Jaguar Mark 2

Mark 2 at a glance

The Mark 2 is listed in our Jaguar catalogue. Its XK engine first appeared in the Jaguar XK120 sports car, and the company's origins are told in our article on Swallow Sidecars and SS Cars.

Development and production history

Jaguar introduced its first compact monocoque saloons in 1955; the 2.4 and 3.4 of 1955–1959 are now called the Mark 1. The Mark 2 was announced in October 1959 and was Jaguar's big new car of that year. It kept the basic bodyshell but gave it a much lighter look: the glass area grew by 18 per cent, the windscreen was wider, the front pillars slimmer and the rear window wrapped around. The front suspension geometry was revised and the rear track was widened.

The 3.8 was the fastest version. Wikipedia DE notes that it remained the fastest four-door production car until 1964. In the United States the car was sold as the Jaguar 3.8 Sedan.

Design and engineering

The Mark 2 kept a live rear axle located by a Panhard rod, with wishbone front suspension. Dunlop disc brakes at all four wheels were standard. Power steering, overdrive and an automatic gearbox were options. The standard tyres were Dunlop 6.40H15 cross-plies, with Pirelli 185VR15 radials as an option.

The interior followed the Jaguar formula of leather seats and walnut veneer; Classics World counts almost 30 separate pieces of walnut trim. The 240 and 340 of 1967 cut costs with Ambla vinyl instead of leather, tufted carpets and air vents in place of the fog lamps.

Engine and drivetrain

All Mark 2s use the twin-cam XK straight-six in three sizes:

• 2.4 (2,483 cc): 89 kW (120 bhp) at 5,750 rpm with twin Solex carburettors.
• 3.4 (3,442 cc): 157 kW (210 bhp gross) with twin SU HD6 carburettors.
• 3.8 (3,781 cc): 164 kW (220 bhp gross) with twin SU HD6s, about 22 kW (30 bhp) less than the E-Type's 3.8; Wikipedia estimates about 142 kW (190 bhp) DIN. A limited-slip differential was standard.
• 240 (1967–1969): the 2.4 with a straight-port head and twin SU HS6 carburettors, 99 kW (133 bhp) at 5,500 rpm.

The four-speed Moss gearbox had no synchromesh on first gear. From September 1965 Jaguar fitted its own all-synchromesh box. Overdrive was an option, and the automatic was a Borg-Warner unit (type 35 according to Wikipedia EN, DG according to Classics World).

Jaguar Mark 2 specifications

The 3.8 needed 8.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph; the 3.4 automatic tested by The Motor took 11.9 seconds. The 2.4 only passed 160 km/h (100 mph) in its later 240 form.

Variants and derivatives

Production figures differ by source: Wikipedia DE gives 88,927 cars for 1959–1969, with 30,627 of the 3.8, 29,318 of the 3.4 and 28,982 of the 2.4. The table uses the figures of Wikipedia EN and Classics World.

Racing, police cars and Inspector Morse

The 3.8 was a front-runner in saloon-car racing in the early 1960s:

• 1962 Australian Touring Car Championship – Bob Jane;
• 1962 Six Hours international saloon race – Michael Parkes and Jimmy Blumer;
• 1963 European Touring Car Challenge – Peter Nöcker;
• 1963 Australian Touring Car Championship – Bob Jane again, with a 4.1-litre engine;
• 1963 Brands Hatch 6 Hours – Roy Salvadori and Denny Hulme.

British police used Mark 2s on the new motorways, and its speed also made it a popular getaway car. On television, a Regency red 1960 Mark 2 became famous in Inspector Morse; given away in 2002, it sold for more than £100,000 in November 2005.

Later Jaguars borrowed the look: the second S-Type of 1999 took cues from the Mark 2, and the Japanese Mitsuoka Viewt of 1994 is a small hatchback with Mark 2-inspired styling. The Mark 2's successor as Jaguar's main saloon was the Jaguar XJ, launched in 1968; the wider history is in our history of Jaguar.

Prices then and now

In 1961 The Motor's 3.4 automatic test car cost £1,951 including £614 of purchase tax. The 240 sold for £1,364 in 1969. Classics World reported a 3.8 sold for £93,500 at Silverstone Auctions in May 2020. Excellent 3.8s and 3.4s were exceeding £50,000 in 2020. Most cars sold for under £30,000 in 2020, and that figure was also the usual ceiling for a 2.4 or 240.

Collecting a Mark 2 today: what to check

Classics World's buying guide lists the main checks:

• Rust: front chassis legs and jacking points by the A-posts, sills (repairs must be done on a jig), rear spring hangers, the Panhard rod mounting, floor pans and the bottoms of doors and boot lid.
• Authenticity: a genuine 3.8 has a chassis number beginning with "2"; some "3.8s" are built on 2.4 or Daimler shells.
• Engine: oil pressure of at least 40 psi (about 2.8 bar) when cruising; aluminium heads can corrode if the antifreeze is neglected.
• Gearbox: the Moss box of pre-September 1965 cars is slow but should not jump out of gear; parts are getting scarce.
• Interior: water damage to the walnut veneer and headlinings is expensive to put right.

Parts supply is good overall, and specialists support both the manual and automatic cars. For other classic saloons, see our classics section.

Photo gallery