1930
The Austin Swallow is regarded as the first Jaguar. Company founder William Lyons and Thomas Walmsley built motorcycle sidecars and went into partnership to form the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922. In 1927 they went on to fit new bodies to Austin 7s, which they then called Austin Swallows.
Lyons realised that he needed a stronger identity for his cars. His advertising agency came up with lots of animal names, but Jaguar was the strongest and, in 1935, a new range of SS Jaguars was launched that had little in common with the Swallow except stylish bodywork and a low price.
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