How Jag Made A Humble Saloon Quicker Than Most Sports Cars - Jaguar MK2
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- Опубликовано: 26 апр 2023
- The Jaguar MK2 goes back to a time when Jaguar was making the best a fastest saloon cars in the world. They were so quick in fact that it was the bank robbers favourite car. Linked to the Great Train Robbery and numerous other heists in the UK, it was so fast the Police had to buy them too.
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Roy James letter: www.topgearbox.com/cars/enter...
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Did this car have PAS?
Had a 3.4 Mk2 with overdrive in the late 60's. Was visiting a friend in north London and the car was stolen, reported it to the police but heard nothing for a couple of weeks. I then had a visit from 'the sweeney' as my car had been involved in 2 post office robberies and it took some explaining that I had been working in Birmingham at the time. I eventually got my car back, covered in fingerprint dust but all my personal bits and bobs were packed in newspaper in the boot and they had changed the oil, filters and plugs and it still had half a tank of petrol. I regarded it as a hire not a robbery!
Seems the "crooks" in those days had a touch of class about them !!
Would have been torched these days 😢
I guess it is torched now a days to hide the DNA. Not a concern in the 60's.
@@stupitdog9686 don’t romanticise them. No better or worse
@@stupitdog9686 Well, I expect they didn't want to risk breaking down, or run out of petrol as they made their getaway.
My favourite of all the Jags by a mile.
Hi Jack from Sydney, Australia. In my late 60's now I had grown up as a kid with this era Jaguar, but the BIG one , a Mark10. Special ordered by mum and collected in person in November 1961 from the Jaguar factory in Coventry. She owned it near 10 years. A more refined car that the way cheaper mk2, as the MK10 has the excellent IRS , also a reasonably quick ratio power steering box as well, PLUS ex-factory from new you could order it with KONI gas shocks, they kill all wallow , stiffen all the coil overs so the car can be driven like the world's largest sports car , which the MK10 was, it created its own class of car, a Sports Luxury sedan. Nothing else from any country nor manufacturer could touch it, 265hp in base "granny" spec' and this could be well tweaked. 4 wheel disc brakes, cross flow radiator to stop overheating, with a wide track and a long wheelbase. Properly set up with all the extra higher performance gear it was untouchable. Mum put over 200,000miles on it & it was flawless she sold it to a friend and bought a new Benz W111 280SEC 3.5 v8 convertible coupe. What an unreliable pig the Benz was 2 NEW ENGINES in a new car in 17months. Both the first 2 blew cylinder head gaskets at around 4,000 miles, then electrical problems, then hydraulic ram problems with power roof, as a solicitor she had a legal war with M-B Aus' & won with them forced to buy it back & cover all costs, registration, insurance, etc. She was just able to order a last of MK10 when renamed 420G a 1971 model the build finished at Jaguar works in March 1971 she kept it for 30 years.
I own one as well a 1967 model, I am the second owner , bought by me in 2012 with a mere 50,020 miles, drives like a new car. In 1975 I bought a 10 year old 1965 4.2litre MK10 also one owner, drove it for some years & replaced it with a 5 year old one owner rare series 1 long wheelbase XJ6. I owned the s1 XJ6 long for 32 years & sold it when I had the opportunity to buy the "almost like new" mk10/420G as they are the better car, Jaguars premium product as the mk2 was the base or entry level car where a mk10 came stocked in base spec with MORE of everything most of all power. A "beefed" up mk10/420G with wider stance & longer wheelbase, the heavier duty factory coil springs with the optional thicker sway bar, and KONI gas shocks drives way better, with ALL the 4.2 litre cars you got the very accurate Ad-West engineering Marles Vari-matic steering box, also all the 4.2's had the better brakes than the earlier 3.8 mk10's and those were way better than any brakes on the mk2's of any engine capacity. I drive my '67 model all the time, I have added 40,000 miles in 10 years with the beefy suspension , and the high output bronze head this has serious punch, a wolf in sheep's clothing and will shame many modern cars in a full sized classic car that handles modern traffic better than a lot of modern cars. PLUS put it on a windy bendy road and it comes into its own zone, it can be hustled with neutral flat cornering dynamics with no vices of any kind and quick ratio steering, like a train on tracks. I also made certain when I bought it new tyres were fitted that were the correct profile and wall ply thickness/strength both the tread and walls should be 6 ply this gives you factory correct handling. It really really annoys me when people fit 4 ply tread & 2 ply wall tyres to heavy, or luxury sports cars because they are too mean to buy the correct ones , endangering them, their passengers and other road users or fit modern stupidly huge wheels with teeny tiny tyres which are not weight or speed compliant to the car, then wonder why their new wheels develop stress fractures on them
I worship the Mark X/ 420G myself here in America… what Majestic creatures!
