1947 Jaguar Mk IV 1.5Lt Saloon

Description

Retrospectively referred to as the Mark IV, the first Jaguar was essentially a mildly revamped version of the pre-war SS range, suitably re-badged so as not to offend Britons for whom the ‘SS’ badge was, in Sir William Lyons’ own words, representative of “a sector of the community not highly regarded…” The original 2.5-litre saloon was unveiled on the SS stand at the Motor Show in October 1935, with a revised version of the overhead-valve engine mated to an uprated Standard synchromesh gearbox. The beautifully proportioned, elegant coachwork wore huge Lucas P100 lamps and an integrated boot complete with a tray of tools, the start of a long-standing Jaguar tradition. Shortly after the new 2.5-litre’s introduction, Jaguar supplemented the range with a smaller 1.5-litre derivative, intended as a replacement for the SS 2. Powered by a Standard side-valve four-cylinder engine displacing 1608cc, the new model was in effect a scaled-down version of the larger saloon and lacked none of the engineering features or equipment of its bigger sibling. A new 1776cc Standard engine was adopted for the 1 ½-litre model in 1938, featuring an overhead valve cylinder head developed in conjunction with Weslake, while all-steel coachwork was standardised across the range. Tested by The Autocar in July 1938, the 1.5-litre saloon drew praise for its decent acceleration, ability to maintain a steady 60 mph and excellent gear change. Apart from new badges on the radiator shells, only a thinner chrome strip identified the post-war Jaguar-badged models, but under the skin a number of useful changes were made, most notably the adoption of the hypoid back axle, already used on the 1.5-litre model, for both the 2.5 and 3.5-litre variants. The latest Girling twin-leading shoe mechanical brakes were adopted while the luxurious interior benefited from the much-improved Clayton heating/ventilation unit. Jaguar introduced a left-hand drive model specifically for the lucrative American market in 1947 and the saloons were joined by a new drophead coupe model, adding a touch of glamour to the model range. In total Jaguar built some 5,450 1 ½-litre saloons between September 1945 and March 1949, plus a further 311 cars destined for export to left-hand drive markets.