autoclassic.com :: The History of Jaguar Cars :: 1953


	classic car resources

	home I about I terms I disclaimer I contact	classic car resources


	features		search		contribute		advertise

build and manage your own web site with WordServer, easy to use web site design and content managment system

wordserver web site design and content management system

MYSAFEUK Stylish and Discreet Credit and Debit Card Holder

MYSAFEUK Credit Card Holder

The history of Jaguar	History Index I Jaguar Index

:1953 - 1963

In 1954 the XK120´s were superseded by the mechanically updated XK140´s fitted with the more powerful 190 bhp XK engine which had been used in the Special Equipment 120´s.

The new models were visually similar to their predecessors differing in external details only. The fixed head had an extended roof line and together with the Drophead Coupe, was given two small extra seats in the rear, suitable for children or adults for a short journey, but they made the XK´s a little more practical for the family man.

Overdrive was now an optional extra and the car could be ordered with a C-type head in which case power output was increased to 210 bhp. The price of the roadster, all but a handful of which were exported, was now £1,127 (plus tax). Special Equipment versions were known in the States as XK140M´s and, when fitted with the C-type head, as MC´s.

The XK140´s maintained the XK´s popularity but very few found their way into competition.

However, the C-type was just about to be superseded by the D-type. A prototype had made a couple of private appearances in 1953 and this was a halfway stage between the ´C´ and eventual ´D´ models.

The D-type was to break fresh ground as it was of largely monocoque construction. To this ´tub´ of magnesium alloy was attached a tubular front sub-frame which carried the engine, steering and front suspension. With its bag tanks for the fuel, the D-type borrowed a good deal from aircraft practice. It was created by Bill Heynes and Malcolm Sayer.

The new D-types were taken to Le Mans in 1954 with high hopes pinned upon them. Engine problems early on in the race were traced, rather suspiciously, to the presence of a fine grey sand in the fuel supplied. With the cause diagnosed the drivers began a valiant battle to make up lost ground. Hamilton and Rolt leading the charge in the ´D´ they were sharing.

Further frustration was experienced when Rolt was pushed off by a slower competitor and the heavens opened to almost flood the track - Hamilton was getting wheelspin at 170 mph! After many hours of driving as fast as they dared, during which the D-type ran faultlessly, they finished just one minute and 45 seconds adrift of the winning Ferrari after 24 hours.

Revenge was gained a few weeks later when Peter Whitehead and Ken Wharton won at the 12 hour race at Rheims.
Jaguar had now carved for itself a fine reputation. It had in production a superb large saloon and a very fine sports car, but it needed a high volume smaller car.
One million pounds in 1955 was a very significant amount and that was the investment expended on designing and developing Jaguar´s important new compact saloon.

The saloon´s unitary method of construction was a new venture for Jaguar. This type of body, in which the basic shell doubled as the chassis, had an advantage in that it saved weight and was inherently more rigid.

There were concerns that the new models might be too noisy, because unitary bodyshells often acted like steel drums when noise and vibration were fed into them. Here, Bob Knight founded his reputation for ride and refinement by insulating potentially noisy components from the bodyshell by the use of rubber mounting blocks, a technique still prominent in today´s assembly methods. When Heynes, Hassan and colleagues had first designed the XK engine the intention had been also to produce a four cylinder version, and indeed an XK100 was actually listed. This engine was considered for the small saloon but the refinement levels were not up to Jaguar´s requirements and high standards.

Consequently the decision was made to use a reduced version of the 3.4 litre six cylinder. Thus a 2.4 litre was produced and fitted to the new saloon, the model simply being known as the Jaguar 2.4. Indeed this was to be a most important model for Jaguar and would remain in production, in one form or another, for more than 10 years.

Le Mans 1955 had all the makings of a titanic struggle. British driver, Mike Hawthorn, joined the Jaguar team as Moss had moved to Mercedes-Benz in his quest for Grand Prix success. For the first hour or so a magnificent dice was fought by Castellotti in the Ferrari, Fangio in the Mercedes he was sharing with Moss and Hawthorn in a D-type.

The D-types´ had been revised and now wore ´long-nose´ bodywork to improve air penetration. A new ´wide angle´ cylinder head with increased valve sizes had been designed with a resultant increase in power to 275 bhp.

Sadly this was the year of the tragic crash with a large number of spectators killed when one of the Mercedes crashed into the crowd. Fangio and Hawthorn were locked in a most thrilling tussle, passing and re-passing until the remaining Mercedes were with-drawn. Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb went on to a rather empty victory.

Just as Jaguar had manufactured a small quantity of ´Production C-types´ so they now began selling a limited number of ´Production D-types´. Again these were mainly intended for competition use. Of the 42 made, some 18 were exported to the States.

The big Mark VII´s were showing that they could also be used to good effect in competition. Indeed Ronnie Adams crowned a number of successes with victory in the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally. Jaguar thus became the first manufacturer ever to win both Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally in the same year.
Indeed 1956 was a very special year for Jaguar and Sir William Lyons, for such he had been bestowed in the New Year´s Honours´ List.
Le Mans that year was a curious one for Jaguar. On the second lap two of the cars collided with each other in the Esses and the third was put out of contention by a split fuel line. It would have been a complete disaster had it not been for the fact that Jaguar had, in effect, a back-up team. A private Scottish team by the name of Ecurie Ecosse had been racing Jaguar´s for several years and were running two D-types. Luckily for Jaguar the one driven by Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson crossed the line in first position.

