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1951 Jaguar Mark V

When William Lyons' automobile company returned to civilian automobile production following World War II, it did so with a new name - Jaguar Cars. The previous 'SS' company had been changed due to the negative connotations associated with Nazi Germany's use of the SS name. The company had begun its existence known by three successive trading names - the Swallow Sidecar Company, Swallow Sidecar and Coachbuilding Company, and Swallow Coachbuilding Company. The name SS Cars was used from 1934 until wartime 1940.

1951 Jaguar Mark V photo
Drophead Coupe
Chassis #: 647460
Engine #: Z3482
View info and history
Auction entries : 2
The Jaguar name was new - but so was the Mark V name, and there had been no MK I to IV. Jaguar would use the MK IV designation, but it was used after the launch of the Mark V. Five prototype bodies had been built between 1946 to 1948, and the design chosen was the Mark V, giving birth to the nomenclature.

Jaguar's post-war production commenced with designs inspired by the pre-war models, yet considerably updated with a host of improvements. The Mark V (MKV) was introduced to the company's distributors and select members of the press on September 30th of 1948 and officially launched on October 27th, 1948 at the London Motor Show. Production at Coventry in England lasted through 1951 with 10,499 examples built during that time. Initially, production began with the saloon and was followed a few months later by the dropheads. Both the Mark V and the XK120 were introduced at the London Motor Show, and while the XK120 would steal the headlines, the Mark V outsold its sporty sibling by roughly 5,000 cars per year versus the circa-2,000 cars of the XK120.

Specification
The MKV received a new cruciform-braced chassis which Jaguar claimed was the most rigid of any passenger car, and was suspended by independent double wishbones and torsion bars in the front and a solid rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. Although the front suspension had been designed pre-war by the company's Chief Engineer William Heynes, it was the first Jaguar so-equipped and the first with four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Steering was by a Burman recirculating ball which offered outstanding handling characteristics. Beneath the graceful bonnet was Jaguar's existing Standard-based, six-cylinder, overhead-valve engine offered in both 2.5- and 3.5-liter configurations (2664cc and 3485cc respectively). These Harry Weslake tuned OHV powerplants developed 104 bhp (2.5-liter) and 126 bhp (3.5-liter) and were allied to a four-speed manual transmission. The single-helical gearbox was produced by both Jaguar and Moss Gear Company of Birmingham and was the sole gearbox offered. With the 3.5-liter installed, the Mark V was capable of achieving class-leading performance of 90 mph.

Body Styles
Body styles included a four-door saloon or two-door drophead coupe with pressed steel bodies on the salon, and wood framing for the doors on the dropheads. The drophead MK V sold for $3,850 in 1950, costing nearly twice the price of a new Ford convertible. The saloon was the more popular with 9,494 examples built, including 1,669 with the 2.5-liter engine (including 188 in left-hand drive configuration), and the remaining 7,825 with the 3.5-liter powerplant (1,902 in LHD). Of the drophead coupes, 29 had the 2.5-liter engine (including 12 with LHD) and 685 with the larger engine (577 with LHD). Two examples were built as rolling chassis with the 2.5-liter engine and 3 rolling chassis had the 3.5-liter engine.

Styling
The styling of the Jaguar Mark V was an evolution of the company's pre-war designs, with curvaceous lines, an upright chrome grille, and a 'tuck in' curve at the base of the rear quarter window. A leaping Jaguar radiator cap mascot was offered as optional equipment. Modern updates included faired-in headlamps, rear-wheel spats (fender skirts), and deeper twin-blade bumpers. The Mark V holds the distinction of being the first Jaguar with spats, Right and Left Hand Drive configurations, smaller wider 16-inch balloon tires, and disc center wheels. It was the final model to be equipped with the pushrod engine and the first Jaguar with sealed headlamps and flashing turn signals. The home market and most foreign markets used the 7.7-inch Lucas PF770 headlamps, along with flip-out flip-out trafficator semaphore turn indicators. The cars destined for the American market used the flashing turn signals and rear tail lamp units in place of trafficators, and 7-inch sealed headlamps.

