1948 Jaguar Mark IV Drophead Coupe

The newly renamed Jaguar Cars resumed automobile production in 1945 after World War II had come to a close with a range of vehicles wearing pre-war designs, albeit with minor improvements. These vehicles were meant to get Britain back on the road and were essentially stopgap vehicles pending the arrival of an entirely new and modern generation of Jaguars. Retrospectively known after 1948 as the 'Mark IV,' these immediate post-war models included the compact 1.5-Liter and larger 2.5- and 3.5-Liter model.

The Mark IV used a separate chassis with a 120-inch wheelbase and a beam front axle and live rear suspension on semi-elliptic springs, with lever-arm dampers, Burman worm-and-nut steering, and Girling mechanical brakes. The all-steel factory coachwork was elegant and stylish, available in both saloon or drophead coupe configurations. Most of the customers selected the factory bodies, while a few required bespoke coachwork which was performed by independent coachbuilders. The interiors were luxurious and well-appointed.

The Standard Company's seven-bearing six-cylinder engine, used by SS Cars (later renamed to Jaguar) since 1934, was given a Weslake overhead-valve cylinder head and backed by a four-speed manual gearbox in the 3.5-Liter Jaguar form, giving the Mark IV a top speed of nearly 100 mph.

This particular Jaguar is one of the 12 3.5-Liter Mark IVs delivered in rolling chassis form. Ten were sent to Switzerland and two to Belgium. This example was transported by train from Jaguar Cars' factory to Emil Frey in Zurich on 2nd May 1947 for onward transit to Carrosserie Langenthal.

Carrosserie Langenthal was a Swiss-based company carriage maker founded in 1888. They built a reputation for its convertible bodies during the 1930s using Alexis Kellner's design, which was used under license. After World War II, the company continued to build bespoke coachwork for chassis that included Daimler, Delage, Delahaye, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, and Alvis.

This Langenthal-built Jaguar received approval by the Road Traffic Office on March 12th of 1948. Its owner, Mrs. Maria Wacker from Zurich, drove the car until December 1955.

Years later, in September of 2015, Mrs. Wacker's Jaguar found its way to the workshops of Emil Frey Classics in Safenwil, Switzerland. At the time, the car was in very poor condition. Its owner painstaking completed a restoration preserving original components and returning the car as close as possible to its original condition. Parts that could no longer be restored were replaced with period-correct pieces - or were remanufactured.

The engine, chassis, transmission, and mechanical components were completely disassembled and rebuilt. The body was stripped of paint and re-sprayed in its original black livery. The headlamps were re-chromed and the reflectors re-silvered. The seats were replaced in beige, while the original springs were retained and fitted to the reconstructed seat frames.

The restoration required over 2,100 working hours to complete. The work was completed by Emil Frey Classics in 2018.

The car is powered by an overhead-valve inline-6 cylinder unit fitted with dual SU side-draft carburetors displacing 3,485cc and offering 125 BHP at 4,250 RPM. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel Girling mechanical drum brakes, and a leaf spring suspension.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2020