1956 JAGUAR MK1

1956 JAGUAR MK1

1956 JAGUAR MK1

1956 JAGUAR MK1

Introduced at the October 1955 Earl's Court Motor Show, the MKI 2.4 litre was intended to broaden Jaguar's appeal beyond the volatile luxury and sportscar market sectors. Notable as the Coventry manufacturer's first monocoque design, it was equipped with independent coil and wishbone front suspension, a Panhard rod-located leaf-sprung back axle and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes (though, vacuum assisted discs soon became optional).

SPECIFICATION:The old 2.4 and 3.4 engines were carried over to the newer model with the 2.4 getting a power hike to 120 bhp, but now there was a new top spec engine. The 3.8-litre used in the XK150 the year before was now put in to the Jaguar 3.8 Mkll and was rated at 220 bhp. Prices for the 3.8 started at just below £1,800 in the UK and it had virtually no competition. With a top speed of 125 mph and 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds the 3.8 is one of the cars that established Jaguars reputation for elegant performance. With 0-100 mph in 25.1 seconds the Jaguar was fast for its day in standard and there were plenty of people willing to improve upon those figures for money. And one of the best known was John Coombs, a Jaguar dealer from Guildford in Surrey.

DESIGN:Finished in Pearl Grey with red leather upholstery, it is variously described by the vendor as being in "very good" (four-speed manual gearbox, interior trim) or "excellent" (engine, electrical equipment, chassis, bodywork, paintwork, wheels / tyres) condition. Further vaunted as what "must be one of the best examples of a genuinely original MKI", the Jaguar is believed to have covered just 36,873 miles by the time it entered the current (second) ownership in January 2000. Documented via a series of MOT certificates, the four-door saloon has only added a further 5,000 miles to its odometer reading during the intervening seven years. To the best of the seller's knowledge, 'KHE 425' has been "garaged from new". Riding on correct type steel wheels, the MKI is thought to pleasingly retain its original upholstery, carpets, valve radio and cast-iron grille.