1966 Jaguar Mk II 3.4 'Manual' Saloon

The Jaguar Mark II, in any of its many guises, remains one of the most desirable four-door cars of all time. The combination of "grace, pace and space" offered by Jaguar in the Mark II was unmatched by any other saloon of the era and it found favour not just with racing drivers but with the law and criminal elements alike. Launched in 1959, the Mark II was an evolution of Jaguars original compact sports saloon, retrospectively known as the Mark I, but was far more than just a simple restyling job - significant changes to the suspension set-up, including wider rear track, endowed the new Jaguar with much better handling characteristics. A revised choice of engines was offered, the classic XK unit now available as the 2.4-litre (with new cylinder head), 3.4-litre (with a new twin exhaust system) or, for the first time, with the 3.8-litre unit taken from the big Mark IX. The new body boasted a greater glass area for improved visibility in all directions, along with semi-recessed fog lamps, a new grille and tail lights while inside the Mark II boasted a redesigned dashboard fascia finished in timber veneer with a fully adjustable steering column, a centre console and new front seats with deeper squabs and folding tables recessed in their backs. Considered ahead of its time when it was first built, the Jaguar Mark II remains an eminently useable classic saloon today with excellent support provided by the many clubs and specialists to keep the car running perfectly.