Hey thanks for all the memories and tips about your own car!! Big wave to Australia 🇦🇺!!
By comparison ANYTHING else on offer in Australia mid to late 60s the Mk2 Jaguar was far FAR Better by a Country Mile than Holden or Fords offerings!!!!!!! They were not even in the same league NOT EVEN CLOSE NO were Near it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or you choose a BL Kimberly or a Marina 🤣🤣OR a some BIG barge from USA!!!!! I know which i would grab 🦁
@@gkstanfield Hi Grant , they ARE majestic. I was lucky to grow up with a mum & a dad who were both from well off families. My paternal granddad had bought new a 1955 Mercedes 300C the large 50's predecessor to the 1960's "dictators special" the 600's. My mums folks had two lovely cars a then near new black 1956 Packard Patrician plus their previous new car gigantic 1934 Airflow Imperial Custom the ULTRA version of all Airflows, the longest most opulent & powerful (we still own it mum & self). When I was a little kid mum bid at an auction on a 49 Hudson Commodore eight with custom Derham rear treatment eliminating the rear windows , a gun-slit of a rear window plus padded black leatherette roof covering I saw it as a 6 year old at the auction and it was unforgettable in all black. The black '61 mark10 was the next best thing. When I first saw our big new mk10 in November '61 I was almost 7 yrs old & I was hooked, the interior both elaborate & beautiful also with the padded leather front console that no other cars had making it like a cockpit to sit in. Also the big high performance bronze head 6 cylinder XK engines have their own unique subdued "growly" sound and pack a 340 hp punch too. after near 10 years & 200,000miles use she replaced it with a big Merc' convertible for the matter of months, it was a giant let down, a total dud of a car. After just 17months it was replaced with a opalescent gunmetal grey '71 420G /mk10 it came with the newer & better automatic, power booster brakes, & the accurate Melbourne, Aust' made steering with few turns lock to lock & accuracy too. These 3 things transformed the cars all 4.2 litre cars have them whether 4.2 mk10's or 4.2 420G's.
both my first one in 1975, a 4.2 mk10 & my second one in 2012 a 420G have both been cream with "ox-blood" leather seats a really dark maroon. I was just the second owner of each, both benefitted by having sedate doctors as owners, my own profession who lovingly looked after them like I do to.
Ordered with the right factory options they are way better than anything else from the time, looked after carefully with just oil; & water changed on or before time they just last & last .
I have two other "monsters" that I love just as much & HERE in Australia EXTREMELY rare as they were CKD kit cars to be built here at GM's Pagewood Sydney plant as right hand drive cars being completely knocked down as "bits & pieces" to assemble. Near identical, one is a white 1972 car & the other a black 1974 car , Cadillac Fleetwoods, '72 70th Anniversary car& a black '74 Talisman.
So Grant the aussie versions are full power export engine cars not detuned anti-pollution versions for the US home market. So when you put your foot down you have a FULL 8.2 litres underfoot not a lily-livered version. The first one I saw was the bigger type 75 Limousine in 1971 the new US ambassador's car in a very dark enamel blue with no vinyl roof , the new fuselage look body being similar to the mk10/420G Jaguars, also I liked the tall side windows which give a spacious interior feel to them. Then a few months later I saw a black 60 special fleetwood Brougham with the unusual thick centre B post and the very curved profile side glass & padded turrets, beautiful in a subtle paint color within a couple of months I Have been driving my black '74 Talisman for 41years! Also Majestic in black paint & padded roof turret with "gold" (mustard) color leather seats classy in a way few cars are. Its prior owner ordered EVERY option except 2 a external thermometre in the driver rearview mirror & sunroof. Selecting useful modern items like GM's Trackmaster ABS brake & traction control system and GM's early SRS Airbags "air cushion restraint system". Additionally he'd marked delete all badging and excess chrome scripts, opera lights etc so it is discrete, not knowing what it is people always ask. It still looks like new, I knew I would not get another as time marched on I found out that in 1974 Holdens-GM Australia ordered just 3 Talisman kits to build as special orders and approximately two dozen standard Fleetwood Brougham kits. Mine is the only Talisman remaining. One cars owner died & daughter left it sitting outside in the elements for years and now beyond redemption, the other was driven by an idiot after bursting either a radiator hose or radiator and seized the engine both are now in breakers yards awaiting their fate as they are picked over for parts, shame on their owners !
