1961 will forever be remembered as a special year for Jaguar. In February of that year, Jaguar introduced the E-Type, first to the motoring press, and then to the rest of the world, and with its introduction took the world of automotive design and performance by storm. To celebrate this historic event on its 50^th anniversary, Jaguar featured several vintage E-Types, and also took the opportunity to introduce a new model inspired by the legendary sports car.

 

The Geneva Auto Show in 1961 was the place of the Jaguar E-Type's world debut. It's easy to forget just how earth-shattering the E-Type's debut actually was. Long before spy photographs and daily automotive blog updates, auto shows like Geneva and New York were the first glimpse the motoring public got of cars that were soon to arrive in dealer showrooms. According Mike O'Driscoll, Managing Director Jaguar Cars and Chairman Jaguar Heritage, "Half a century of progress has not diminished the significance of the E-Type. It was a sensation when it was launched, and it remains Jaguar's most enduring and iconic symbol. The E-Type is simply one of the most exciting cars ever created and a legacy to the genius of Jaguar's founder, Sir William Lyons."

 

Beyond its stunningly beautiful design, two things made the E-Type a world sensation: First was its performance. The E-Type was capable of achieving 150 mph. The second was its price. The E-Type offered amazing performance and cutting-edge design at a fraction of the price of rivals from Italy, Germany and the United States.

 

The E-Type was debuted to the world at the restaurant du Parc des Eaux Vives in Geneva on March 15, 1961. Such was the media excitement and clamor for demonstration runs up a nearby hillclimb that Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons instructed chief test driver Norman Dewis to drive through the night from Coventry to bring another model to Switzerland.

 

In order to celebrate the E-Type's launch, Jaguar executives returned to the very site of that original media drive on February 28, 2011, and enjoyed a number of vintage E-Types on the same roads as the original drive. "What better way to celebrate half a century of the E-Type than driving beautiful cars," said Carl-Peter Foster, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Motors. "This is a magnificent sporting classic that symbolizes the power and the passion of the Jaguar brand - one of the factors that attracted Tata Motors to purchase both Jaguar and Land Rover."

 

In keeping with the celebration, Jaguar also used the occasion of the Geneva Auto Show to launch an all-new sports car: the new 2012 Jaguar XKR-S. Clad in amazing bright blue, the XKR-S debuted on March 1, 2011, as the fastest production Jaguar ever built, boasting 550hp and 501 lb/ft of torque. The imposing coupe can reach 60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds, and from 60 to 100 in just 4.4 seconds, continuing to a top speed of 186 mph.

 

And while those acceleration figures are impressive, just as interesting is the idea that this may be the most agile Jaguar ever, thanks to an aluminum body, and significantly revised front and rear suspensions that result in world-class handling.

 

The XKR-S's styling is in keeping with its stellar driving credentials. The front end features twin nacelles, side intakes and a carbon-fiber air splitter. The extended side sills emphasize the XKR-S's 10mm lower ride height, and a new rear apron incorporates a carbon-fiber diffuser. A rear wing with a carbon-fiber center section is completely unique to the XKR-S.

 

Along with the gorgeous French Racing Blue on display in Geneva, the XKR-S will be available in four other colors, including Italian Racing Red, evoking Jaguar's illustrious racing heritage.