Jaguar ... ~ on the prowl at Chennai roads...

There are big cats……… not sure whether I am right in putting them all under one group … may not be …. But to ordinary mortals… there are Lions, Tigers ~ then there are : Leopards, Jaguars, Cheetahs, Cougars, Octlots, Lynx and more…. ordinary people may not be able to tell the difference between them… !

This post is (not) about : “Jaguar” .. Panthera onca, is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere.  This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioral and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger.  The jaguar is largely a solitary, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain ~  it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain. The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat.

Anyway, this post is more of the marvel Jaguar seen the otherday on Chennai street and not on the animal……….. browsing – read the news of auction at Bonhams December Sale at UK of a 1952 Jaguar C-Type raced by Jimmy Stewart and later driven by his brother, the three-time Formula One champion Sir Jackie Stewart. The racing roadster is one of seven vehicles from the Dick Skipworth Ecurie Ecosse collection going under the hammer at the classic car auction. The C-Type is one of just 54 built and estimated to reach between £2m and £3m at the sale on Sunday 1 December, 2013.

The luxury cars of Jaguar needs no introduction … sometime back Jaguar was quoted as stating that it would invest $2.4 billion in a new range of lightweight aluminium sports sedans and crossover SUVs aimed at the mass market, creating 1,700 jobs in a British economy showing signs of resilience. The spending is part of a move to launch more affordable models from 2015 to emulate the success of lower cost luxury vehicles made by its sister company Land Rover, and will better position it to compete with its larger German rivals. Jaguar, part of the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) group owned by Tata Motors, said the investment could create a further 24,000 in supply chain jobs.

Jaguar Cars  since December 2012 officially incorporated as Jaguar Land Rover Ltd, is a British multinational car manufacturer headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England, owned by Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC, a subsidiary of Indian automaker Tata Motors. Jaguar was founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company by Sir William Lyons in 1922, originally making motorcycle sidecars before developing passenger cars. The name was changed to Jaguar after World War II to avoid the unfavourable connotations of the SS initials. Jaguar made its name by producing a series of eye-catching sports cars, such as the XK 120 of 1949, developed into XK 140 and XK 150, and the E Type of 1961.

One fascinating thing about the Car is its logo ~ the  Jaguar logo comprises of a jumping jaguar above the company’s name, depicting speed, power and brilliance of the cars produced by the company.

Jaguar as it happens in the market is putting up new marketing and ad campaigns ~ and that include something  done on its famous logo : both the Leaper and the typeface have been reworked. The icon gets a metallic fill and shadow, the type gets wider and shorter, while its metallic look mimics the jewelry on vehicles. Jaguar said that "[the] dramatic alteration, including significant changes to the brand symbols of the 'leaper' and 'growler,' is the most extensive change Jaguar has made to its visual identification in 40 years."

The Jaguar logo was created in 1935. The logo was first seen on a sedan called S.S. 100 Jaguar that was manufactured at the time. However, later, when the production of Jaguar cars commenced, the logo was changed to the eminent wild cat symbol, known as ‘Jaguar’, which looks like it is pouncing over the name of the company.

There are many models and the Jaguar F Type costs around Rs.1.40 crores in India.  Jaguar XF is much cheaper – starting around 45 lakhs and rising beyond 1.5o crores. Jaguar XJ dallies around 1.20 to 2.25 crore range tag.  The other day walking along spotted a Jaguar car near EA Mall and here are couple of photos of Jaguar prowling in Chennai.

Regn. No. intentionally disfigured 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

30^th  Nov. 2013.

PS  : In tinseldom and elsewhere – having titles of animals is common… there are Lions, Tigers and more………… in Kollywood, there is a stunt master by name ‘Jaguar’ Thangam.