Jaguar from the shop floor

Part auto-biographical, and part historical, this book details life at the Jaguar company from the perspective of a long-time employee and enthusiast. Brian Martin’s story tells of his experiences both on the production line and in the elite experimental department.

In Jaguar from the Shop Floor, Brian Martin tells the story of his life as a long-time employee at Jaguar, giving a first-hand account of the development and production processes, and the ups and downs of factory life through the eyes of someone who was actually there.

In this part-autobiographical and part-historical account, the author tells of his childhood in a typical working family of the depression era, and then describes his career from starting at the Jaguar factory in 1949, through a spell doing national service in the RAF and then going back to Jaguar. He left briefly in 1972 to try other jobs, but returned to the factory in the mid-1970s.

Providing a fascinating insight into the Jaguar production process, the book also covers the development of the XK120, Mk V, Mk VII, MK X, the Mark 1 and 2 saloons, the XKSS, E1A, E2A, lightweight E-types, XJ6, XJ12, and XJS.

• A light-hearted view of the from inside the Jaguar company.
• Many rare and unusual photographs.
• An unbiased view from personal experience.
• A personal history of work on the shop floor.
• Some of the important people who made the company successful