History and background of Jaguar. The Jaguar story is a 'rags to riches' one. It was, for 50 years, the story of one man who built up one of the world's greatest automotive names which is renowned for style, performance, tradition and quality. In Blackpool, England, young motorcycle enthusiast by the name of Bill Lyons, not yet 21 years of age, met William Walmsley, who was building a rather stylish sidecar which