Editorial Review
Jaguar - Children's Literature

In the 1920s Swallow Sidecars produced sidecars but gradually evolved into the luxury car company, Jaguar. Its leather and wood interior trim, its long front hood, and its comfort and handling made it a beautiful vehicle. Despite the economic difficulties of the 1930s, Jaguar stayed afloat by adding value to that beauty. During World War II Jaguar returned to its roots and made sidecars for military motorcycles, but once the war was over production began on the XK engine that would power its roadsters well into the 1970s. For many years Jaguar was run by the English government, privatized in 1984 and five years later purchased by Ford Motor Company. Although an icon of elegance and performance, its racing credentials are not spectacular. However, it has won in the Le Mans circuit and was the first car to race over 100 mph in an endurance race. In the late 1980s it won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Now owned by Tata Motors, Jaguar marked its 75th anniversary of automotive manufacturing in 2010. This informational text is sixty-four pages of technical statistics, historical details, photographs, glossary, index and timeline. Young readers with an interest in autosports will want to have this book in their reading collection along with the other “Superstar Cars” books. Reviewer: Janis Flint-Ferguson