Jaguar wasn’t always Jaguar—the English car company was founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, making sidecars to attach to motorcycles. Once the company grew tired of playing second fiddle to mere motorized two-wheelers, the company began producing passenger cars and, in 1945, rechristened itself as Jaguar.

In the years since its game-changing rebrand, Jaguar has come to define English roadster-ing, outfitting the British Prime Minister, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and, of course, England’s greatest spy—Austin Powers—along the way. By 2025, Jaguar plans to electrify its entire fleet.

We've created the ultimate guide to the ten greatest Jaguars ever built. Whether you’re looking for an older, stately Jaguar to drive down memory lane, or are just curious about this English cat-car’s finest automotive felines, you’ve come to the right place!

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What makes an old car great?

Most Jag-lovers would agree—no one Jaguar is quite like another. So what separates one Jaguar from the next? Some are historically important to Jaguar’s lineage, such as the SS 100, others marked new heights in rally car events and racing, such as the D-Type and XJ-220, while the F-Pace SVR epitomizes modern SUV driving.

Some older cars are renowned for their power, others for cutting-edge design, and some for showing us what could have been, but ended up not being much (why hello there, XJR-15). That being said, all are key evolutionary points along Jaguar’s journey to becoming England’s premier roadster.

10. Jaguar F-Pace SVR (2019): An SUV with (not-quite) cat-like reflexes

Jaguar’s F-Pace SVR certainly landed the English carmaker some notice with its powerful and beautiful F-Pace SVR SUV, even if its agility isn’t exactly cat-like.

But powerful it is, boasting a 550 horsepower V8 engine with a growling exhaust to boot. This ferocious feline goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.7 seconds and is very appealing as a fast and comfortable commuter.

Speaking of commuting, the family will be very comfortable in the F-Pace SVR, with its gorgeous, quilted leather upholstery, 11.4-inch touchscreen, and 11-speakerMeridian stereo system, not to mention its other high-tech features.

But make no mistake—this Jaguar is not for racing. It’s fast, sure, but its handling isn’t as sharp as other up-market SUV rivals, and steering is stiff in comparison. A road-racer, this is not. Stunning? Yes, it is.

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9. Jaguar XE SV Project 8 (2017): The most extreme Jaguar performance car ever

Crikey—Jaguar’s XE SV Project 8 is the most insanely fast sports car to ever come out of Coventry, created in tandem with the speedheads at Jaguar-Land Rover’s

SVO Technical Centre

The XE SV Project 8 was a small litter, indeed—just 300 were built (by hand), and these fleet felines can flat-out fly—the Project 8 sports a 5.0L superchargedV8 engine and boasts 592 horsepower, going from 0 to 60 in just 3.3 hairball-spewing seconds. Both a two-seat Track Pack version and four-seat Touring were built, both constructed with a lightweight aluminum architecture, and lots of carbon fiber materials, to keep weight to a minimum.

Now, the XE SV Project 8 was built in left-hand drive only, so if you want one, you’ll just have to become British.

8. Jaguar F-Type Project 7 (2016): The spiritual heir to the legendary E-Type

A modernized take on the classic E-Type, the F-Type Project 7 convertible brought the iconic English road racer into the 21st century, reimagined as a powerful modern sports car. It was a limited edition, as just 250 were built—all feature a 5.0L supercharged V8 engine with 575 horsepower, and are blazing fast.

Granted, the F-Type Project 7 is not meant for racing but instead seems to have been engineered to satiate the British speedster’s desire for hyper-sensitive steering and a penchant for tire-smoking sideways drift—hence its unsticky-grip and significant wheel slip.

It’s not for tight cornering, but the F-Type Project 7 is fast, stylish (yes, that’s a shark fin on the back), and fun—if you can get your bloody hands on one!

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7. Jaguar XJ220 (1992-1994): The cat didn’t come back the very next day…

They say cats have nine lives—well, the Jaguar XJ220…did not. If anything, the XJ220 suffered from terrible timing.

This Jaguar boasted a 3.5L turbocharged V6 engine with 542 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque, along with a 5-speed manual transmission. Its sleek, low-to-the-ground appearance turned heads, but this two-seater ran into two problems it couldn’t outrun—engineering and economics.

