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Making Its Mark
Jaguar Mark II Sedan

Jaguar's Mark II Four Door Became The First Popular Sports Sedan

Touring car racing has been the hot ticket in Eurpoe during the past decade. But the practice of throwing sedans around Europe's great tracks is nothing new. This form of motorsport actually reached its peak in the 1960s, when it centered mainly in England. Competing were homegrown Lotus Ford Cortinas, Mini Coopers and Jaguars, as well as BMWs from Germany and Alfa Romeos from Italy...even big NASCAR thumpers from America and areane Ford Anglias, Rileys and Borgwards. The popularity of saloon car racing, as it then was known, was the result of each marque having its clique of loyal followers.
In the 1990s, niche marketers once again have latched onto the term Sports Sedan as a magnet to lure potential customers into their showrooms. As my cranial RAM scrolled back over the past four decades in a search for the progenitor of this genre, one name appeared regularly.. Jaguar. Not merely sporty looking, Jaguar's 1960s sedans indeed were the genuine article.
Following the 1951 introduction of the Mark VII, with its DOHC straight six, Jaguar spent the best part of the next two decades proving that four doors need not equate with "boring". And, despite the later models' quicker acceleration and higher top-speed figures, the original Mark VII's sporting character became progressively diluted with each Roman numeral that William Lyons added, until someone at Brown's Lane realized the gradual move up-market had abandoned a significant market segment, who felt alienated by the gentrification program. A separate market existed for something smaller, sportier and lighter as a companion to the more than somewhat desensitized Mark IX.
For Jaguar's management, the obvious solution was a compact sports sedan. Initially fitted with a short stroke, 2.4-liter version of the XK engine, the new model soon was joined by a more potent 3.4-liter stablemate that used the DOHC engine in its full measurements. Shorter by nearly a foot and a half, lighter by some 700 pounds, and at 2 10 hp, almost twice as powerful, the 3.4 picked up a solid 15 mph in top speed, to 120 mph. The new model's compact dimensions translated to reduced frontal area, and a lower driving position encouraged a sportier style of motoring. Unitized body construction and a new coilspring front semi-elliptic rear Jaguar Mark II Sedan Interior suspension provided greater torsional rigidity and a more compliant ride, and at the same time improved handling. The advent of these performance-oriented sedans attracted to Jaguar a clientele to whom driving was not primarily a means to get from A to B, but a visceral experience to be savored. Included as owners were many top-rank racers, who found this to be just their cup of tea as personal transport. During the next decade, Jaguar would build almost 84,000 Mark IIs, many of which were for enthusiasts emulating this performance-driven core group. Retention of Jaguar's traditional styling cues; interior wood trim, leather seats and wool carpeting, as well as a full complement of instruments, at the same time enabled the marque to maintain its parallel "gigolo's Bentley" image.
Weighing only a couple hundred pounds more than their contemporary XK sports car companions, these new-generation sedans proved readily adaptable to competition, often outnumbering the rest of the field on the grid at races in England and on the Continent. It frequently was demonstrated that in the hands of a competent driver, a Jag saloon circulating at speed around Brands Hatch, Goodwood or Snetterton was a formidable sight to behold.
Jaguar Mark II Sedan Emblem In 1959, as the original Jaguar sportscompact matured into the Mark 11, which became available in three displacement options ranging from 2.4 to 3.8 liters, disc brakes appeared on the specification list along with other enhancements. Jaguar's management were so pleased with this change that a small badge, denoting disc brakes, was affixed to the rear bumpers of later production cars. In America, the Mark 11 found a following among fans whose perception of a proper sporting machine previously had been limited to vehicles with two doors.
Racing championships and a sales rate that kept the factory comfortably near capacity were the rewards of an image garnered in competition. But, the automotive world is both cyclical and fickle, and when the race-winning Jaguars finally met their masters, they left a record that remains to this day as a very important element in the cumulative heritage that is part of every Jaguar.

Sweet Six

Jaguar Mark II Sedan Emblem The 3.4-liter, twin overhead cam sixcylinder powerplant that made its debut in the sleek new XK120 roadster at the London Motor Show in 1948, in fact had been created to power the Mark VII saloon that, as matters turned out, was introduced a few months after the XK 120 had stunned the automotive world at Earls Court.

At the time, with a few notable exceptions, the term "production sports car" was synonymous with pushrod valve actuation. Overhead camshafts, which enhanced volumetric efficiency and combustion chamber design, were a more expensive way to manufacture and made valve adjustment more time-consuming, adding to the cost of maintenance. The tall straight six engine was topped by a pair of polished alloy cam covers, another demonstration of William Lyons' canny awareness that under-bonnet appearance was an important sales enhancing feature. Enameled cast iron exhaust manifolds were pure metal sculpture, as were the polished SU carburetors and the very tidy, articulated throttle linkage (no sloppy looking cables here). A 12-quart sump made oil changes more costly than for just about any other car of the period, an expense that Jaguar owners accepted without a murmur of complaint. That generous volume of lubricating oil undoubtedly contributed to the engine's "bullet-proof' reputation. Initially rated at 160 hp, the XK engine established the car's performance image, further reinforced by an exhaust note that though muted was still impressive. Underneath the engine's stylish exterior were mechanicals that would serve Jaguar well for the next three and a half decades. Modem, well finished and capable of exceptional performance, the seven main bearing engine retained an undersquare bore to stroke ratio that made for excellent low- speed torque, and translated to pleasant behavior in normal driving. In the upper rev ranges, the big six remained smooth and totally progressive as it approached its 5500 rpm peak.
Disc brakes that became standard in 1958 gave the 3.4 stopping power that matched its ample "go" power. Then in 1959, concurrent with the displacement increase to 3.8 liters for the later production XK 150s, a 220 hp version of that larger engine became a third alternative power option for a second generation of the small, sports sedan, now dubbed Mark II. Relatively minor, but effective design changes significantly improved the second series body, denoted the Mark 11. Particular attention was devoted to the rear quarter area, with the result that the door opening became a positive design element rather than an intrusion. The A, B and C pillars were made thinner, which improved both visibility and appearance. In a like manner, the front end was redefined into a flowing metal sculpture with a better integrated grille and nacelles for the headlamps, a feature that was continued to good effect through the first and second XJ6 model series, then dropped for the third, XJ40, series, which suffered as a result. Today, the latest Jaguar sedan benefits greatly from the return of this styling theme. Mechanically, the rear track was made 3 1/2" wider, a change that improved handling and aesthetics.

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