A dear friend of mine from Hastings collected 'distressed' Jags and restored them back to original specs - "low bake" paint and all. He had restored 35 of them by the time he passed away. He told me that Jags were considered to be "...a bit of a hooligan car". From your video I can now see why. Love the historic back story!
Anybody remember Joey and his black Jag in _Bread_ ?
"Hooligan car"? Naw naw naw. Class, mate. Class all the way.
One of the best looking and most elegant 4 door sedans ever made. The Jag interior has never been equaled. Stirling Moss drove these in Salon races, Mike Hawthorn died behind the wheel of one while racing against a 300SL on a rainy night, and Charles Bronson drove one of these for years, and courted his wife, Jill Ireland, in one...meeting at the SunFax market in Hollywood. This is the first car that comes to mind when I think "England." Thank you giving this one its moment in the sun.
Your Sister??????
@@stupitdog9686 No, both in the same business but no relationship beyond that.
Hawthorn died in a Mk1.
Although Hawthorn died in a Mk1 I have heard he had one of the first Mk2s on order at the time of his death
My maths teacher in highschool had a MK2 , not sure if it was a 3.8 but never the less he was a cool math's teacher!
Cracking stuff as always Jack buddy 👏👍
Oo a proper Jag, shall grab a coffee and enjoy this one 😋
Such a beautiful machine if only they still made cars this beautiful
An uncle of mine bought a new 3.4 Mk2 in 1964. I was 7 at the time. My cousin, who was a year older and I used to hang on to avoid sliding across the back seat on corners. It was in pale blue with grey upholstery, steel wheels with hub caps and a manual gearbox. He replaced it in 1968 with a 3.8 S-type in very similar colours and trim to the one in the video. This one was automic with wire wheels. That was his last Jaag, being replaced in 1973 with a BMW 3.0 S auto, followed by a Silver Shadow and various S Class Mercedes. But it was the Jags that stuck in my mind with the peculiar whine and smell of leather that remained. They also, from the back seat, seemed really fast, but I think that maybe that was because the rev counter was calibrated in 500 rev increments rather than 1000 revs so the needle climbed the tacho more quickly.
Great sounding motor 👍🏻
"Ere, mate, knock over a free-eight Jag for our next bank job".
I remember reading somewhere that a brand new Lotus Cortina was involved in this caper. More information can be had if one Googles this.
Great video, Jack. Thanks!
These cars were incredible value at the time. My Dad owned a number of them (not at the same time). They were in short supply, so you could use them for 2 years and sell them with little depreciation. I agree the 3.8 MkII was the best, especially in the deep gold colour, so appropriate for the 1960's. The sheer gorgeousness of the leather seats, walnut veneered dash and beautiful Smiths instruments were exquisite - almost up to Bently standards. Happy memories!
My pal, Dai Powell had one of these, in navy blue. I recall attending my uncle Ronnie's funeral in 1987 in a Daimler limousine mourners' car, which had an equally massive lock to lock steering box. There's a RUclips video of a modded mk2 with a rack and pinion conversion, along with rear suspension changes, a 4.2 engine with a racier camshaft and a ZF 5 speed gearbox, giving a top gear ratio of over 30 MPH per 1000 RPM.
My father was a sales manager in the 60s doing a large mileage and had two of these in succession. On one occasion going to a factory appointment in Leeds he got lost and pulled off into a cul-de-sac that ended with a high brick wall to get his map out. Having sorted himself out he was just about to start up and leave when two police motorcycles came zooming up and blocked him in. When he wound down the window to acquire their first response was "waiting for one of your mates?". It turned out that he had unknowingly parked under the wall of Leeds jail.
Amazingly as a newly qualified teenager I was allowed to drive it. This included two trips round Sweden which at the time had no upper speed limit and a fair proportion of the roads of the northern half of the country were loose dirt services. Most fun I've ever had in a car.
