Jaguar 2.4 Saloon.
The thick window pillars, and the positioning of the front lamps, confirm that this Jaguar is the Mk1 saloon (built 1955 - 1959) rather than the later, but very similar-looking, Mk2 Jaguar. Two hatted gents, one dothing his hat, the other preparing to tuck into a tasty baguette, are seen in this original old photo. The gents are in shirtsleeves, and the Jaguar's front windows are open, suggesting a warm summer's day. A tin of Peek Frean's assorted biscuits awaits their attention.
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The Jaguar 2.4 Litre saloon (later referred to as the Mk1) was introduced in 1955, the first saloon to roll off the Browns Lane production line with unitary construction. The engine was a short-stroke version of the XK120 sportscar's twin-cam straight six XK unit, endowing the car with reasonable performance for its day. However as the American market was becoming ever more important to Jaguar, it became obvious that the option of more grunt wouldn't be a bad thing, so, in 1957, the 3.4 Litre was introduced. The radiator grille was enlarged slightly to aid cooling, and the rear wheel spats fitted as standard to the 2.4s were cut away on the 3.4 Jaguar to aid rear brake cooling. Knock-on wire wheels were also fitted to the 3.4s, another reason to open up the rear spats to avoid them fouling with the spinners.
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The Jaguar shown in the photo above is on steel wheels, and has the full rear spats in place, suggesting that it is probably the 2.4 litre version.
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Production of the "Mk1" continued until 1959, when the revised Mk2 came on stream.
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Return to Page 11 of the classic car motoring gallery.
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Listings for parts to suit this model can be found on the Jaguar Mk1 2.4 ads page.
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