SEPECAT Jaguar S & Jaguar E-type S3 V12 2+2: One hand helping another.

The Jaguar was the fruit of the middle/late 1960s “in vogue” Anglo-French collaborative aircraft production efforts. it was designed to meet a dual Anglo-French requirement for a supersonic strike/attack aircraft and advanced trainer. The Jaguar, as built, soon proved to be “too much” for the later; the two-seat models produced only served as Jaguar pilot’s conversion trainers. Not the most glamorous of aircraft, the Jaguar was nevertheless a quite advanced jet (specially the British ones), rough, dependable and eminently efficient. The Jaguars rendered humble and dependable services at both sides of the English Channel/La Manche in their respective air forces. It was mildly exported also; the Indians still have their going very strong.

To use the “Jaguar” name, the SEPECAT company (BAC and Breguet) gained permission from Joe Lyons of Jaguar Cars. The car company soon found quite convenient such association; in fact when the first prototype made its roll-out a pair of E-types were there. In the 1970 this E-type late model (an ugly 5.3L Serie 3) was used to “race” one of the early “winged” Jaguar in a publicity stunt.