I still have a "thing" for Mk2 Jags all these years later. I raced one on oval tracks in NZ way back in 73 & 74 & did quite well with it. I ran the national champs race with it in 74 & the dealer backed Mk2 from Archer & Lupp was there too. They looked down their noses at my home built Junk & they had a bit of a laugh about it but their smirk went away when I passed their pretty car in the first heat then I really pissed them off when I lapped them in the feature. The chain driven blower from a Commer Knocker diesel with a 4 barrel Chevy carb on a 3-1/2 liter blew the doors off their triple Weber 4.2.🧐
Jack, I owned two '66 'S type' manual overdrive Jags with both 3.4 & 3.8 engines, what I found was that the 3.4 albeit a little less HP and torque was a lovely smooth and happy to rev engine and, compared to the 3.8 capable of better mpg if you wanted it. Love that old manual MK2 it looks in nice fettle, still a thing of beauty, even today. It's been fitted with 4.2 litre cam covers, I prefer the "smooth" cam covers that would have been originally fitted to a 3.8 engine.
The two classics I love is the mk2 and the P5B rover saloon.
Totally agree but a bit biased as I have both. Fortunately I got them many years ago when they were still cheap....
@@philiptidmarsh real envy now. I preferred the saloon to the coupe personally on the P5Bs
Well said two favourites of mine as well. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
@@williejack3695 Me as well , they are better proportioned and were really what they were supposed to be
As my father was one of the arresting officers for the great train robbers and a person that chased around in Jaguar, Mark twos, I can tell you that they used the 3.8 jaguar mark two
I would never decry the criminals choice for the 3.4 but the police flying squad used the 3.8
I'm glad you saw through all that 3.4 has a lighter engine block than a 3.8 (It doesn't) Rear wishbone, Rear bulkhead, Sabotaging head gasket dross! Who the hell wrote that rubbish? Jaguar made them to be sold, If you as a customer wanted a competition spec MK2 then you spoke to the likes of Lofty England at the Jaguar competition department or John Coombes in Guildford etc! I've owned several MK2's over the years in varying condition! I'm lucky to have ended up at 60 years old with my dream one which is a very original (Apart from a rack and pinion steering conversion which really sharpens up the steering) factory RHD 1964 3.8 manual in opalescent blue on powder coated wire wheels, Sold by Henlys in London and luckily it was shipped to California when 6 months old so it has avoided all the rust issues! Now back in the UK with me and i'm never selling it, The MK2 is the best looking saloon car ever IMO.
The iron block and aluminium heads had a lot of head gasket problems over the years. The later 4.2 engines had machined slots on the top of the block between cylinders to try and improve this. Fortunately you could re-torque the head studs easily (When cold).
I wish there could be more to be read about Roy James. His life story would make a great film
Very much a proper JAAAAAAAAAAGGGG. Iron fist in a velvet glove, fast and sporty-ish for their time, but also refined and comfortable. Still a great looking car too.
How many of these fine motors were smashed up in the Sweeney ! 😉
The shallow rear spats look great. The MK2 is a bucket list car for me. I'd have to resto mod it, but totally sympathetically.
Nice review, and nice to hear that the Mark 2 is as good as I remember. In 1979 I had a 1967 3.8 Mark 2 that I purchased in the UK, while I was living in France, but shipped directly home to Canada after a 6 week holiday driving it around the British Isles. That is a lasting happy memory. The XK engine truly is a gem, with as much grunt as you want, virtually anywhere in the rev range. I enjoyed the gearbox (all synchro by 1967) as it took a reasonably skilled hand to get the best out of it. That car still holds the record for my personal top speed attained on a public road. There are many days that I regret having to sell the car in the mid-1980s for family reasons, and thanks to Jack, today is another one of those days. 😢
Contrary to what you said about the majority of the train robbery gang ‘getting away with it’ most of those involved , 13 in fact , were convicted. Roy James was sentenced to 30 years but only served 11. In the early 70s he tried to get a job from Bernie Ecclestone who was boss of Brabham at the time. As Roy was a trained silversmith Bernie offered him a commission to make a trophy which was presented to the organisers of the best run Grand Prix of the season for many years.
Such a great looking car! Certainly lived up to the Grace, Space, Pace mantra of Jaguar!
Hello Jack, thanks for reviewing this car. As a very young teenager I discovered the MK2 and I have loved it ever since. The shape of the body and the tremendous interior really appealed to me. Most of the cars in North America at the time were very boring to look at inside and out so this car really stood out. There were only a few of them in our city and if I spotted one parked somewhere I just had to stop and look. I was born as an Automobile and Aviation lover and I remain so to this day. The joy of life that both have given me is immeasurable. Thanks again.
As an apprentice, I first drove a 3.8 Mk2 which happened to be in a second hand car lot, at which I was having some work done to my 1100cc Ford Escort. It was love at first sight. I knew that I couldn't afford it then, but vowed that one day I would have one. That day arrived several years later, and my God, It was my pride and joy for many years. I unfortunately got myself into some financial difficulties, and was forced to sell it. Saddest day of my life. Recently, I found and bought another. I know I probably paid too much for it, and spent a small fortune on all the repairs and upgrades, but it is now about as close to new as one can get. All up, probably in excess of 90 000 pounds. So bloody what, I don't want to be the richest man in the cemetery.