Late in 1956 the Mark VII was replaced by the evolutionary Mark VIII. In appearance the car benefited from being given a one-piece windscreen, and the radiator grille was altered.

Mechanically the car was given a new cylinder head christened the B-type, illogically following the C-type! This new head had an altered valve angle and enabled the engine to produce 210 bhp.

Around this time the very exciting XK-SS, a road-going version of the D-type, with refinements, was produced. Amazingly, this was to use up D-type parts which were surplus because of poor sales of that model! However, XK-SS production was abruptly halted after just 16 had been made due to an enormous, and potentially catastrophic, fire at the factory. Luckily damage was reasonably restricted, and with marvellous co-operation from workforce and suppliers, normal production was resumed remarkably swiftly. But the vital jigs for the D-types and XK-SS´s had been destroyed.

The same near-disaster almost ruined the launch of a new sister for the 2.4 saloon. Logically, Jaguar had decided to fit the 3.4 engine in the saloon body and this made a very sprightly sporting saloon. Maximum speed was 120 mph and 60 mph could be reached in just 11.7 seconds.

Having developed disc brakes in the best testing conditions possible - endurance racing - Jaguar were ready to fit them to production cars and the first models to benefit were the new XK150´s in May, 1957.

Apart from the XK140 engine, which produced 190 bhp, the 150 could also be purchased in Special Equipment guise. Fitted with the 210 bhp B-type engine. Braking had never been the XK´s strongest point and with performance and weight gradually increasing the new disc brakes adequately provided much needed improvement.

At the end of 1956 Jaguar announced that it intended retiring from motor racing, at least for a year or so. The small engineering team was hard-pressed to maintain Jaguar´s outstanding record on the track, and also design and develop new road cars.

There were no factory D-types at Le Mans in 1957, but there were private entries and Ecurie Ecosse had a pair of ex-works cars out once more. All five D-types finished, the Ecurie Ecosse cars driven by Flockhart and Bueb and Sanderson and Lawrence, taking the first two places, the French duo of Lucas and Mary third, and the Belgian pairing of Frere and Rousselle fourth. Duncan Hamilton and American Masten Gregory, though the fastest, were delayed when the exhaust burnt a hole in the floor, and came home sixth.

That same year it had been decided to mount a challenge race between the best of Europe and the fastest Indianapolis cars from the States. Billed as the ´Race of Two Worlds´ it was to be held on the banked track at Monza in Italy and was given the name, Monzanapolis!

With the exception of Ecurie Ecosse, the European teams boycotted the event. The US cars were designed specifically for this type of event but only three of their eight starters were still running at the finish. The three D-types, two of which had just completed 24 hours of racing, ran faultlessly and finished 4th, 5th and 6th.

In early 1958 the roadster version of the XK150 joined the other two body styles in answer to demand from the States. This roadster, had the luxury of wind up windows and a less crude hood.

Coincidental with the launch of the XK150 Roadster was the introduction of the ´S´ variant with a new cylinder head developed by Harry Weslake. This was known as the ´straight port head´ and, with three SU carburettors, increased power considerably to 250 bhp. With this engine the XK150 could attain 133 mph and reach 50 mph from stationary in just 7.3 seconds. Soon afterwards the ´S´ engine became available in the other XK150´s.

At the 1958 Motor Show the Mark VIII was succeeded by the Mark IX. Visually the cars were virtually identical, but the new car was given an enlarged 3.8 litre version of the trusty XK engine and disc brakes. Power assisted steering was also offered.

During ´59 it was the turn of the small saloons to receive attention and a vastly improved Mark II model was announced towards the end of the year, these benefiting from an increased rear track and disc brakes fitted as standard. The changes that were most apparent, however, were in appearance, with the glass area being increased significantly by using slender roof supports.

The 120 bhp 2.4 litre and 210 bhp 3.4 litre models continued to be offered, but were joined by a racy stablemate in the shape of the new 3.8 litre. With 220 bhp on tap this turned the already rapid small Jaguars into businessmen´s expresses which cost only £1,842.

As the horsepower race continued to hot up in the States, Jaguar countered once again by offering the new 3.8 litre engine in the XK150 from 1960. This could also be had in triple carburettor 265 bhp ´S´ form giving a top speed of 136 mph.

Not surprisingly, a number of Mark I´s and II´s, were raced. Their successes were prodigious and examples were driven by top Grand Prix drivers of the day, such as Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Roy Salvadori, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Mike Parkes.

A positive plethora of rallying successes were gained with overall success in the Tulip Rally for the Morley brothers in 1958 and team prizes and class wins in the Monte Carlo, RAC and Alpine Rallies. Five successive victories were gained in the increasingly tough Tour de France. The 1963 event, which saw Jaguar´s last victory, consisted of 3,600 miles of high speed motoring.

Touring car races were won in Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, and International Long-Distance Records set in Italy. In the UK the Mark II´s kept up Jaguar´s tradition of winning the Production Car race every year at Silverstone and in 1961 took the company´s 13th annual win. In 1960 Jaguar purchased the motor pioneer firm of Daimler. Jaguar needed more space and Daimler had a large factory in Coventry, to which engine manufacture would subsequently be transferred.

Our thanks to Jaguar for providing this history content.

Please take the time to visit jaguar at http://www.jaguar.com/uk

autoclassic.com :: classic car resources

home I top I features I search I contribute I advertise I about I terms I disclaimer I contact


	site designed and managed by astutech ltd with elements powered by wordserver 1.1	© copyright astutech ltd 2002 I e-mail: info@autoclassic.com