Jaguar’s regal record in the world’s most prestigious sports car race was assembled over many years

We may not automatically think “Jaguar” upon hearing the words “Le Mans,” but the reverse linkage is more likely to be true. Although it had enjoyed prior racing success, Jaguar truly rose to international prominence during the 1950s when it began collecting victories in the classic 24-hour enduro through the French countryside. These glories earned excellent exposure for the marque, helping expand its global footprint, and as this is a much larger tale than we can tell in these few pages, we’ll simply try to summarize the story of the last 60 years.

Jaguar was in its 16th year of operation when its first cars were entered at Le Mans in 1950. Company leader Williams Lyons wanted to establish a competition pedigree for his firm, but still was careful to cover his, ah, bases. A trio of XK120s was prepared at the works, but entered by private owners as a way to preserve Jaguar’s public image should some unforeseen disaster strike during the race.