Utterly gorgeous. I love the engine note, too. Sir William clearly knew what he was doing.
Remember riding in the back of my friends dads Mk 2 in 3.8 guise , when he gave the car some beans down Habberley Lane in Kidderminster, the push in the back sank you back in the rear soft leather seats . Wonderful engine the XK . Torque spread with a free reving feel which was lost in the larger capacity 4.2 units , which did have more torque but a less free spinning feel. The Mk 2 must have been nothing short of a revelation in its day, quite incredible really.
Great review, always loved the styling on the MK2 Jaguar
Dad owned one of these, the 3.8 with SUs at that, for 21 years until we left Sydney in 1992. After 30 years I'm back, maybe I'll try to find his old Jag someday.
Great review, my father had one, I have great memories of being a front seat passenger.
Wow Jack your are bringing back memories here,my late Father had one of these and I loved the smell of the interior as a child and also loved the little triangle windows at the front.He would thrash it and my Mum would complain she felt sick but I loved it 😂
Ah thanks for the memories chap!
The dad of a good friend in the UK, had the film Jaguar that was used in the movie Buster.
He took me out in it once.
For the time it was a very quick car indeed.
Unfortunately he has since sold and bought a modern V8 jag instead.
Thanks and greetings from the Netherlands
thanks Jack. took me back to my childhood when my dad used to specialise in repairing Jags from this era. I went to school in many a MK1 & 2 that he'd been working on. always remember going down the motorway in an E-Type watching the fuel gauge actually go down. those were the days!
I ran a 3.8 E Type for ten years, at motorway speed it was very economical but thirsty round town. I had lots of older Jags, 3 1/2 litre prewar, Mk7 and 10, Mk1 and 2 2.4 and 3.4, series 1, 2 and 3 XJ6. The Mk2 problems were very sharp chrome upper door frames and extremely heavy steering. Power steering was an extra not standard. As the cars died of British rust, power steering boxes became mose common.The paint bubbles on the RH bonnet were almost de rigueur as most of the bloody awful electric starting carbs flooded and cought alight. Fortunately ordinary SU jet mechanisms with a choke cable could be fitted.
I think the series 2 XJ was the best handling at real speed, the E Type tried to fly at 130 mph plus, was very twitchy and took up the whole road.
Is the Mk2 the most beautiful saloon car ever? I think it may well be...
Love my 1966 Mark 2, 2.4L automatic, done 98,000 miles from new. Rebuilt the engine all new apart from the block, first reborn, fitted with a 3.4 head with twin SU’s to replace the useless Solex drip feed carbs. Auto transmission rebuilt with modern materials where applicable. Lady first owner so not thrashed or I’ll treated. No rust, wire wheels and radials, the radials make a big difference. Makes a lovely sound and my wife calls it my “Chick Magnet”, turns heads, especially the young guys and the ladies. Metallic silver grey, red leather, needs a respray, Australian sun is hard on everything. Fitted with a Series 1 Jaguar front axle with power steering, and all discs replaced with Series 1 Jaguar three pot disc brakes. It stops now as well as a good turn of speed for a classic automatic sedan. Greetings from Tasmania Australia, PS I’m an elderly fellow who likes style, comfort and sound!!
After the Porsche 911, the MkII is my second favourite car. Thanks so much for putting this car on display on your channel.
As an American, an owned a "Ford" Jaguar.. 2000 XJ V8.. I'm so jealous of most European cars.. I sold it but, in the states here, I'm considering a 1985, Xj6... I'm a poor American that just don't have the resources... great Just a fun informative video!
M5 of the 1960's? My dad had a 3.8 red on red when I was a kid. I remember the sad day he sold it to get something more family oriented, that was a long face indeed. They were very handsome cars and still are today. After the E type and the XK 120 the best looking Jag made.
Although I learned to drive in a 1967 E-Type roadster, the Mark 2 is my favorite Jaguar.
This is a exotic quality vehicle British made. 👍
My dad had one, it was the dogs bollocks. Even now it looks graceful and refined.
My dad had triumph pi's when I was growing up,same six cyl sound,
Takes me back 40 years !
When I went to college I borrowed his car and all the lads said it's lovely but what is it !
Wonderful.
