Jaguar Sports Cars 0854291660, 9780854291663

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JAGUAR

Paul Skilleter

AGUA SHLTSELES In terms of outright performance and value for money the Jaguar is the most famous mass production sports car in the world today. It is the yardstick by which

all other sports cars are measured. This fame is not merely recent, but stretches right back to the first SS 100. Here is a chronological

history starting with the original Austin Seven Swallow of 1927,

through the S.S.90 and the classic SS 100 Jaguar. Soon after the war came the supreme Jaguar XK 120 followed by the XK 140, XK 150 and then the E type, a

car perhaps which impressed more than any other. These, then,

are the road cars, even if they were often used in motor sport. In styling and technical innovation Jaguar have often led the field - it is therefore ironic that Jaguar Cars have always seen their main role as one of saloon car manufacturers intending to

use the success of their sports cars as advertising. Even so the tremendous victories of the Cand D-types are epic stories in themselves, and probably had an even greater effect on Jaguar’s reputation than was realised at the time. It appears that the XK 120 was built almost as an afterthought, a second string. The

author skillfully probes its evolution and discloses much not previously recorded in print. Also included are details and photographs of the many special bodied Jaguars, one-offs and prototypes such as the XJ13. Many Jaguar engined variants such as the Lister Jaguar are also studied closely. High quality photographs, many as yet unseen, accompany this serious, well researched text covering the personalities, the works at Browns Lane, the road cars and

the competition successes which make the Jaguar sports car the ‘big cat’ legend it is today.

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JAGUAR SRORTSIGARS Paul Skilleter

First published November 1975 First reprinted April 1976

©)Paul Skilleter 1975 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder

ISBN 0 85429 166 0 Printed in England by J H Haynes and Company Limited for the publishers

GT FOULIS & CO LTD (Haynes Publishing Group) Sparkford Yeovil Somerset BA22 7]] England Distributed in the USA by

HAYNES PUBLICATIONS INC 9421 Winnetka Avenue, Chatsworth Los Angeles California 91311 USA Bound by The Pitman Press Bath

Editor Tim Parker

Jacket Design Edward Piper

CONTENTS Foreword

7

Introduction

Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter

9

One The early S.S. days 13 Two The S.S. 90 and SS Jaguar 100 20 Three The XK 120 47 Four The XK 120 in competition 81 Five The C-type 115 Six The XK 140 141 Seven The D-type 159 Eight The XK 150 187 Nine Jaguar specials 209 Ten The E-type, XJ13 and XJ-S 237

Appendix One Appendix Two

Specifications and performance data Production figures 331

303

Appendix Three The Jaguar Clubs 337 Appendix Four List of books from which quoted matter is taken

Index, by model 342 General Index 344

341

Sir William Lyons, founder and president of Jaguar Cars

Foreword by W M Heynes, CBE

People seldom bother to read the foreword of a book, and I myself am often an offender in this respect. Nonetheless, I was delighted when Paul asked me if I would perform the task of writing one for this particular book. The Jaguar Sports Cars is a book written by an enthusiast

for

other

enthusiasts,

and

it: is, I

believe, the most complete and authentic history of its subject that has been produced; perhaps the most surprising thing is that it is also written as a story, or saga, in a most readable way. The fact that you have picked up this book at all indicates that you are Jaguar minded, maybe connected with racing or rallying, or possibly connected with the factory itself, perhaps through a dealer or agent; but most probably you are ‘just’ a Jaguar owner - the company’s most treasured possession, and who has given us such marvellous support over the years. Whichever catagory you belong to, I believe that in reading this book you will feel the same nostalgia that I experienced when I first scanned through the pages. Jaguar Cars Ltd and Sir William Lyons - the names are synonymous. It was Sir William’s enthusiasm, which he had the ability to transmit to his staff and colleagues, and his singleness of purpose, that made the whole thing tick. It was - his ambition,

