The Jaguar V12 piston engine was one of the premier powerplants of the 1970s and 1980s. It was first seen in the Series 3 Jaguar E-type of 1971 and was based loosely on an earlier design for an intended Le Mans car, the Jaguar XJ13. The V12 was only Jaguar's second engine design to go into production in the history of the company.