From C-Type to F-Type: here's what Jaguar's sports cars are all about

Jaguar is one of the most prestigious car brands in the world and has a massive racing heritage. It all started with the C-Type in the 1950s, and the racing pedigree was transmitted through generations of Jaguar sports cars. The F-Type is the latest and greatest luxury sports car made by the British manufacturer. It is available in both coupe and convertible body styles. Also, it is considered one of the most beautiful cars of the modern era.

Everything that makes the F-Type a fantastic automobile is due to everything the British car manufacturers have learned with their sports car series over the years. Therefore, we should look at some of the most iconic vehicles Jaguar ever made.

C-Type – 1951 - 1953

Technically, the C-Type isn't Jaguar's first sports car, but it was the first to compete in an international motorsport series. The Jaguar C-Type was also known as the XK120-C, replacing the XK120. If you are wondering, the letter C stands for "competition," which makes it clear the C-Type was meant to be a sports car. The C-Type was powered by a 3.4-litre straight six producing around 220 horsepower, which was very impressive for the time. It was built between 1951 and 1953 and only 53 C-Type cars have ever been produced, making it one of the rarest cars of this series. The value of the British sports car is estimated between $1.4 and $2.7 million U.S.

D-Type – 1954 - 1957

It didn't take long for Jaguar to bring a new sports car, and the D-Type arrived in a matter of time thanks to the massive success of the C-Type. The Jaguar D-Type was produced from 1954 to 1957 and succeeded in many racing events. A plethora of straight-six six powered the British sports car from 3.0-litre to 3.8-litre. Jaguar was supposed to produce a total of 100 D-Type cars according to its initial plan. However, many sources state stating more units were made.

E-Type – 1961 - 1975

You may not know the Jaguar E-Type if you are in North America because it was sold under a different name for this market (XK-E). The Jaguar was manufactured between 1961 and 1975. If the F-Type is one of the most beautiful cars currently in production, the E-Type is considered one of the most beautiful cars ever made. It was powered by either a 3.8-litre or 4.2-litre straight six. The Jaguar E-Type could reach speeds of 241 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just over 7 seconds. It doesn't sound that quick by today's standard, but it was pretty impressive back then.

F-Type 2013 -

Although many more sports cars were produced between the E-Type and the F-Type, this last model is considered the direct descendant of the E-Type. The Jaguar F-Type blew everybody's mind when it came out in 2013. The British sports car is only available with a 5.0-litre V8 today in North America, but it's been fitted with several different engines over the last decade. The Jaguar F-Type is everything you can dream of in a GT sports car. It is fast, comfortable, and beautiful. It may not be worth several million like its ancestors, but that doesn't make it less of an icon.