Jack - your content just gets better and better. My favourite car of all time - just beautiful and you covered it perfectly. Thank you
Ah thank you Gregor!
An interesting feature shared by Rolls Royce is the chrome strip down the centre of the bonnet with a mascot at the end. The chrome strip represents the bonnet hindge on earler cars, the bonnets raised sideways, and that together with the mascot gives a unique drivers view of the road. RR Silver Cloud 3 in 1965 had this type of bonnet and was also last car to be built on a separate chassis. Jaguar must have appreciated this drivers perspective and incorporated this in their designs. Actually, the Mk 2s were very advanced for their time, as indeed the RR Silver Shadow in 1966, but the Jags had the performace.
I owened two RR Shadows around 1970,s reg that were veritable rot boxes.Most modern cars from 1990 were better build quality.
Hi jack. Great video re the Mk 2 Jaguar, interesting re your getaway driver preferred the 3.4. though joey from tvs "bread" had a black one as I recall , as is Morse's in both incarnations, though being younger I'm a fan of Endeavour , rather than John Thaws version! My dad always fancied a renovated one , ground up with some modern nicities and no rust! I'd have a stockish looking 3.8 with the JLR 5.0L V8 in it , modern underpinnings with the wire wheels or for full sleeper spec of wheeltrims. Anyway great vid jack, look forward to the next one. Ps every time you go on Harrys bend and hill I think to myself I wonder how fast my dad's old Zx Volcane would scythe through at a surprising rate of knots! Best wishes, Ben
I've heard the same story about his preference for the 3.4 engine. 👍
MK 2 Jaguar has always been one of my favourite cars. I like the story of the getaway car. I always take any stories to do with the great train robbery with a pinch of salt simply because there are so many myths and legends surrounding it. I remember the press 'milked' it as much as they could and probably added some myths of their own. Anyway I love the sound of the engine and as you say perhaps the steering is the one thing that shows it's age nevertheless a great old classic and a good example you had there. Jack thank you for the review. 👍👍
My mother had a red one when I was a child I loved the sound it made . The ignition key was in the middle of the dash and I used to pull it out while we were driving to prank my mom … very naughty lol
Hello from Kangaroo Valley in Australia. I have to say Jack....you are one of the best car critics on the web. You inspired me to buy a 205 GTI and Mk2 Jaguar.
This brings back many happy childhood memories for me. My father had a 2 Mk1s and 2 Mk2s all but the first Mk1 were 3.4s. One of my relatives put the story round the my father who was a lawyer, had the car recommended to him by one of his clients, the truth was unfortunately far more prosaic. We went all over Britain in those cars, I still remember the rather uncomfortable night spent trying to sleep jn the back of a mark 2 on the Isle of Skye because we couldn't find anywhere to stay. Like most cars from the 60s these cars eventually succombed to the metal moth, a very bad area for this is where the Panhard rod was attached to the body. In the end the need to transport large musical instruments like a double bass or a pedal harp meant that something more practical was needed.
Another great video Jack. Lovely MK2 Jag in the Oxfordshire countryside.
This brought back memories in the 60's on booze runs in the Yorkshire dales with about 8 in the car. I'm amazed we lived to tell about it
The Le Mans winning C Types of 1951 & 53 used the 3441 cc engine. The D Types used the same size engines in 1955 & 56 and the 3781 cc engine in 1957.
Great car with a beautiful interior and a fantastic engine! Wish I had one!
A car for cops and robbers alike! I loved the story about the supposedly inbuilt faults. I read somewhere that John Thaw hated driving the MK2 in "Morse" - obviously not a cassic cat enthusiast. I have to say that the idea of testing a variety of different owners cars on this channel is a stroke of genius.
To be fair, the car in Morse came off a scrap yard and received minimum care.
John thaw preferred chasing the jags in the Sweeney.
Also, the Morse car was a 2.4 dressed as a 3.8. John Thaw didn't like the car only for the reason that specific car was a banger that barely ran straight. They had to do a lot of retakes simply because the car wouldn't start on cue. There are several scenes that ended up on tv where he had a problem starting the car and a big grin of "this f****ing heap" when it finally does.
Supposedly built in faults. On a Jag! They had enough faults by accident!
Had a 3.8 back in the 70's, very quick car. I could stick my foot to the floor at 30mph in second and by the time I got to 80mph there would be nothing behind me, and I'd still be in second.
As always a good video but I still prefer the S type 3.8.
