Jaguar, a premium brand founded in 1922 in the United Kingdom, is well-known for designing and manufacturing high-end automobiles. It was previously owned by BMC and Ford before being acquired by Land Rover in 2013. It expanded into the Jaguar Land Rover Group, which is owned by Tata Motors.
Since 2008, Tata Motors, an Indian conglomerate, has bought the renowned British vehicle marque Jaguar. In 2013, Tata united the two brands to become the Jaguar Land Rover Group. However, Jaguar hasn’t always been Jaguar. The manufacturer was founded in 1922 as Swallow Sidecar Company and remained under that name for more than 20 years before changing its name to Jaguar in 1945, following World War II.
The jumping wild cat logo first appeared on the bonnet of the company’s cars in the same year and has since become an integral part of the automaker’s visual identity. The brand’s logo has only been minimally improved and strengthened over time, retaining its original features while highlighting the iconic company’s tradition and legacy.
However, the visual identity is the only thing that keeps Jaguar in the past. The firm has been regularly introducing new versions of its luxury cars and SUVs, and in the early 2020s, the corporation claimed that by 2025, all of the brand’s vehicles would be electric.
▶History of the Jaguar Logo 🌞
1922–1935
The Swallow Sidecar Company logo consisted of a bright blue circle in a red frame, with two gold wings. The handwritten-style wordmark was put within the circle and executed in yellow gold.
1935–1945
In 1935, the Jaguar emblem resembled the German SS symbol, with the monogram, Swallow Sidecar, written in a crisp geometric script on a hexagon bordered by two expanded stylized wings. The composition was designed in brown tones with black accents and straight lines. Under the hexagon, a lightweight arched banner with the uppercase “Jaguar” inscription was placed. This badge was suspended when World War II ended.
1945–1951
The most divisive phase for the company’s visual identity. The 1930s logo featured a hexagon with eagle wings and a tail, as well as an “SS” wordmark in the center of the geometric form. In a monochrome palette, the typeface’s straight bold lines and logo appeared powerful and good.
1951-1957
The 1951 revision condensed the Jaguar logo to a single uppercase logotype. The inscription in black characters was created using a sleek full-shaped font with thick letter lines and small elongated serifs on the ends. The automaker utilized this version of the logo for six years.
1957–1982
In 1957, the designers designed a fresh concept for the Jaguar badge. It was a circular medallion with an orange-red backdrop and a thick black frame outlined in two shades of bright gold. The central part of the medallion was embellished with a stylized golden wild cat head, and the firm name was printed in fine gold uppercase letters in a sophisticated serif font.
1982–2001
The leaping Jaguar logo debuted in 1982. The original version was fairly close to the one we have now. The jaguar’s contour was black, with a wordmark inscribed in all caps underneath. The color of the wordmark was dark green, which helped the logo stand out.
The Jaguar logo was updated with a more streamlined design. Angles were rounded to give the animal a more realistic appearance. There were also little details added, such as technology and ears. The wordmark changed to black, and the typeface’s lines grew thinner and more elegant.
2001–2012
The Jaguar visual identity’s color palette was streamlined to black on white with the 2001 update. It was also the year in which all aspects of the badge were polished and modernized. As a result, the leaping cat was drawn more cleanly and professionally. The wordmark’s typography was altered to a contemporary sleek sans-serif with smooth lines and somewhat softer corners at the ends of the bars.
2012–2021
The Jaguar logo is a three-dimensional animal form in silver grey with a bold and confident silver wordmark. The grey color of the logo is gradient to highlight the 3D shape. It appears sleek and adds movement and vibrancy.
2021–Present
The 2021 makeover restored the Jaguar badge’s flat contoured shape, with the lines of the jumping cat emphasized and slightly tweaked. The uppercase inscription was rebuilt using a new extended Sans-serif font with futuristic and progressive capital character shapes.
