1954 Jaguar Mk VII Sedan

Description

The quintessential Fifties British saloon car, Jaguar's Mark VII was launched at the 1950 Earls Court Motor Show and replaced the decidedly old fashioned Mark V, utilising the powerful new overhead-camshaft engine from the XK120 in a box-section chassis frame, with vacuum boosted drum brakes and a four-speed manual gearbox, with the option of a three-speed Borg-Warner automatic transmission. The Mark VII had elegant styling and, although a big car by European standards, was no slouch and proved an able competitor - both on the track in saloon car racing and in long distance rallies. With 160 bhp on tap from the 3.4-litre engine, the Jaguar was capable of cruising at 80 mph and maximum speed of just over 100 mph, with roadholding and braking to match. Thanks in no small part to the addition of an automatic gearbox, the Mark VII was as much a Transatlantic success story for Jaguar as the sporting XK120, equally at home cruising the highways of America as it was prowling central London. The press loved the Mark VII, with The Autocar concluding their road test by saying ?The Jaguar represents, above all, remarkable value for money. It has a high performance, but goes about its work with an equally high degree of mechanical refinement. The standard of finish and range of equipment place it firmly in the luxury class, despite at a moderate cost price?. Today the Mark VII is still a real head turner and an eminently practical classic Jaguar saloon that embodies the slogan "Grace, Pace and Space".