Jaguar Mark IV
Encyclopedia
The Jaguar Mark IV is a saloon car built by Jaguar from 1945 to 1949. It was a relaunch of a pre-Second World War model made by SS Cars Ltd
from 1936.
Before the Second World War the name Jaguar was the model name given to the complete range of cars built by SS Cars Ltd. The saloons were titled SS Jaguar 1½ litre, 2½ litre or 3½ litre. The two-seater sports car was titled the SS Jaguar 100 2½ litre or 3½ litre.
After the war the company name was changed to Jaguar Cars Ltd. Although the post-war saloons were officially the Jaguar 1½ litre, 2½ litre etc., the term "Mark IV" was sometimes applied retrospectively by the trade to differentiate them from the officially named Mark V.
All the cars were built on a separate chassis frame with suspension by semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear.
engine but from 1938 this was replaced by a 1776 cc overhead-valve unit still from Standard
who also supplied the four-speed manual transmission
.
Pre-war the car was available as a saloon or drophead coupé but post war only the closed model was made. Up to 1938 body construction on all the models was by the traditional steel on wood method but in that year it changed to all steel. Performance was not a strong point but 70 mi/h was possible: the car featured the same cabin dimensions and well-appointed interior as its longer-engined brothers.
Despite its lack of out-and-out performance, a report of the time, comparing the 4-cylinder 1½-litre with its 6-cylinder siblings, opined that the smallest-engined version of the car was "as is often the case ... the sweetest running car" with a "big car cruising gait in the sixties".
Mechanically operated brakes using a Girling system were fitted.
The chassis was originally of 119 in (3,022.6 mm) but grew by an inch (25 mm) in 1938 to 120 in (3,048 mm). The extra length over the 1½ Litre was used for the six-cylinder engine and the passenger accommodation was the same size.
SS Cars Ltd
SS Cars Ltd was a British car maker. It grew out of the Swallow Sidecar Company and was first registered under the new name in 1934. Some conjecture to the origins of the SS name exist, It was John Black who when asked the meaning of SS said it has always stood for Standard Swallow...
from 1936.
Before the Second World War the name Jaguar was the model name given to the complete range of cars built by SS Cars Ltd. The saloons were titled SS Jaguar 1½ litre, 2½ litre or 3½ litre. The two-seater sports car was titled the SS Jaguar 100 2½ litre or 3½ litre.
After the war the company name was changed to Jaguar Cars Ltd. Although the post-war saloons were officially the Jaguar 1½ litre, 2½ litre etc., the term "Mark IV" was sometimes applied retrospectively by the trade to differentiate them from the officially named Mark V.
All the cars were built on a separate chassis frame with suspension by semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear.
SS Jaguar and Jaguar Mk IV 1½ Litre
The smallest model of the range originally featured a 1608 cc side valve StandardStandard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
engine but from 1938 this was replaced by a 1776 cc overhead-valve unit still from Standard
Standard Flying Fourteen
The Standard Fourteen is a five seater family car produced by the British Standard Motor Company from 1937 to 1939 . It was sometimes called the Standard Flying Fourteen because it represented a move away from the very perpendicular look of many cars at the start of the 1930s to a more...
who also supplied the four-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
.
Pre-war the car was available as a saloon or drophead coupé but post war only the closed model was made. Up to 1938 body construction on all the models was by the traditional steel on wood method but in that year it changed to all steel. Performance was not a strong point but 70 mi/h was possible: the car featured the same cabin dimensions and well-appointed interior as its longer-engined brothers.
Despite its lack of out-and-out performance, a report of the time, comparing the 4-cylinder 1½-litre with its 6-cylinder siblings, opined that the smallest-engined version of the car was "as is often the case ... the sweetest running car" with a "big car cruising gait in the sixties".
Mechanically operated brakes using a Girling system were fitted.
SS Jaguar and Jaguar Mk IV 2½ Litre
Again the engine was sourced from Standard but had the cylinder head reworked by SS to give 105 bhp. Unlike the 1½ Litre there were some drophead models made post-war.The chassis was originally of 119 in (3,022.6 mm) but grew by an inch (25 mm) in 1938 to 120 in (3,048 mm). The extra length over the 1½ Litre was used for the six-cylinder engine and the passenger accommodation was the same size.
SS Jaguar and Jaguar Mk IV 3½ Litre
The 3½ Litre, introduced in 1938, was essentially the same body and chassis as the 2½ Litre but the larger 125 bhp engine gave better performance but at the expense of economy. The rear axle ratio was 4.25:1 as opposed to the 4.5:1 on the 2½ Litre.