When we think of quintessentially British car brands, we think of Jaguar. From the 1948 XK120 to the brand new I-Pace, Jaguar’s cars are both sleek and symbolic.
Jaguar is the luxury arm of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and has been manufacturing vehicles since the 1930s. In 2020-2021, JLR delivered a total of 77,381 Jaguar vehicles to drivers across the globe.
You might be wondering where these legendary British vehicles are manufactured. The truth is that Jaguar Land Rover owns and operates a number of international facilities to meet the demand of its customers.
So where exactly are these facilities based? Let’s find out!
Where Jaguar cars are made
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) manufactures its cars in the United Kingdom, India, China, Brazil, Slovakia and Austria. The company is headquartered in Whitley, Coventry (UK).
Most of the company’s operations are based within its home of Great Britain. There are three JLR assembly plants on British soil: Birmingham, Liverpool and Solihull. Their research and development facilities are based in Warwick and Coventry.
Birmingham’s Castle Bromwich facility is the only JLR plant to exclusively produce Jaguar vehicles. Jaguar models produced here include the XF, XE, XJ, S-Type and F-Type. This plant will be leading the way for Jaguar to meet its commitment of going fully electric by 2025.
Did you know? All of Jaguar’s E-Pace and I-Pace SUVs are assembled by Magna Steyr at their contract plant in Austria. Other vehicles also produced at this plant include the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the Toyota Supra!
JLR’s plants in China, India, Slovakia and Brazil use a technique called complete knock-down (CKD) manufacturing to build Jaguar Land Rover vehicles quickly and efficiently out of the box. They are then sold domestically or exported to global markets.
Is Jaguar a British brand?
Jaguar Cars was founded in Great Britain, so it is a British brand. It is now part of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which is headquartered in Coventry, England. JLR is owned by Tata Motors, an automotive manufacturing company based in India.
Jaguar’s motoring DNA is 100% British. Jaguar was originally the Swallow Sidecar Company, a Blackpool-based company that built sidecars for motorcycles in the 1920s. In 1945, the company officially rebranded as Jaguar Cars.
Jaguar also holds royal warrants. A royal warrant is an appointment that allows the company to supply its vehicles to members of the British royal family. At their 2018 wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drove a 1968 Jaguar E-Type with an electric motor conversion. Queen Elizabeth has also been known to enjoy a spirited drive in her Jaguar XE!
However, Jaguar is not currently owned by a British company. You might remember that Jaguar was acquired by the Ford Motor Company (US) in 1990. Ford subsequently sold the Jaguar and Land Rover brands to Tata Motors (India) in 2008 – who combined them into what we now know as Jaguar Land Rover.
If you do own a Jaguar, you might be curious about where it has been assembled. Read on to find out how you can tell.
How to tell where your Jaguar was made
The most accurate way of identifying where your Jaguar vehicle was made is to check the first two or three letters of your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). For Jaguar vehicles, this will most likely be ‘SAJ’.
The first three digits of a VIN number are known as a World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). For most production vehicles, this allows you to trace the car back to its country of origin.
You can find your VIN number on the title or registration documents for your car. It can also be found on the cowl panel, or on a metal plate in the inner driver’s door sill.
If your VIN number starts with ‘SAJ’, this simply means that the vehicle has been assembled by Jaguar in the United Kingdom. Jaguar produces most of its vehicles in the UK.
On older models (pre-2005), the 11th character of your VIN number can indicate the plant location. If this is ‘C’, it means your Jaguar was assembled in the Browns Lane plant (which closed in 2005). If it is C.B, this means that your Jaguar was assembled in the Castle Bromwich plant.
If you’re interested in decoding your VIN number to find out more about the spec of your Jaguar, there are plenty of Jaguar VIN decoder services online. They’re mostly free and very easy to use.
FAQs
Are Jaguar cars made in China?
Jaguar Land Rover operates one assembly plant in China in partnership with Chery. Jaguar vehicles produced here include the XF, XE and E-Pace. For the most part, these vehicles are built and supplied domestically within mainland China.
Why did Jaguar sell to Ford?
Ford acquired the Jaguar brand to take advantage of the booming new market for luxury vehicles in the 1990s. Ford Motor Company realized that they lacked an alternative to the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, leading to the purchase of Jaguar. Ford subsequently sold Jaguar to Tata Motors in 2008.
Who makes the engines for Jaguar?
Since combining with Land Rover under Tata Motors, Jaguar has taken big steps to reduce its reliance on Ford engines. Their engine contract with Ford officially ended in 2020. Jaguar Land Rover now builds all of its own Ingenium engines for use in its vehicles.
Conclusion
Jaguar relies on a network of global facilities to assemble its vehicles. It’s not a car brand that is focused on mass production, like Toyota or Honda: but it remains a timeless and iconic one in the eyes of luxury vehicle enthusiasts.
Great Britain is rich in its motoring heritage, and it’s the perfect home for a brand like Jaguar. Go on, tell us – which Jaguar vehicle do you own? Let us know below!
