Sir William Lyons enjoyed a seemingly unstoppable rise to fame & fortune in the motor industry, & the Jaguar brand that he introduced became world-famous. Yet it did not happen overnight. In the 1920s he was in Blackpool, styling motorcycle sidecars, & in the 1930s in Coventry developing the SS motor car, with the st&-alone Jaguar company not appearing until 1945. The company`s success was aided by the amazing new XK engine of 1948, by motor racing success at Le Mans, & by the stunning styling of cars like the XK120, the Mk 2 saloons & the extraordinary E-Type. Graham Robson here explores the history of the Jaguar company & its many classic marques.