Hi Jack, my father had a 3.8 in opalescent grey and I loved it. I had the pleasure of washing it every weekend and it really was a pleasure. I actually thought the bumper over-riders were solid - unlike my mother's cream Morris Traveller's which caused me several skinned knuckles. I also remember going out onto the newly opened M6 motorway and watching the speedometer pass the 100mph mark. I think he kept it for less than 12 months - seduduced by the newly released Ford Zodiac - in Goodwood Green, which looked ok in the airbrushed picture in the brochure but......
My Grandpa was a dyslexic self made man born in 1900's he built up a successful garage and filling station and this was his weapon of choice! He passed in the early 90s when I was in my late teens and he still drove a manual XJ6 then! He made me the petrolhead I am now.
You could think of the Mini, Beetle, E-Type etc., yet the Mk2 Jag's are very much up there with the most iconic cars of all time. Even today, the shape is quite beautiful.
8.5 seconds is extremely impressive and comparable to many modern cars over 50 years later
Just a pretty old school fast car with "street cred" and a classy heritage.
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada
Those valve covers are not from a 3.8... are from a later engine...
The covers are yes.. but it is a 3.8
Local guy Roger Brotton used to restore mk2s, charged about 85k in the 90s,I saw one in the local paper in 89,well got there and there was a mass of people, I did the best bid St 2200 quid, next it was full strip down
Fascinating stuff!
My late mom had a 2001 Jaguar 4.0 V8 S-Type that she loved and pampered from new…
On her passing, I inherited it and enjoyed her for several years to about 36,000 miles, when one of her best friends and fellow ‘Jag-Girls’ bought it from me…
Mom’s S-Type has now retired gracefully to palmy Naples, Florida…BUT I ALWAYS DROVE HER LIKE I WAS ROBBIN’ BANKS IN A 3.8S IN OL’ BLIGHTY..!!
Love this channel, thanks Jack
I love the mk2 jag. Looks beautiful from every angle
Love the Mark 2 used to have one the same spec and colour as the Morse one 50 years ago. Happy days !
Lovely,very evocative video.thank you.❤
Thanks, how about a review on a Mk 1 Australian 1275 Cooper S. These cars were REVOLUTIONARY in so many ways. Not up to your usual more elite cars but so many world rally and track wins it put so many to shame...just a thought. Still got mine, though in a Clubman 1275 GT form with all original Cooper S running gear. Nitrided crank big valves were only on the first 500 before Leyland destroyed the marque with substantial downgrades, I was lucky enough to score one of these making it, I believe one of the rarest minis on the planet. Still in original condition as it's never been 'restored' just maintained. Thanks love your vids.
Excellent video. Enjoyed it very much.
Excelente vídeo . The car looks so good . Beautiful lines .
I knew a car collector in the late 1980s early '90s. He had 2 jags the MK II 3.8S and an E-type. As I recall both of them liked to be driving freshly your wallet didn't. Dropping the right foot was an expensive excercise.
my dad had mk 2 when i was a small boy silver 1968 loved the content of your video!
I have a 1964 2.4 Mk2 MOD. I am held up by modern traffic on the A roads. Not because the car is fast but because I like to push on more than the average driver and the car is still capable. Never underestimate a MK2 jag! Great review Jack.
The cops all wanted one too! And some of them got one. As did my dad. The first family car I can remember was a Mark 2 (can’t remember which engine it had but dad did like his speed). Then, because we were a family of five kids, making a total of seven of us, he eventually swapped it out for a larger mark 10. A boat of a thing that drove a bit like an oil tanker by comparison. But we did all fit, even with all the luggage for the family holidays. His brother, my uncle, never quite approved of the ‘gin and jag’ crowd and instead drove his beloved Rover 3.5. The jag was way more fun to drive. Great cars. But that Rover, those seats… OMG! You’d be forgiven for failing asleep at the wheel, they were so comfortable.
My dad had a MK2 in the late 70s, it replaced a MK4 Zodiac, an automatic 3.4 it was definitely quick, it was replaced by a 420g now that was a car and a half, it was like driving your living room
Personally have a modern JAAAAG but this is amazing, especially how my favorite car is the S-TYPE which this MK2 eventually became 😂 love both this 1960s one and the 1990s reimagined S-TYPE
The S-type was the better car with the E-type irs instead of the silly 1/4 eliptic rear end. The steering really was beyond the pale. The only cars that I have come accross which had a LOWER ratio for the assisted steering box! I did loads of work on these cars in the 1970s and 1980s. The bodies, made by Pressed Steel were shockingly rough with inches of stick solder smoothing out massive steps between panels. OE panels from Leyland rarely fitted as they were rejects from the assembly lines which could not be fitted in specified times. Mechanically these cars wer fine to work on with the exception of the handbrake which was torture.The bodies however were shockers for double skins, dead-air spaces and mudtraps. To paraphrase Winston Churchill "Never in the history of mankind has anything gone so rusty so quickly and completely!" Every internal aspect of the car was raw, unpainted steel which was rusting merrily as the car sat on the dealers forecourt only hours after leaving Brown's lane. What a shame!
