HomeLooking back at the greatest Jaguars

Looking back at the greatest Jaguars

From the XJR-9 that won Le Mans to the wild XE SV Project 8, join us for an indulgent look back at some of Jaguar’s greatest cars.

December 3, 2025

The greatest Jaguars ever
© Mecum Auctions
Few marques can boast such a rich and exciting heritage as Jaguar. The company has recently been in the news for very different reasons, but we’ll leave social media to focus on the controversial rebrand while we delve into the archives. Keep reading for a celebration of Jaguar’s iconic cars on the road, track and movie screen – including, yes, cars from Austin Powers’ fleet…
Jaguar XJR-9
© Jaguar
Jaguar was a dominant force at Le Mans in the 1950s, so its return to the 24-hour race in 1984 was big news. Four years later, the famous Silk Cut Jaguar number 2, driven by Johnny Dumfries, Jan Lammers and Andy Wallace, finished first, completing 394 laps. Of the four other cars, two failed to complete the race, but the other two finished fourth and sixteenth. Jaguar won again in 1990.
Jaguar E-type
© Jaguar
Just occasionally, words aren’t needed. This is the Jaguar E-type. But then you knew that already, didn’t you? Some cars are called automotive icons. Others truly are automotive icons.
Jaguar XK120
© Jaguar
The Jaguar XK120 is one of the most evocative sports cars of all time, but the example – registered ‘NUB 120’ – is extra special. The most successful XK120 in the marque’s sporting history, it is now owned by the Jaguar Heritage Trust in Gaydon.
Jaguar F1 car
© Jaguar
It’s easy to forget that, before the now-dominant force that is Red Bull Racing, there was this: the Jaguar Racing F1 team. Ford purchased the Stewart Grand Prix team, rebranding it Jaguar Racing to promote the company as a premium brand. Notable Jaguar drivers included Mark Webber and Eddie Irvine.
Austin Powers’ Jaguar XK8
© Jaguar
The famous British spy had an… erm, unique name for his Jaguar. This Union Flag-covered Jaguar XK8 starred in the 2002 film, Goldmember, replacing the E-type used in Austin Power’s previous outing (and which we opened our feature with).
Zao’s Jaguar XKR
© Jaguar
The evil Zao refused to Die Another Day in the 2002 film of the same name, eventually coming to an icy end at the wheel of his weaponised Jaguar XKR. This was after a dramatic car chase, with James Bond at the wheel of his Aston Martin ‘Vanish’. Both cars are shown here.
Palmer Jaguar JP1 sports car
© Jaguar
On the left is a V6-engined Jaguar X-Type. On the right is a PalmerSport Jaguar JP1, powered by the same engine. One will do 180mph and accelerate to 60mph in just 3.6 seconds. The other… will not.
Paul Smith Jaguar X-Type
© Jaguar
In 2001, Jaguar teamed up with the fashion designer Sir Paul Smith and Vogue magazine to create this one-off X-Type. It was auctioned to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, with Paul Smith saying: “It was fantastic to work on the Jaguar X-Type project. Its simple, clean lines work beautifully with my idea of the unique Paul Smith stripes running front to back.” He didn’t say anything about ‘create exuberant’, though.
Jaguar XK180
© Jaguar
A case of what might have been. The Jaguar XK180 was a concept car built in 1998 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the XK badge. It’s a thing of beauty, which is why several replicas have been made.
Jaguar C-Type
© Jaguar
Notable for taking Jaguar to its first victory in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, the C-Type used the mechanicals of the XK120, along with a more rigid chassis and new aerodynamic aluminium body. Here we see Stirling Moss setting a new lap record at Le Mans in 1951. Heroic stuff.
Inspector Morse’s Jaguar Mk2
© Round Britain 2012
Made famous by John Thaw’s character in the Inspector Morse TV show, the Jaguar Mk2 is one of the most recognisable cars in Jaguar’s history. There’s been a murder, Lewis. Fancy a swift pint?
Jaguar F-Type
© Jaguar
Destined to become an icon? It took Jaguar decades to deliver a spiritual successor to the E-Type, but the F-Type was beautiful, fast and great to drive. The F-Type R special edition marked 75 years of Jaguar sports cars and was the final update for a car launched in 2013.
