Super Classics
Jaguar MKII 3.8
|
 |
The quintessential car to breeze around town in total comfort and style
Probably the most famous British car from the 1960's, the MKII Jaguar is still the classic saloon. In 1959, Jaguars compact saloon was launched, coinciding with the opening of the first motorway in the UK. As a replacement for the MKI, the MKII was a substantially better car, with a bigger glassed area, a wider rear track and all round disk brakes to improve handling, along with various stylistic updates including a new grill, revised interior and semi spats covering the rear wheels.
The new four disk braking system was certainly required, as in 3.8litre form, the car was blisteringly fast. Indeed the 3.8 MKII, with the manual gear-box was the fastest production car in the world. With 220bhp on tap it was capable of reaching 125mph on the then, speed limit free motorway. Accordingly the MKII enjoyed great success on the race track, in the newly found production saloon car series and as further endorsement of its capabilities, was driven as a road car by many racing drivers. However, it is probably most famed as the favoured 'blaggers' get away car, due to its spacious boot (for the bounty), room for five and tremendous turn of speed. Rear wheel spats were removed so that if the car were rammed by a police car, the bodywork would not foul the rear wheels.
During the ten year run, over 80,000 MKII Jaguars in various forms, from the sedate 2.4, to the potent 3.4 and downright fearsome 3.8, rolled off the Coventry production line. Sitting in one today, with beautiful leather seats, highly polished walnut dashboard and door cappings and facia packed with gauges and aero style toggle switches, it is easy to see why the beautifully balanced shape MKII was such a success. When driving a MKII with its powerful XK engine and distinctive induction snarl, you know you are in the presence of a very special creation!
