Jaguar seems like it’s pretty confident that its new F-type will be good. But to live up to the company’s heritage, and its name, it needs to be really good.
Here’s the F-type pictured alongside its nomenclature predecessors – the E-type, D-type and C-type – at the 44th Jaguar National Rally in Wollongong, Australia. Each of the historic cars changed the game when they first appeared, so there’s considerable pressure on the F-type to be better than good; it has to be bloomin’ awesome.
The C-type, released in 1951, got its name from the C in its original name – the XK120-C – and stood for Competition. In 1953, it became the first car to run disc brakes as we know them today.
The D-type dominated the track at Le Mans, winning the historic 24 Hour race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. It was one of the first cars to use a monocoque and brought a then-state-of-the-art understanding of aerodynamics to sports car racing.
The E-type needs little introduction, but in case some of you have lived in a cave, it’s the iconic sports car of the 1960s. Stylish, fast and beloved of celebrities, it’s the car that Enzo Ferrari called “the most beautiful car ever made”.
And now Jaguar has the F, which will be released to the discerning public in a few short months. No pressure, chaps…