viewed

as he told me

when

I was inter-

for the job of Chief Engineer in April

1935, to build one of the finest cars in the world

- and who is to say that he did not succeed? Sir William was not only a brilliant stylist who purely by eye, produced a series of body shapes which as a group have never been surpassed, but he was also a true economist; every penny that could be saved without effecting quality was saved, and the economy passed on to the

customer. His argument was that for every £10 on the price of a car you lost so many customers - and through the years we walked alone, this policy always enabled the company to show a reasonable profit. S.S. Cars .Ltd, as the company was originally known, was made public in 1935. There were only two working Directors, Sir William as Managing Director and Arthur Whittaker, General Manager - Arthur played an important

part in the build-up and success of the company, though he was always better known in the industry than to the general public; a man of great integrity, he became my closest friend and ally in all our mutual problems throughout the years we were together. It has been said that in the development of the aeroplane, the only time progress was truly made was in time of war, and it is an indisputable fact that anyone’s best work and efforts are produced under conditions of urgency and stress.

With

conditions

Sir

were

William

at

the

helm,

rarely absent at Jaguar!

these

The

most typical example of this was the design and development of the C-type. Sir William had agreed at the 1950 Le Mans race that we could build a car that would win the

following year. But it was not until the Motor Show in October that he actually gave me the OK to go ahead, and we had about seven months to design, make and prove a new car from a clean sheet of paper and to complete three cars for the race. It was a very small team of designers, development engineers and builders who worked on this project, and it was a supreme effort on the part of everyone concerned, the meeting of a challenge that we had determined must not fail. Had I been asked to name this book I would

JAGUAR SPORTS CARS

FOREWORD

have called it the ‘Alpha & Omega of the Jaguar Sports Car’, as with the finish of E-type production it seems unlikely that another true sports will emerge - although the engineering experience and ability is still available at Jaguar.

A sports car is an individualistic and personal thing, like fine jewellery or hand-made furniture, produced by people to whom achievement as well as profit is a major motive. We shall have to wait and see what the future holds.

W M Heynes, CBE Snitterfield,

September 1975

Introduction and Acknowledgements

WHILE

I’VE been engaged on this book, more

than one person has asked me if I really thought there was room for another work on Jaguars, knowing as I did that there have been five or six published already. My answer was, of course, an

unequivocal

‘yes’. Virtually all previous works

have been general histories of the marque, and in the past, as a Jaguar sports car enthusiast myself, I had often longed for greater detail and the answers to a number of questions relating solely to the sports cars. In fact, if I had to sum up my thinking in going about writing this book, I would say that I have written it in a way which would have satisfied all my unanswered curiosity years ago when I was already enthusiastic about Jaguar sports cars, but lacking the knowledge which research and enquiry have since accumulated. I sincerely hope and believe that the Jaguar neophyte reading this book today

agrees with my choice of answered questions! The fact of there being such a comparatively large number of words already in print about Jaguars sets another problem - to what extent does one traverse ground which has been well trodden before? Inevitably there must be some repetition otherwise the continuity of the story is lost, and of course, there is also the argument

- bearing in mind that there may still be many

readers to whom virtually everything concerning Jaguar will be fresh. I trust, therefore, that the ‘old hands’ will tolerate reading once more a few of the rather well-worn passages of Jaguar lore, in exchange for what I believe is the high proportion of new material appearing for the first time. Motor cars, particularly those made by such companies as Jaguar, are not simply a list of components and statistics but possess characters all of their own, with faults, foibles and delights.

Therefore in describing individual cars I have not only tried to include all the relevant technical details but also have attempted to convey what it is actually like to be behind the wheel of that particular car, and how it relates to our experience

today;

so

that,

if like

me

you

cannot

afford to own all the Jaguar sports cars of your choice, you at least have an idea of what you’re missing! So far as the Jaguar sports cars’ competition activities are concerned, these have been so wide-

spread and numerous that another book, at least the length of this one, would be necessary to do the subject justice; thus I have outlined most of the cars’ major achievements, plus a few

that it is very convenient to have in just one volume all the information one is likely to need on a particular subject. So, besides enlarging

of the more interesting or unusual successes (or even failures!), without attempting to convey

than leave it out, when in doubt as to what to do

rather more coverage than it has so far received.