Interior
The interior upholstery was offered in a range of seven colors but no two-tone treatments. The range of exterior paint schemes counted twelve, all in single paint colors. While this was true for nearly all of the Mark Vs, the company made exceptions on several occasions, with two cars receiving two-tone schemes, and 32 others in various special colors.

Comparison of the Mark V to the XK120
The Jaguar Mark V rested on a 120-inch wheelbase and had an overall length of 187.5-inches. For comparison, the XK120 used a 102-inch wheelbase and measured 173-inches in length. It used a steel chassis designed similarly to the Mark V and clothed with aluminum coachwork. Its suspension was the same as the Mark V and stopping power was by 12-inch drum brakes. Its 3.4-liter straight-6 dual overhead camshaft engine used twin side-draft SU carburetors and produced 160 horsepower. The XK120's shorter platform favored sport while the larger Mark V favored luxury. The potent XK engine with its aluminum alloy cylinder head and hemispherical combustion chambers would power Jaguar vehicles for decades to come, surviving in modified versions of 3.8- and 4.2-liter configurations through 1992. The pre-war Standard engines powering the Mark V were 'tried-and-true' - they were reliable and dependable, with pleasant mannerisms and adequate performance. Mr. Lyons was unwilling to risk using the unproven XK DOHC engine in such a volume application. The XK120 was intended as a limited-production prestige sports car, useful for brand awareness, while the MKV was intended to propel the company into the emerging luxury sedan sector and the import export market. Nearly two-thirds of the Mark V produced were exported, with most of those to the United States.

1951 Jaguar Mark V photo
Drophead Coupe
Chassis #: 647460
Engine #: Z3482
View info and history
Auction entries : 2
The Mark V succeeded in its goal of providing coach-built elegance and luxury in a factory-bodied package at a little more than one-third of the price of the most affordable Bentley.


by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022

Related Reading : Jaguar Mark V History

The Jaguar Mark V was produced from 1949 through 1951. The series was first introduced in 1948 at a Motor Show where it shared the stage with the breath-taking Jaguar XK120. The Mark V was positioned by Jaguar to retire the aging 1.5-, 2.5-, and 3.5-Litre vehicles which were pre-war designs. The 2.5-Liter Mark V was the entry-level version of the series. The engine was a design by the Standard....
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Related Reading : Jaguar Mark V History

Jaguar has been producing large, separate chassis saloon vehicles that began with the Mk VII since 1950. The final derivative arrived in the Jaguar Mk IX in 1958 which utilized the famous XK engine which had evolved into a powerful 3.8 liter unit. This engine was enough to haul this large saloon vehicle up to a top speed of 117 mph. Produced from 1958 until 1961 the Jaguar MK IX had a total production....
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1951 Jaguar Mark V Vehicle Profiles

1951 Jaguar Mark V vehicle information
Drophead Coupe

Chassis #: 647490
Engine #: A 2820
1951 Jaguar Mark V vehicle information
Drophead Coupe

Chassis #: S647465
Engine #: T8134
1951 Jaguar Mark V vehicle information
Drophead Coupe

Chassis #: 647365
Engine #: Z 3279
Gearbox #: SH 9006
1951 Jaguar Mark V vehicle information
Drophead Coupe

Chassis #: 647460
Engine #: Z3482

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

$800-$3,750
1951 Mark V
$3,850-$11,000
1951 Jaguar Mark V Price Range: $3,750 - $3,850

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1951 Jaguar Models
$3,855 - $4,000

Mark V

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
120.00 in.
6 cyl., 162.57 CID., 102.00hp
6 cyl., 212.67 CID., 125.00hp
$3,750 - $3,850
120.00 in.
6 cyl., 162.57 CID., 102.00hp
6 cyl., 212.67 CID., 125.00hp
$3,755 - $3,855
120.00 in.
6 cyl., 162.57 CID., 102.00hp
6 cyl., 212.67 CID., 125.00hp
$3,750 - $3,850

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