1948 Jaguar Mark IV

Founded in 1922 as SS Cars Ltd. in Blackpool, England by William Walmsley, it branched out into motor manufacture in 1926. The company's first major success was a sports saloon resting on the Austin Seven chassis wearing a design by Walmsley's partner, William Lyons. The company changed its name to Jaguar in 1945 when production resumed after World War II (jettisoning its prefix initials and the unwanted Nazi connotations). The British-based luxury car manufacturer originally headquartered in Browns Lane, Coventry, England but now at Whitley, Coventry. The company's slogan during the 1950s was 'Grace, Space and Pace' to promote its growing product range, however, in many respects, the Coventry company had birthed this mission statement with the new 6-cylinder sedan of the late 1930s, offered with either a 2.5-liter or 3.5-liter overhead-valve engine.

The SS1 arrived in October of 1931 using the chassis from the Standard, who also provided the four-speed gearbox and six-cylinder side-valve engine. The SS1 had a sporty persona, an attractive price, and better-than-average specification.

The SS 2.5-liter Drophead Coupe was introduced in 1937, and 249 vehicles were built before production came to an end in 1939. These cars were powered by a 2.5-liter overhead valve engine, producing 102 horsepower and had a top speed of 90 mph. When peacetime resumed, the newly renamed Jaguar Cars, like the majority of motor manufacturers, commenced post-war production with a range of pre-war designs with mild improvements. The lineup included the compact 1½-Litre four, and the 2½/ and3½-Litre six, retrospectively known as the 'Mark IV'.

The Mark IV used 120-inch wheels and a separate chassis using a beam front and live rear axle suspension on semi-elliptic springs, lever-arm dampers, Burman worm-and-nut steering, and Girling mechanical brakes. The all-steel coachwork was available in drophead coupe or saloon configuration with a well-appointed interior. In use by SS Cars since 1934, the Standard engine was a seven-bearing six which in Jaguar specification came with a Weslake overhead-valve cylinder head and backed by a four-speed manual gearbox. The 3,485cc overhead valve straight-six engine developed 125 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque, helping the Mark IV achieve speeds of nearly 100 mph.

The post-war Jaguar models were distinguished from the pre-war models with a radiator badge that now read 'Jaguar' and was accompanied by the engine size. The 'SS' badge had resided in the center of the rear bumper and was replaced by a 'J'. The cars now rested on 18-inch wire wheels as standard, with disc-type wheels optional. Ace covers were also optional to fit over the wire centers, and the spinners for the wire wheels featured the new 'Jaguar' logo.

Design features of the Drophead Coupe included free-standing chromed headlights, Lucas Teardrop fog lights, and an intricate three-position hood system. The interiors used fine-grained wood, quality leather, and matching carpets.

Most of the Mark IV models wore factory bodies. For customers seeking bespoke coachwork, Jaguar offered the Mark IV in rolling chassis form for bodying by an independent coachbuilder. In total, just 12 examples of the 3.5-liter Mark IV were built in rolling chassis form, with ten going to Switzerland and two to Belgium. 376 examples of the 3.5-liter Jaguar Mark IV Drophead Coupes were built in left-hand drive configuration during the short production run spanning from December 1947 to September 1948 (chassis numbers 637301 - 637376). Total 3.5-liter Production, from 1937 through 1948 reached 3,162 examples. A total of 11,952 examples of the combined 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5-liter MKIV cars were reputedly built.

The Mark IV remained largely unchanged until the 1948 Motor Show which saw the introduction of the sensational XK 120 Sports Car and the MKV range of saloons and drophead coupes.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020