Jaguar's roots go back to the 1920s when it was originally formed as the Swallow Sidecar Company. After achieving some considerable success and outlasting World War II, the company changed its name to Jaguar because the SS brand was no longer desirable. The SS100 is the oldest, and therefore quite collectible, sports car the company produced.

Jaguar is one of the most successful British car companies ever and its name is recognized the world over. In the 1950s, Jaguar was a regular winner of the grueling 24 hour Le Mans race. Inexplicably after so much success, Jaguar left the racing world behind. It was not until the 1980s that another car raced by the Jaguar team would win at Le Mans.

Though Jaguar was relatively well known as a sports car manufacturer, their real success came with the introduction of the Mark VII sedan--itself an accomplished racer. There were many incarnations of the Mark series but in recent years Jaguar has focused on luxury sedans like the X-Type, the XJs, and the S-Type. Jaguar has also revived the XK line of sports cars to much acclaim.

Jaguar Has Been Staging a ComebackParts for Jaguars used to be quite hard to come by in the US which limited their appeal somewhat. Though Jaguar parts are still not to be found on the shelf at every neighborhood auto parts store, their relationship with one of the US's biggest auto manufacturers has helped the situation. Parts will still usually cost a bit more than those for entry-level automobiles, however.