What Do You Know About the Jaguar Emblem?

Englewood drivers adore their luxury vehicles, and Jaguar models are near the top of the list. The leaping Jaguar symbol is one of the most famous car logos in history, but did you know that there are two Jaguar emblems? Learn more about the Jaguar symbol and the history of the Jaguar logo in this guide by Jaguar Englewood, and then contact us to experience Jaguar in person.

What Does the Jaguar Emblem Signify?

The Jaguar symbol was designed to capture the spirit of the famous luxury car brand. In nature, the Jaguar exemplifies strength and dominance. The Jaguar brand has expanded it further to symbolize performance, elegance, power, and “the ambition to leap forward.”

• The Leaping Jaguar: A sleek silver jaguar is in mid-leap with a snarl on its face. Sometimes it’s called the Jumping Jaguar. Originally, it was introduced as a hood ornament and is now a badge in silver, metallic gray, and black.
• The Roaring Jaguar: A circular emblem with a front-facing silver jaguar cat roaring. It’s typically seen with a red background and a silver border. Early renditions of it included a gold jaguar with a red background and black border.

The Jaguar colors of silver and metallic gray symbolize the brand’s sophistication and style. According to Jaguar, the black represents integrity and performance, while the red color represents a passion for driving.

The History of the Jaguar Logo

Jersey City drivers often ask us at Jaguar Englewood to share the history of the Jaguar logo. Did you know that Jaguar had modest beginnings as a single model within a British automotive company? Here are some of the brand’s noteworthy milestones throughout its history. 

• 1922: The Swallow Sidecar Company was founded to manufacture sidecars for motorcycles in England. In 1934 the company was renamed and rebranded as an auto manufacturer known as SS Cars Limited.
• 1935: The SS Jaguar was first produced. It was the first model with the name Jaguar in it. At the time, the logo on these models consisted of a badge with the text “Jaguar” surrounded by the wings and tail of a bird.
• 1945: The SS Cars Limited was renamed as Jaguar Cars Limited to establish the company as a unique British brand, and to avoid any confusion with the Nazi SS military group operating during World War II.
• 1945: The famous Leaping Jaguar logo was introduced on hood ornaments, and it remained mostly unchanged until the early 2000’s.

Why Did the Jaguar Hood Ornament Change?

Perhaps you would like to know even more about the history of the Jaguar logo. Several factors over many decades have led to the decline of using hood ornaments on Jaguar models (and many other auto brands).

• 1968: The federal seat belt law passed, and it lead to significant shifts in the way vehicles were designed. For the first time, flashy styles like hood ornaments and fins took a back seat to aerodynamics and passenger and pedestrian safety.
• 2005: The European Union directed safety regulations for pedestrian safety, thus requiring hood ornaments to collapse, bend, or fold away in the event of a frontal collision. Many luxury brands, including Jaguar, decided to remove the hood ornaments altogether to simplify production and meet the new guidelines.

The Leaping Jaguar is still on some current Jaguar models around Fort Lee as a silhouetted badge-style version of itself. You can usually find it on the driver’s side and rear of the vehicle. The circular Jaguar emblem of the Roaring Jaguar is now front and center on the forward grille.

Explore the Jaguar Brand in Person at Jaguar Englewood Today

Learn more about the incredible Jaguar engineering and Jaguar symbol at Jaguar Englewood near New York City. Browse our new Jaguar specials or quality preowned vehicles to find the right make and model for your unique lifestyle. What are you waiting for? Give us a call today.