In Flight

This fine little mascot, frozen forever in flight, 

accompanies its namesake, a 1930 Swallow, 

on display at the 2014 Celebration of the Automobile, 

held last weekend at the 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Swallow Sidecar Company was established in 1922 

in Blackpool, England to produce sidecars for motorcycles. 

In 1926, the business evolved to include automobiles 

and became the Swallow Sidecar & Coachworks Company. 

Their first car, produced in 1928, was a conscious

re-creation of larger cars of the time, for a price that was

affordable to more of the populace.

The little Swallows proved popular and the company

became increasingly successful as it responded 

to the needs of the marketplace, 

adapting its name as necessary. It's last name change,

to S.S. Cars, Ltd. in 1934, was changed after

World War II due to the unfortunate association of 

the "SS" with Nazi Germany. In 1945, the company

became Jaguar Cars, Ltd., and the little swallows in flight 

became the sleek, leaping cats we know today.