Jaguar, along with the rest of the British automotive industry, has experienced its fair share of turmoil down the years but it's also produced more than its fair share of iconic products - becoming an integral part of Britain's love affair with the motorcar in the process.

Jaguar was originally founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsley but it first traded under the Jaguar name in 1945. It was the 1950s though, that saw the marque really start to establish its reputation for luxurious and powerful cars with a distinctly British flavour. The XK120 sportscar paved the way for the iconic E-TYPE of the 1960s and the XJ-S in the 1970s but there were also successful lines of executive and luxury saloons running concurrently.

Latterly, Jaguar's attempts to chase the big sales volumes being achieved by its German premium brand rivals proved ultimately unsuccessful but the most recent offerings show signs of a company emerging from the woods in some style. Jaguar's relationship with its past glories often seemed to hold it back but the latest models manage to celebrate the past while looking firmly towards the future.

The latest XF executive saloon was been roundly hailed for its quality and driving experience which modern sports coupes don't get much more beautiful and the XK. Jaguar is a brand that's going places once again and there should be plenty of buyers happy to go along for the ride.