upon already well-known facts where possible, I have always tried to include information rather

more than an overall picture. I have, however, devoted one chapter to the XK 120 in competition as the car’s record in that field deserves

9

JAGUAR SPORTS CARS

In illustrating this book I have tried to use pictures which will be fresh to most readers, and wherever possible pictures which have never been published before at all; in this respect I have been greatly aided by having the negative archives of Motor and Autocar at my disposal, much of which has never been printed before, let alone reproduced in a journal or book. When it comes to acknowledging help and advice received while writing such a book as this, it becomes a question of when to stop - over a period of years, the total number of people who have kindly donated time and material reaches surprising proportions; also memory fails to recall everyone even though their assistance is truly appreciated. But as for naming names, no-one will, I feel sure, object if I begin with those who are, or were, with Jaguar themselves,

of whom

Sir William Lyons must of course come first. I am very deeply indebted to Sir William for most patiently answering my many questions, some of which must have seemed very obscure at times, and especially for volunteering fascinating information which otherwise I might well have failed to discover on my own (I have in mind parti-

cularly the XK

120 replacement

prototype).

Mr FRW England, Mr WM Heynes CBE, and Mr W Hassan also suffered my interrogations

willingly, Mr Heynes for a whole weekend at his delightful farm near Stratford-on-Avon. Phil Weaver of Jaguar’s experimental department helped with many details relating to prototypes and competition models, while Jaguar’s chief

photographer Roger Clinkscales interrupted his very full routine to assist me with picture research. Then how can any Jaguar researcher fail to be indebted to Andrew Whyte, for a number of years head of Jaguar’s highly efficient public and press relations department; on behalf of the factory he extended to me every facility at the ‘works’ that I asked for, and gave generously of his own vast fund of knowledge whenever I called upon it. This is besides the invaluable spade-work which he has accomplished in his XK, C- and Dtype Profiles, which were of enormous help. My 10

thanks must also go to Alan Hodge and other members of the PR department at Browns Lane who have spent long hours on my behalf in dusty company archives. Turning from the factory, I must express my gratitude to my employers, IPC Business Press Ltd, who as custodians of Autocar, Motor and Thoroughbred & Classic Cars have kindly

allowed me to quote much from the former two journals, and to use many photographs from their photographic libraries. I would also like to add

my personal thanks to the editors under whom I have worked at IPC, namely Roger Bell of Motor and latterly Michael Bowler of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, for tolerating over the past two years my occasional preoccupation with this book during working hours! In this would also include my long-suffering colleague when I worked on Motor, Maurice Rowe.

Needless to say I have called upon the resources of the Jaguar Drivers’ Club and its branches to the utmost, the Jaguar Driver magazine and the AK Bulletin both being most useful. The Registrar of the XK Register, Edward D. Walker, has been

of enormous assistance to me and I have dipped deeply into his personal library of Jaguar literature, which must be amongst the most comprehensive in the world; Ted was also kind enough to read through the manuscript and point out a number of errors, and suggest various additions - though in all cases the liability for any mistakes which may remain, and for the various interpretations that I have made over the length of the book, must rest on my shoulders. I would also like to thank a number of overseas Jaguar clubs, including the Jaguar Clubs of North America Inc. and the Classic Jaguar Association based in the same country. The latter’s News &

Technical

Bulletins

and

S.S.90

and

SS

100

Registers were of considerable assistance to me. I also extend my thanks to a number of individual members of overseas clubs, in parti-

cular Tom Hendricks of the Nation’s Capitol Jaguar Owners’ Club who helped me piece together various aspects of XK and E-type competition activities in the States, John Elmgren of

INTRODUCTION

the Australian Jaguar Drivers’ Club, and Heinz Schendzielorz of the Jaguar Car Club of Victoria. Returning home, I am indebted to Mr and Mrs Christopher Jennings for allowing me to use pictures and contemporary material on the E-type prototype, Brian Lister for spending a morning answering questions on Lister history, Peter

