Property of a deceased's estate
c.1947 Jaguar 2½-Litre 'Mark IV' Saloon
Registration no. GRU 575
Chassis no. 510568
Engine no. P586

Like the majority of Britain's motor manufacturers, Jaguar Cars, as William Lyons' SS concern had been renamed in 1945, commenced post-war production with a range of pre-war designs. Essentially stopgap models pending the arrival of an entirely new generation of Jaguars, these comprised the compact 1½-Litre and the larger 2½/3½-Litre model. The latter was retrospectively known as the 'Mark IV' after the Mark V's introduction in 1948, although this was never a factory designation. Built on a generous 120" wheelbase, the 'Mark IV' retained a separate chassis featuring beam front and live rear axle suspension, semi-elliptic springing and Girling mechanical brakes. The stylish all-steel coachwork was available in saloon or drophead coupé forms and featured the kind of luxurious and well-appointed interior that would become a Jaguar hallmark. Used by SS Cars since 1934, the engine was Standard's rugged seven-bearing six fitted with a Weslake overhead-valve cylinder head and coupled to a four-speed manual gearbox. Standard boss Sir John Black had indicated that the larger engines would no longer be available once peace returned, so Lyons bought the tooling and brought their production in house, relying on Standard only for the 1½-litre unit. In 3½-litre form the Jaguar six produced 125bhp, an output good enough to propel the sturdily built Mark IV to over 90mph.

This particular Jaguar 2½-Litre saloon is offered for sale following the death of its owner, who is believed to have owned it since the 1960s. Well stored and apparently fundamentally sound, the car was last used in 1978 and will require re-commissioning before returning to the road. The interior trim appears original and is in very good order, while tool kit is almost complete. It is hoped that documents and further information regarding its history will have come to light by time of sale.