Jaguar MKVII-MKIX

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Large, opulent Jaguars designed for the American market that are on par with a rival Rolls of that era yet sportier to drive and rarer. Excellent value if you get a good one but spares are harder to find than for other classic Jags For decades now, nobody has been able to build luxury cars quite like the British. From Austin’s Princess limousines up to the products of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, anyone wanting the ultimate in style, elegance and comfort have long been better off buying one from these isles. But you don’t have to take the obvious route because there’s another option – one that’s often overlooked. Jaguar’s big saloons of the fifties were fast, exclusive and luxurious when new, and not much has changed in the intervening 60 odd years.

HISTORY

1950 The MkVII is unveiled at the Earls Court motor show, replacing Jaguar’s MkV (there was no MkVI, to avoid confusion with Bentley’s car of the same name). Aimed at the US market, most of the 20,937 examples built crossed the pond, although some have now returned to the UK. 

1954 From January there’s an overdrive option then a facelifted car is unveiled in the autumn; known unofficially as the MkVIIM, this revised model has wraparound rear bumpers, repositioned auxiliary lamps, flashing indicators instead of semaphores plus simplified bumpers front and rear. There’s also a more powerful 3.4-litre engine (190bhp instead of 160bhp), closer stacked gearbox ratios to suit together with a firmer suspension.

1956 Further revisions that autumn produce the MkVIII, with more power gains (now a hearty 210bhp), a single-piece windscreen, cut-away rear wheel spats and adjustments to the interior design – power steering is also an option and a very welcome one.

1958 The MkIX arrives; it’s simply a MkVIII with standard power steering, disc brakes all round and a bigger capacity engine (now 3.8-litres. Unusually, the MkIX sells alongside the MkVIII for the first year; by the time production is wound up in September 1961, total production of all variants stands at 47,190.

DRIVING AND PRESS COMMENTS

Let’s be honest here. If you think that these Jags are merely bigged up XK sportsters then you’re going to be a bit disappointed. They certainly share a similar character and aura but we’re dealing with a large lumbering limo of Rolls-Royce proportions.

It’s hard to imagine the impact of this car back in the fifties when the zero to sixty dash in around 12 seconds was considered rapid. There’s an enormous amount of roll through the corners, of course but that’s what all cars of this period did. It’s no Mk2, of course, but better than an equivalent Rolls or Bentley and – happily – almost as comfortable and refined even if that old Moss gearbox can be hard work to use. However, most MkIXs will be self-shifters anyway.

Interestingly, despite the car’s size and weight, braking qualities have never been an issue; whether they are early drums or later discs, the system is efficient enough as long as due respect is given (and can be uprated if desired).

There’s heaps of room inside – how often can you say that about a Jag – for up to six if the bench front seat is fitted (autos).

As one of the fastest, largest and most luxurious cars of its era, any tester who got their hands on a MkVII, MkVIII or MkIX in period, invariably came away gushing about its brilliance. After all, as some of the most capable cars in their day, few rivals offered such a wide range of talents.

In 1952, The Autocar ran a MkVII on a long-term test, reporting on it after 16,000 miles – including entering it into the 1952 Alpine Rally! It was on this event that the car’s low gearing became apparent; a lack of power assistance on these early cars meant the driver was rather busy on twisty Alpine bends, but in everyday driving it’s something that you soon get used to.

It helped that the wide range of seating adjustment – along with an adjustable steering column – allowed drivers to each find a comfortable driving position, so they could grip the steering wheel firmly. Meanwhile, the fitment of a servo for the all-round drum brakes helped to reduce pedal pressures, the system allowing the MkVII to pull up squarely, time after time.

What impressed the most though, was the MkVII’s comfort levels, the Jaguar swallowing four of five occupants – along with their luggage – with ease. The suspension soaked up the bumps no matter how bad, and maintaining an 80-85mph cruise was something the car thrived on like few others. Predictably though, fuel economy could take a bashing with all this high-speed driving – consumption could be anywhere between 16mpg and 22mpg, with 18mpg being fairly typical for most users.

If the MkVII had impressed the Autocar chaps, the MkIX was even better. When it arrived in 1958, the magazine gushed: “Designs for a car to suit all tastes, requirements and bank balances are beyond the capabilities of the most brilliant engineers, yet a select few of the motoring world’s current products are distinguished by their exceptional combination of virtues and abilities. Of truly international good repute in the large-car category, Jaguars offer an unparalleled synthesis of comfort, high performance, quality and value for money. Of the range, the most luxurious is the MkIX saloon, introduced at Earls Court this year to supplement the MkVIII”.