Sargent (now Chairman of the JDC) and Peter

Lumsden, Joss Davenport (Chairman of the XK

Register), Ken

Mayfield (Chairman

of the SS

Register), Col. Rixon Bucknall, Stewart Laws, John Bolster, Jonathan Heynes and AF Rivers Fletcher. I should like to thank Anthony

Bamford, John Harper, Bryan Corser and Phil Porter (past-Chairman of the E-type Register) for clearing up many points concerning the ‘competition’ E-type. For expert assistance on all matters pertaining to SS cars I thank David Barber, who also read through the first two chapters and added many interesting details. I also acknowledge the help given me, at some considerable length, by David Lethbridge mainly on the subject of XK 140 and E-type cars, and by Ron Beaty who supplied me with details on the modification of six and twelve cylinder Jaguar engines. I would like to express my appreciation too at being able to use material from Robert Danny’s extensive collection of SS and Jaguar catalogues and other literature. us I openly acknowledge the value to me of vario other

one-make

car

histories,

and

thank

their

authors who have thus been of assistance to me in detailing parallel episodes of Jaguar history. Also, the more

one delves into the subject, the

more one appreciates the accuracy and meticulousness of Michael Sedgwick’s researches, as evidenced by Lord Montagu’s book, Jaguar - A

Biography (Cassell) - which still stands as the only serious reference work on the overall history of Jaguar. To Miles Marshall, formerly of GT Foulis & Co and now retired, I would like to extend my thanks for originally entrusting me with this book, and to his successor, Tim Parker I would

like to express my appreciation of his knowledgeable assistance and the latitude he has extended to me in respect of deadlines. Two final acknowledgements remain: firstly of my wife June’s patience while enduring the first year of our married life a poor second to this book, and for assembling the Index meanwhile,

and secondly, of the help given me by Grant McMillan,

friend and fellow enthusiast.

If ever

the aphorism including the words “without whose help...”” can be truly applied, it is to this book and Grant, whose painstaking research and assistance over many months is the foundation on which a good proportion of this work has been built. Paul Skilleter Enfield, Middlesex

1975

11

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— eGpay Oene? as Mics*5.omEee .

ae

ag Meal eS Ame Owe, ) - a0 40 60 505 ea O 60 - 80 70 - 90 80 - 100

Standing start 3.2 5.1 73 10.0 12.4 15.7 20.1 27.3 17.0 124.6 19.8

secs

6.7 secs 6.7 6.6 7.4 8.1 8.5 9.9 11.3

secs mph mpg

£1263

(GB)

307

JAGUAR SPORTS CARS

APPENDIX ONE

XK 120 Fixed-head Coupe ENGINE Cubic capacity Bore and stroke Max. power

3442 cc 83 mm x 106 mm

160 bhp @ 5000 rpm (standard) 180 bhp @ 5300 rpm (special equipment)

195 Ib ft @ 2500 rpm (standard)

Max. torque

203 lb ft @ 4000 rpm (special equipment) 8:1(7: 1 o0r9: 1 optional)

Compression ratio

‘A-type’, alloy twin ohc 2 1% inch SU

Cylinder head Carburettors

CHASSIS Weight and front/rear distribution Dimensions: Wheelbase Track - Front Rear

Length Width Height

Suspension:

Rear Brakes

listen 12:73% 1 2nd 7.48:1 Srd = 5.0% 1 4th 3.77: 1 (Alternative ratios as for open two seater) 6.00 x 16, wheels as for open two seater

Tyres and wheels

PRICE

308

bees

and trailing rear

Gearing

Overall fuel consumption

14 feet 5 inches

5 feet 2 inches 4 feet 5% inches Ind. wishbone, torsion bar, anti-roll bar Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs Drum, Lockheed hydraulic, two leading shoe front, leading

Front

PERFORMANCE (Special Equipment Model, The Autocar, 17.11.52) 3.77 final drive

27 cwt (47.5/52.5) 8 feet 6 inches 4 feet 3 inches 4 feet 2 inches

Standing start 0 - 30mph 0 - 50 0 - 60 0 - 70 0 - 80 0 - 90 0 - 100 Standing %4-mile Top speed

