At the height of World War II, Winston Churchill told a British population crushed by relentless bombing raids from Germany that if they were going through hell, to keep going. These same words could have been applied to Jaguar during the early 2000s when the company's US sales numbers plummeted by 80% from 2002 to 2009. Not much has improved as the years have passed because luxury customers wouldn't touch a brand with such a bad reputation.

During the early parts of the 2010s, Jaguar had an aged lineup. To make matters worse, there was a widespread perception that the words "Jaguar" and "breakdown" are synonymous, which combined to repel customers. Flash forward to the present day where a refreshed lineup has brought the badge of the exotic feline back into the ring to fight other luxury cars. Priced within reach for the everyday doctor, lawyer, or Internet mogul are the Jaguar XE and F-Pace SUV. The two models are a large reason that Jaguar has just seen a reversal of its past unlucky trend, with sales leaping by 80% during May of 2016. In fact, the two models make up a full half of Jaguar sales with the F-Pace gobbling up 30% of all sales.

This isn't just a case of starry-eyed consumers buying on impulse, the F-Pace and XE are actually solid competitors. The F-Pace starts at the bargain price of $41,000, and unlike Jaguars of the past, this one comes with high regards from the automotive community. The XE also popped into the world with plenty of positive remarks about its stellar and communicative chassis that comes with an array of athletic engines. A base price of $35,000 means that the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class have something to worry about, especially with the cat's striking good looks. With news of a promising rebound and the knowledge that the company is reinvesting these profits back into itself, we may be able to see a new golden era for Jaguar.