I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Jaguar Century is a beautiful photography book jam packed with information about my all time favourite car - the Jaguar. Jaguar is my dream car and I know I'll never be able to afford one but a girl can dream!
The history of the Jaguar is so impressive and a must for any other Jaguar fan out there or car fanatic for that matter! The business side of this book is so inspiring too! I loved every single car featured in this book and my only wish was that the photographs were bigger on many of the pages. This book is one I would have lived to share with my grandfather who loved Jaguars as much as I do - but he sadly passed away last year. As a small child I used to love our drives in his Jaguar back in the 1980s and that is where my lobe for this beautiful motor vehicle developed from. I can still smell the interior of the car and remember the gloss of the paint.
Thank you for such a beautiful and amazingly informative read!

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group Motorbooks for a temporary digital review copy via NetGalley of ‘Jaguar Century: 100 Years of Automotive Excellence by Giles Chapman in exchange for an honest review.

Written by Chapman, a highly respected motor journalist and automotive historian, this is a detailed history of the Jaguar marque from the founding of the Swallow Sidecar Company by William Lyons and William Walmsley in 1922 through to its transformation into one of the auto industries most revered brands - a vehicle that combined high performance and luxury.

‘JaguarCentury’ is packed full of photos and images of the development of the marque including the earliest Jaguars through to today’s. It also looks to the future as the company moves to producing all-electric Jaguars. Along the way Chapman provides in-depth analyses of each model.

More mundane concerns linked to the history of the company’s finances and the various changes in ownership and locations are also detailed. While less exciting than its racing cars and the development of its various models, these aspects give an indication of why certain decisions were taken.

I gained a lot of knowledge from reading this book, including that a Jaguar E-type had been acquired for MOMA’s permanent collection as ‘sculpture in movement’.

Jaguars are by far my favourite motor vehicle; even though well outside of my means. I recall my first trip in one and the smoothness of the ride like nothing I had experienced. I commented to the driver that it was like being driven about on a cloud.

In addition, I worked for over 15 years for a local company with strong ties to Jaguar, that included working on the XJ200 Supercar and restoring older models. During those years I spent many hours in the company of Jaguars both vintage and modern.

Overall, a fascinating read. As I live in Jaguar (Car) country, I have recommended that out County Libraries acquires copies to add to their collection.

This beautiful hardback edition would also make a perfect gift for a motor vehicle enthusiast.

Approachable history of Jaguar. Excellent balance between detail and covering the entire breadth of the company. This book is unusual in that it provides as much depth of later Jaguar models and company history as in the earlier years, so it is a complete history.