3.3 72 9.9 13.7 17.1 22.1 28.2 17.3 120.5 17.2

Top gear acceleration 10 - 30mph 20 - 40 SOs 390 40 - 60 50 - 70 60 - 80 70-90 80 - 1006

secs

secs mph mpg

£1,694

(GB)

7.9 secs he | 73 7.4 19 8.1 9.5 10.9

SPECIFICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE DATA

XK 120 Drop-head Coupe ENGINE Cubic capacity Bore and stroke Max. power

° 3442 cc 83 mm x 106 mm

190 bhp at 5500 rpm (standard) 210 bhp at 5750 (special equipment) 210 ft Ibs at 2500 rpm (standard) 213 ft Ibs at 4000 rpm (special equipment) 8: 1(7: 1 and9: 1 optional)

Max. torque Compression ratio Carburettors

2 1% inch SU

CHASSIS Weight and front/rear distribution Dimensions: Wheelbase Track - Front Rear Length Width Height Suspension: Front Rear Brakes Gearing

27% cwt 8 feet 6 inches 4 feet 3 inches 4 feet 2 inches 14 feet 5 inches 5 feet 1% inches Ind. wishbone, torsion bar, anti-roll bar

Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs Drum, Lockheed hydraulic, two leading shoe front, leading and trailing rear Ist 2nd 3rd 4th

-

11.95:1 7.01:1 4.84:1

3.54: 1 (Alternative Salisbury ratios as for open two seater) 6.00 x 16 inch; wheels as for open two seater

Tyres and wheels

-

PERFORMANCE

(Standard version Autosport, 14.5.54) 3.54 final drive

Overall fuel consumption PRICE

Standing start 0 - 30mph 0 - 40 0 - 50 0 - 60 070 080 0 = "90 0 - 100 QO 110 Standing Y-mile Top speed

40.9 N64)

secs

119.5 mph

14.5 mpg

£1,616 (GB)

309

JAGUAR SPORTS CARS

APPENDIX

ONE

XK 140 Open Two Seater ENGINE Cubic capacity Bore and stroke Max. power

3442 cc 83 mm x 106 mm 190 bhp at 5500 rpm (standard) 210 bhp at 5750 (special equipment) 210 ft Ibs at 2500 rpm (standard) 213 ft Ibs at 4000 rpm (special equipment) 8: 1(7: 1 and 9: 1 optional) 2 1% inch SU

Max. torque

Compression ratio Carburettors CHASSIS Weight and front/rear distribution Wheelbase Dimensions: - Front Track Rear

Length Width Height Suspension:

28 cwt (49.6/50.4) 8 feet 6 inches 4 feet 3% inches 4 feet 3 3/8 inches 14 feet 8 inches 5 feet 4% inches 4 feet 4% inches

th

Ind. wishbone, torsion bars, anti-roll bar

Front

Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs

Rear

Drum, Lockheed hydraulic, two leading shoe front, leading

Brakes

and trailing rear toast ise ond = 708 I 3rd 4.83:1 3.54: 1 Overdrive 3.19 : 1 optional. Alternative 4th

Gearing

final drive ratios: 4.09, 3.77, and 3.27

6.00 x 16 inch, on either 16 inch x 5¥%K solid wheels or

Tyres and wheels

PERFORMANCE (Special Equipment model, Road & Track, 1955)

Overall fuel consumption

PRICE

310

16 inch x 5K (special equipment) wire wheels

Standing start 0 - 30mph 0 - 40 Oreo 0 - 60 0 - 70 0 - 80 0 - 100 Standing '4-mile Top speed

2.7 4.2 6.5 8.4 Oee 15.7 26.5 16.6 121.1 16 -

secs

mph mph 18 mpg

£1,598 (GB)

SPECIFICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE DATA

XK 140 Fixed-head and Drop-head Coupe

ENGINE Cubic capacity Bore and stroke Max. power

3442 cc 83 mm x 106 mm

190 bhp at 5500 rpm (standard) 210 bhp at 5750 (special equipment) 210 ft Ibs at 2500 rpm (standard) 213 ft Ibs at 4000 rpm (special equipment) 8: 1(7: 1 and9: 1 optional)

Max. torque Compression ratio Carburettors

2 1% inch SU

CHASSIS Weight and front/rear distribution Dimensions: Wheelbase Track - Front Rear Length Width Height Suspension: Front Rear Brakes

Gearing

16 inch x 5K (special equipment) wire wheels Standing start 0 O

30mph 50

0 &b 0 - 70 6 - 80 090 0 - 100 0 - 110 Standing %4-mile Top speed

Overall fuel consumption PRICE

Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs Drum, Lockheed hydraulic, two leading shoe front, leading and trailing rear Ustmpeeee Li9 5yce 8 2nd 7.01: 1 Sra | (4.835 31 4th 3.54: 1 Overdrive 3.19 : 1 optional. Alternative final drive ratios: 4.09, 3.77 and 3.27 6.00 x 16 inch, on either 16 inch x 5%K solid wheels or

Tyres and wheels

PERFORMANCE (Fixed-head coupe, Special Equipment model with overdrive, The Autocar, 9.12.55)

28 cwt (50.3/49.7) (Drop-head coupe plus 1 cwt) 8 feet 6 inches 4 feet 3% inches 4 feet 3 3/8 inches 14 feet 8 inches 5 feet 42 inches 4 feet 7 inches Ind. wishbone, torsion bar, anti-roll bar

Se2)SeCs 7.5 11.0 14.2 16.9 22.7 29.5 Bia 17.4 secs 129.25 mph 21.7 mpg

Top gear 10 20 50 40 50m ye 80 -

(direct) acceleration 30mph 7.9 secs 40 7.5 OU 7.4 60 BU 70 8.3 ell) 9.4 100 11.5

£1830 (GB), SE fixed-head

311

JAGUAR SPORTS CARS

APPENDIX ONE

XK 150 3.4 Fixed-head and Drop-head Coupe ENGINE

3442 cc 83 mm x 106 mm 190 bhp at 5500 rpm (standard)

Cubic capacity Bore and stroke Max. power

210 bhp at 5500 rpm (special equipment) 210 Ibs ft at 2500 rpm (standard) 216 Ibs ft at 3000 rpm (special eae

Max. torque

1 optional) 8: 1(7:1and9: Uprated ‘A-type’ (Standard) C-type (special equipment) 2 1% inch SU

Compression ratio Cylinder head Carburettors

CHASSIS Weight andfront/rear distribution Wheelbase Dimensions: Track - Front Rear

Length

Suspension: Gearing

Tyres and wheels

The Autocar, 21.2.58)

Standing start 0 - 30mph

2.8 secs

0 -

6.5

50

0 - 60 0 - 70 0 - 80 090 0 - 100 0 - 110 Standing ‘4-mile Top speed Overall fuel consumption

PRICE

312

oe

14 feet 9 inches

: 5 feet 4% inches 4 feet 7 inches Ind. wish-bones, torsion bars, anti-roll bar Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs Isty = 912518 391 2nd 7.16: 10O/Dratios Note: non-overdrive cars Srd = (44:95:91 fitted with 3.54 final drive 4th 4.09:1 ratio (alternative final O/D 3.18:1 drive ratios as for XK 140) 6.00 x 16 inch, on 16 inch x 5K wire wheels, or 16 inch x 5%K solid wheels (basic models)

Width Height Front Rear

PERFORMANCE (Special Equipment fixed-head with overdrive,

28%4 cwt (52/43) (Drop-head coupe, add 300 Ibs) 8 feet 6 inches 4 feet 34 inches 4 feet 3% inches

8.5 11.4 15.0 19.5 25.1 33.5 16.9 secs 123.7 mph 20.5 mpg

Top ard (direct) acceleration 10 30 mph 7.4 secs 20

-

30. = 40 50 60 70—~