The XJ220 was originally dreamed up to carry a behemoth V12 engine, but engineering complications forced Jaguar to swap in a V6 instead. This move sapped a lot of the energy behind the XJ220’s early buzz. Coupled with the early 1990s recession that gripped England, the appetite for a British supercar was tepid.

The XJ220 may have been 1992’s fastest production car, with a speed of 212.3 miles per hour, but all it managed to accomplish was to charge into history’s garage.

6. Jaguar XJR15 (1990-1992): A cat born to race

The predecessor to the XJ220 was the XJR15, developed by Jaguar Sport for the Intercontinental Challenge. Just 53 of these two-seater supercars were built, and the XJR15 had the distinction of being the first vehicle ever to be built entirely from carbon fiber and Kevlar.

This Jaguar roared, using its 6.0L V12 engine to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.9 seconds. It boasted 450 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

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5. Jaguar E-Type (1961-1974): Care for a ride in a Shaguar?

While Austin Powers’ Shaguar didn't make Jaguar’s E-Type famous, it certainly put this iconic beast back into the public imagination.

The E-Type was originally based on the Jaguar D-Type racer, but the E-Type was built as an accessible sports car for the masses, blending beauty, power, and affordable pricing.

Powers’s Shaguar boasted a top speed of 150 miles per hour and went from 0 to 60 in under 7 seconds. It sported a unitary build, a 3.8L inline 6-cylinder engine, and independent front and rear suspension. It was released as both a two-seater coupe and a convertible roadster, though a four-seat coupe was released in 1966.

4. Jaguar D-Type (1954): Built to slay Ferrari

Produced from 1954 to 1957, the Jaguar D-Type was built with a single goal in mind—to beat Ferrari in the Le Mans 24-hour rally.

To do so, Jaguar re-invented the racing vehicle frame, eschewing the traditional tubular steel space frame for a unibody made of magnesium alloy, with a subframe welded onto it to house the engine, a 3.4L inline 6-cylinder engine with 245 horsepower.

The D-Type was maximized for aerodynamics, perhaps not surprising due to its lead engineer having an aviation background. This led to a streamlined body with a fin in the rear, designed to increase stability and speed. Speaking of speed, the D-Type had a top speed of 172 miles per hour and went from 0 to 60 in 7 seconds.

As for Le Mans? Jaguar’s D-Type bested Ferrari not once, not twice, but three times—in 1955, 1956, and 1957.

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3. Jaguar C-Type (1951-1953): The Jaguar that birthed the D-Type

Before Jaguar’s D-Type came the C-Type, another race car but built with a tubular steel frame. Just 53 C-Types were built, with 43 of them sold to private owners in the U.S.

The rest of these 3.4L inline 6-cylinder engine jungle cats were used for racing—they won two 24 Hours of Le Mans Races in 1951 and 1953. Ferrari won the 1954 race—hence why Jaguar tossed the C-Type aside and developed the D-Type in 1954.

But the C-Type had its charm—it was a powerful machine but light and with excellent brakes, and sported a unique design with no door handles. It also featured a rubber fuel bag.

Its top speed was 140 miles per hour, but that wasn’t enough to stem the tide of racing car design, as the D-Type took its place in 1954.

2. Jaguar XK120 (1948-1954): Jaguar’s first mass-produced ride

The Jaguar XK120 is known as one of the most beautiful cars ever made, a two-seat roadster offered as a fixed head coupe or as a drop-head coupe that was initially hand-built with an aluminum body and ash framing.

The XK120 (the 120 stood for its top speed, 120 miles per hour) was the fastest production car at the time. Its 3.4L XK inline 6-cylinder engine sported 160 horsepower and was often used for races and rally challenges. The XK120 began to be mass-produced in 1950.

1. Jaguar SS 100 (1936-1939): The Jaguar that birthed them all

The first Jaguar was actually a Swallow Sidecar—Jaguar was just the model moniker given to the SS 100. The 100 stood for its top speed. This two-seater sports car boasted a 6-cylinder engine that went from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 13 seconds—laughable today, but a feat in the 1930s.

The SS 100 also introduced the famous Jaguar “leaper”, the bonnet feline hood ornament that is often seen on Jaguars today. Sir William Lyons, the Swallow Sidecar founder, likened the ornament to “a cat shot off a fence”. Perhaps more like a cat shot out of a cannon, considering the speeds today’s Jaguars can reach.

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