of the range are described, complete with competition history, production figures and specifications, all accompanied by 250 colour photographs and 80 black-and-white images from the archives.