The magazine went on: “It is to the joint credit of the engine and transmission partnership that the MkIX’s passengers are rarely aware of the rate at which they are swept away from a standstill. Without any sports car kick in the back, the Jaguar will defeat practically all competition from traffic lights to reach 30mph regularly in just about four seconds, regardless of the driver’s skill and experience”.

While the MkIX was noticeably swifter than its forebears, it was also thirstier; in the hands of that weekly it averaged around 14mpg – about what you’d get from an XJ12. However, it was clear from the review that the Jaguar was hammered pretty mercilessly for much of the time – and with a kerb weight of almost two tonnes, that was bound to take its toll at the pumps…

PRICES

Simon Whitworth runs Worcester Classic Spares (http://www.worcesterclassicspares.com), and is one of the few specialists for these cars as many only deal in the XKs sports cars or the Mk1and Mk2 saloons. He told us: “Values of these Jaguars have climbed significantly in recent years – especially at the top end. The best examples are now touching £35,000, but such cars rarely come onto the market. You’re more likely to find average cars for £15,000-£23,000, with the MkVIII worth a little less than the MkVII and MkIX”.

The MkVIII fetches around 10 per cent less because it’s something of an in-between edition. The MkVII is popular with those who want to take part in historic motorsport; there’s been at least one of these big Jags competing in the Mille Miglia for the past three years. Because it shares quite a few parts with the XK120, it’s also the MkVII that the purists like.

Meanwhile, the MkIX is the ultimate variation on the theme as it featured a 3.8-litre engine in place of the 3.4-litre unit of earlier editions – it’s also fitted with disc brakes all round. The MkVIII has drum brakes, but if properly maintained they’re perfectly up to the job – so if you want the most car for your money, it’s arguably this model you should be homing in on.

However, as Simon Whitworth confirms, there’s an element of taking whatever you can get. He says: “So few of these cars change hands every year that’s it’s very hard to come up with definitive values, but the trend is up across the board. Also, a car’s history and how many miles it’s done can make a big difference to its worth”.

Simon confirms that it can still be worth importing a car from Australia or the US, although you need to buy with care. Bring in something that’s left-hand drive and it’ll probably cost too much to convert to right-hand drive, unless you’ve already got a RHD donor car available. Don’t expect to pick up a parts car readily though – and when they do crop up they can be pricey.

Says Simon: “We used to buy two or three breakers each year, but eBay has pushed up values of such cars because they provide the perfect running gear for a C-Type replica. As a result, while we wouldn’t pay more than £1500 for a breaker, some cars are going for twice that”.

Cars with a manual/overdrive transmission are the most desirable, but they’re not necessarily worth a premium – they’re just easier to sell.

IMPROVEMENTS

Aside from the usual upgrades that you can apply to any fifties’ classic – such as improved lighting and electronic ignition – one of the few worthwhile conversions that it’s worth considering is the adoption of disc brakes on the MkVII and MkVIII. They’re not actually needed as such, because a properly maintained drum set-up is adequate – but the disc system offers more reassuring stopping power, and these are very big cars. However, converting can cost up to £2000. Handling can be sharpened with harder dampers and springs. As the engine is the wonderful XK there’s a lot of potential but the fuel returns won’t be liked. If it needs a new unit anyway, then the lustier 4.2 engine from a MkX/XJ6 seems a good move.

Three Of A Kind

ARMSTRONG-SIDDELEY SAPPHIRE 346

Few car makers were as conservative as Armstrong- Siddeley, and with the firm’s last car having been built more than 50 years ago, it’s something of a left-field marque. But a thriving owners’ club and keen pricing for models such as the Sapphire 346 ensure the cars are worth a closer look. A smooth, 3.4-litre straight-six gives 95mph while there’s ample space for five to travel in comfort. Spares and help isn’t much of a problem and they ooze class.

AUSTIN A125/A135

As with the Jaguars, these fabulous coachbuilt machines offer class, presence and comfort at tempting prices. From 1947 to 1956 they were sold as Austins; from 1957 they were badged Vanden Plas in a bid to take them upmarket. Power came from a 4.0-litre straight-six that was also used by Jensen (see feature elsewhere) with a choice of saloon, landaulette or limousine all offered; none are worth a lot now, although values are creeping up.

ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER CLOUD

The Silver Cloud marked the start of a new era for Rolls-Royce, with bodies now built in-house. But the car retained the marque’s core values of comfort, space, performance and refinement. They’re worth a lot more than the Jaguar MkVII-MkIX and values are climbing, especially for the coachbuilt models. The Cloud I and II have a smooth and silent six-cylinder engine; the Cloud III features a pokier if less refined V8. Don’t forget the identical Bentley models.