Description
Author: Lord Montagu Of Beaulieu, Hardbound, 273 Pages, ASIN: b0006axj3y, First Published, 1961 - Torn dustjacket - book in good condition !
Perhaps the outstanding success story in twentieth-century British industry is that of Sir William Lyons and the Jaguar.
To this day, the emergence of each new model from the Jaguar factory brings a chorus of writers, all asking the same question: "How do they do it ?"
How is it that Jaguar have always contrived to offer much more value for money than their competitors ?
In his new book, Lord Montagu traces the story of the venture from its earliest days, when a few aluminium-panelled sidecars were produced each week in a small factory in Blackpool, up to the introduction of the new E-type car.
We learn of the glamorous Swallow bodies on such chassis as the Austin Seven and Standard Nine, which brought curves and bright colours within the reach of the many: we hear of the low-slung S.S.T. born in 1931, at the depth of the economic depression: and of its successor, the sensational 21-litre Jaguar, which burst upon a startled world at the Olympia Show in 1935, and set the pace for a series of designs, sports cars and saloons alike, which have always offered a competitive performance at a very competitive price.
The post-war years saw the famous twin-overhead-camshaft "XK" engine, which brought 120 m.p.h. performance within the reach of countless motorists who hitherto had been content with 90 m.p.h. at the most, and which formed the basis for a series of cars which have made an unparalleled contribution to Britain's export drive at a time when it was most needed.
Lord Montagu not only narrates the story of Jaguar's illustrious competition record, which includes, of course, five victories in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race: he also puts the Jaguar saga in perspective in relation to the motoring world through the years. The result is not only an objective tribute to one of the most legendary makes of car ever to go on the market—it is a record of the accomplishment of the dynamic Sir William Lyons--a general. not a selection board-. as the author puts it —and the team behind him.
Much of the material published here appears for the first time: and many of the mysteries behind the Jaguar story are cleared up. A large proportion of the photographs. also. will be unfamiliar to the reader.
The book's publication coincides with the Jaguars twenty-fifth season as a make, the first cars to bear the name having been put out as 1936 models.