We could go on about the king of darkness wiring, the lack of headlight relays on high beam,the hit or miss overdrive switch, the temperature gauge that did not tell you the engine had fried, the "Moss" box that belonged in a truck, the immediate rust in the doors as rain ran down the glass and accumulated in the blocked off door bottoms. The temperature bulb was mounted in the coolant manifold and when all water flow had ceased (boiled dry) the temp gauge dropped back to normal until the whole engine was near red hot. The engines ran afterwards but rattled (piston slap) and burned lots of oil. For all that they were cars with charactor.
Had to laugh at some of your comments John,can't disagree either.
Currently own two Jaguars,one of which is a1989 V12 XJS, everything is about there aside from some of the body work.
The wife would happily see it in a scrap yard in a heartbeat but it's going nowhere!!
What a video! Many years ago I had a school teacher that collected MK 2 Jags. He used his 3.4 every day to get to work, and had a few others (plus an MBG V8). Presumably these would be a bit of a stretch for a carpentry teacher these days
My dream car! Thanks for the video.
I need to drive one, love the look and great to hear your review! I’d be interested to know more maintenance wise , lovely cars.
I think that the 3.4 was the sweet spot in Jaguar engines. They kept increasing the stroke so that they could use the engines in heavier models.
3.4, 3.8 & 4.2 all share the same stroke of 106mm.
Super classic looking car, always a beauty.
For many Americans, the only Jaguar sedan that we have seen belonged to the TV series about Chief Inspector Morse.
Probably the most beautiful car of all time.
I was speaking to a police car driver many years ago when the Met drove Wolseys. His comment was that it was impossible to chase a Jaguar Mk II because their turn into side roads was very sharp in which the Wolseys were unable to follow.
Yes maybe true but the Wolseleys didn’t break down when pushed
Your research so enhances these items 👍
I’m glad you think so.. always try and do something a little bit different!
just beautiful!
It was fast and had a strong rear end good for smash and grab whilst reversing into shop windows. Had a 3- 8 in 1964 loved it.
An excellent answer to something many of us petrolheads have wondered
Thanks Jack, this brings memories back I Always loved Jags i was also always poor After I managed to save £200 I bought a MKI 2.4, on a straight line it was like an arrow for me them days Perfect I also Loved the steering self centering was Amazing you let the steering go n it instantly went to dead center in the dry I loved how it handle in the wet it was a different story even with SP41 Dunlop very expensive for me at the time But spares n repairs were horrendously expensive fuel consumption too after that I never bought an expensive car again I realized they are Not for us working blokes the MKI was also narrow on the back track with a very small back window I had couple of close calls with that car still love the looks of the MKII over other Jags to this day still love a strait 6 engine, also the over drive Never worked on my MKI
Great video, I like your style and pace. I grew up with these things and at the time they were in a different league to anything else around. If you've ever driven a Morris Minor, A35 or 100e, then you'll understand.
My favourite "Baddie's" car!! Still beautiful, still the mark of Grace, Space and Pace and this lovely Mk2 really does show that. I don't know how much to believe about the Mk2 as a suped up getaway car, Yes it was likely modified but I can't see a car company sabotaging their own cars so that Factory racers were sure to win,...that seems a bit sketchy to my ears. I have seen a Mk2 at a car show in Calgary that had the 4.0 Six and running gear from a XJS as well as a supercharger that truly made it a Sleeper, but if what you show in your video applies to all Mk2s then that thing must have handled like a beast!! I will say this, of all the sedans made by manufacturers around the Globe, I would still choose to own the Jag Mk2, it just suits the kind of driving I want in a sedan. a great highway car, capable of a good turn of speed when required, a hoot down back roads and secondary highways just you and 3 of your favourite Mates wafting down a road to an out of the way pub! Makes me want a pint now!! Cheers - Dave
Great looking car, inside and out.
Oozes class like nothing else!
A friend who used to drive Jags in the police during the sixties, told me they put bricks in the boot to stop the rear end drifting out when cornering