Jaguar D-Type
© Jaguar
The E-Type may be the most famous Jaguar in the world, but the D-Type is arguably the choice of the purist. Following in the footsteps of the XK120 and the C-Type, the D-Type went on to win Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957. Its place in the history books is assured.
Jaguar SS100
© Jaguar
Before the Second World War, the Jaguar SS100 was the definitive British sports car. It’s also notable for being the first car to carry the Jaguar name. The rest, as they say, is history.
Jaguar C-X75
© Jaguar
The Jaguar C-X75 hybrid-electric hypercar could have been a genuine rival to the LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder. Sadly, Jaguar chose not to put this F1-inspired, 200mph technical masterpiece into production. More recently, Callum – the design and engineering consultancy run by former Jaguar design boss Ian Callum – has taken a couple of the C-X75 stunt cars used in Spectre, the 2015 James Bond film, and modified them to be road-legal.
Jaguar XJ220
© Jaguar
First unveiled as a concept in 1988, a total of 281 Jaguar XJ220s were built between 1992 and 1994. Its birth was far from easy, as the global recession meant many confirmed buyers failed to come good on the £400,000 purchase price. Values plummeted and Jaguar found itself with a 213mph white elephant. That said, the 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbocharged supercar certainly deserves its place here.
The Saint’s Jaguar XJS
© Jaguar
The Saint TV series is perhaps best associated with the Volvo P1800 driven by Simon Templar, played by Roger Moore. Things could have been quite different, though; the show’s producers originally approached Jaguar to use the E-Type. Claiming they didn’t need the extra publicity, Jaguar declined. When Roger Moore was replaced by Ian Ogilvy in the 1970s, the Volvo was swapped for a Jaguar XJS.
Jaguar Project 7
© Jaguar
Perhaps the ultimate incarnation of the F-Type, only 250 examples of the Project 7 were made. Powered by a 575hp 5.0-litre supercharged V8, the Project 7 comes complete with a D-Type-style Aero Haunch. Well, it needed big shoulders to live up to the legend…
Jaguar Lightweight E-type
© Jaguar
Never go back? Not the case if you’re Jaguar, which turned back the clock to build the final six examples of an 18-car production run that started in 1963. Costing around £1 million apiece, each car was built to the exact specification of the originals, making them eligible for historic race events. More Jaguar Classic Continuation models followed.
Golden Jaguar Mk2
© Bonhams
Proving that bling existed in the 1960s, this Jaguar Mk2 was displayed at the 1960 New York Motor Show. The gold-plated brightwork cost in the region of $25,000 (£22,500) and the fashion model standing next to the car wore a tiara containing more than 1,000 diamonds. The car pictured here is a recreation of the Golden Jag which sold for $22,000 at a Bonhams auction in 2017.
Jaguar XJS racing cars
© Jaguar Heritage
How do you replace a car like the E-Type? Surely it’s an impossible task? Well there’s no doubting the fact that the XJS wasn’t a worthy successor, but time is a great healer and today it’s becoming rather collectable. They also look awesome in competition spec.
Jaguar I-Pace
© Jaguar
If you’re worried about a future centered on electric SUVs, the I-Pace should give you hope. Ground-breaking when new in 2018, the now-discontinued Jaguar EV is stylish, luxurious and rewarding to drive. It’s pictured here with a Formula E car run by Jaguar TCS Racing – recycled ‘second-life’ I-Pace batteries are used to charge it.
Jaguar XE SV Project 8
© Jaguar
The electric Jaguars are coming, but let’s finish with a glorious blast from the past. The XE SV Project 8 is a hot rod saloon powered by a 600hp 5.0-litre supercharged V8. With a 0-60mph time of 3.3 seconds and top speed of 200mph, there can be few more exciting ways to burn a tankful of petrol. The Project 8 also broke the Nurburgring lap record for four-door production cars, with a time of 7min 23.16sec.