Jaguar Mk. II - World Of Classic Cars -

Jaguar Mk. II Saloon 1964

The lineage of the Mk. II can be directly traced back to its predecessor, the 2.4 litre saloon or Mk. I as it would become known in later years. This sporting saloon, designed to fill the gap in Jaguar's range between the XK sports and voluminous Mk. VII, entered the market in 1956. Power came from the legendary XK straight six, twin cam, engine in 2483cc form. The 2.4 was notable as being a complete break away from the previous designs of (Sir) William Lyons and Co., and was their first foray into the modern world of monocoque construction.

Jaguar Mk. II Saloon 1964

With 112bhp available to the press-on motorist, the 2.4 was not overly burdened with pace, so Jaguar's response was to come in the shape of a 3.4 litre version, which was launched in 1957 to supplement its smaller brother in their mid-size saloon range.  As a result, 120mph was a genuinely achievable pace, necessitating the introduction of disc brakes a year later to keep speeds in check.  Rather than introduce a completely brand new car, Jaguar successfully re-designed the car from stem to stern, and the Mk2 was born, debuting in 1959.