Jaguar Mark IX

Last updated

Jaguar Mark IX
Jaguar Mk IX (1960) (8999143979).jpg
3.8 litre
first registered April 1960
Overview
Manufacturer Jaguar Cars
Production19581961
10,009 produced [1]
Body and chassis
Class Full-size luxury car (F)
Powertrain
Engine 3781 cc, 220 hp (164 kW) I-6
Dimensions
Wheelbase 120 in (3,048 mm) [2]
Length196.5 in (4,991 mm) [3]
Width75 in (1,905 mm) [3]
Height63 in (1,600 mm) [3]
Kerb weight 4,000 lb (1,814 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor Jaguar Mark VIII
Successor Jaguar Mark X
Rear Jaguar Mk IX (1960) (8999143935).jpg
Rear
Interior 1960 Jaguar MK IX interior by night.JPG
Interior
Jaguar MK-IX Jaguar MK-IX 1960 Front.jpg
Jaguar MK-IX

The Jaguar Mark IX is a four-door luxury saloon car announced 8 October 1958 [4] and produced by Jaguar Cars between 1958 and 1961. It was generally similar to the Mark VIII it replaced, but had a larger, more powerful 3.8 litre engine, 4-wheel disc brakes, and power assisted recirculating ball steering among its mechanical improvements.

Contents

Visually the early versions were identical in exterior appearance to the Mark VIII except for the addition of a chrome "Mk IX" badge to the boot lid. Later versions had a larger tail-lamp assembly with an amber section for traffic indication, visually similar to the tail-lights of the smaller Jaguar Mark 2.

It was replaced by the lower and more contemporary-styled Mark X in 1961.

Exterior changes, later version Jaguar Vienna June 2006 465 (cropped).jpg
Exterior changes, later version

Features

A four-speed manual system transmission was standard. Options included overdrive and a Borg Warner three-speed automatic box, the most popular choice. [5]

Internally, an enlarged-bore 3.8 L (231 in³), 220 bhp (164.1 kW) DOHC straight-6 XK engine replaced the previous 3.4 L (210 in³) 190 bhp (141.7 kW) XK unit. The B-type head of the Mark VIII was retained, but with a chamber at the bottom of the combustion chamber to accommodate the enlarged bore. Twin HD6 1.75" SU carburettors were fitted. A smaller electromagnetically controlled auxiliary carburettor was placed between the main pair of carburettors to act as a choke. It often proved troublesome in operation and many were converted to manual switching . Standard compression ratio was 8:1, but a higher performance 9:1 compression ratio was also available, as was a 7:1 compression ratio for export markets, such as Africa, where quality of petrol was sometimes a problem.

The Mark IX was the first production Jaguar to offer four-wheel servo-assisted Dunlop disc brakes and recirculating ball power steering, which were now standard equipment. The brake system included a vacuum reserve tank to preserve braking in the event that the engine stalled. Automatic transmission were fitted with a hill-holding "anti-creep" feature, where an electromagnetic valve maintained brake pressure at rest when the brake pedal was released to prevent the car from rolling back on an incline.

The power steering was driven by a Hobourn-Eaton pump, operating at 600-650 psi. It was attached to the back of the generator and allowed the steering to be geared up to 3.5 turns lock-to-lock as against the 4.5 turns for the Mark VII and VIII models.

Unlike the early automatic Mark VII predecessor, (but like late mark VII and all Mark VIII) the Borg Warner DG automatic gearbox started in first gear and had a dash-mounted switch to allow second gear to be held indefinitely. Once in third gear, a series of clutches engaged to allow direct drive rather than through the torque converter.

The torsion bar independent front suspension and leaf-sprung rear live axle were retained from the Mk VIII, which, in turn, was first used in the 1949 Mark V.

Final drive was 4.27:1, (4.55:1 when overdrive was fitted).

The sunshine roof became a standard fitting for the UK market. The interior was luxurious, with extensive use of leather, burled walnut and deep pile carpet. A range of single and twin-tone paint schemes was offered.

Performance

A car with automatic transmission tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958 had a top speed of 114.4 mph (184.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 11.3 seconds. A fuel consumption of 14.3 miles per imperial gallon (19.8 L/100 km; 11.9 mpgUS) was recorded. The test car cost £2162 including taxes of £721. [3] In addition, the Mark IX attained 30 mph in 4.2 seconds, and 100 mph in 34.8 secs. It covered the standing quarter mile in 18.1 secs.

Autocar magazine tested a Mk IX Automatic in its Used Cars on the Road series, number 200, published in the edition dated 14 December 1962. This vehicle at the recorded mileage of around 34,000 achieved acceleration figures of 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 10.1 secs and 0-100 mph (161 km/h) in 28.8 secs. The Standing Quarter-mile was passed in 17.6 secs.

Sales

The Mark IX was popular as a state car. When Charles de Gaulle paid a state visit to Canada in 1960, the official cars for the motorcade were Mark IX Jaguars. The British Queen Mother had a Jaguar Mark VII, which was progressively upgraded to be externally identical to the later Mark IX. The Nigerian government bought forty Mark IXs, painted in state colours of green and white. The impressive Jaguars of the 1950s were sufficiently popular in western Africa that "Jagwah" survives to this day as a colloquialism for "smart man-about-town".[ citation needed ]

In the luxury car market, the Jaguar Mk IX was very competitively priced, selling for £1995 with manual gearbox, £2063 with overdrive, and £2163 with automatic transmission, which was less than about half the price of similar competitors. In all, 10,009 Mark IX were produced. [1]

Classic racing circuit

The Mark IX's power and good brakes for a vehicle of the era, together with its impressive aesthetic appearance, make it a common choice for classic car circuit racing, such as at the Goodwood Circuit's Revival meetings.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XK150</span> Motor vehicle

The Jaguar XK150 is a sports car produced by Jaguar between 1957 and 1961 as the successor to the XK140.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin-Healey 3000</span> British sports car built from 1959 until 1967

The Austin-Healey 3000 is a British sports car built from 1959 until 1967. It is the best known of the "big Healey" models. The car's bodywork was made by Jensen Motors and the vehicles were assembled at BMC's MG Works in Abingdon, alongside the corporation's MG models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Zephyr</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Zephyr is an executive car manufactured by Ford of Britain from 1950 until 1972. The Zephyr and its luxury variants, the Ford Zodiac and Ford Executive, were the largest passenger cars in the British Ford range from 1950 until their replacement by the Consul and Granada models in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XK engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Jaguar XK is an inline 6-cylinder dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine produced by Jaguar Cars between 1949 and 1992. Introduced as a 3.4-litre, it earned fame on both the road and track, being produced in five displacements between 2.4 and 4.2-litres for Jaguar passenger cars, with other sizes being made by Jaguar and privateers for racing. A de-rated version was also used in certain military vehicles built by Alvis and Daimler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar Mark X</span> Motor vehicle

The Jaguar Mark X, later renamed the Jaguar 420G, was British manufacturer Jaguar's top-of-the-range saloon car for a decade, from 1961 to 1970. The large, luxurious Mark X not only succeeded the Mark IX as the company's top saloon model, but radically broke with both its predecessor's styling and technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triumph Spitfire</span> Motor vehicle

The Triumph Spitfire is a British sports car manufactured over five production iterations between 1962 and 1980. Styled for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, the Spitfire was introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. It was manufactured at the Standard-Triumph Canley works, with approximately 315,000 produced over 18 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunbeam Rapier</span> Motor vehicle

The Sunbeam Rapier is an automobile produced by Rootes Group from 1955 until 1976, in two different generations, the "Series" cars and the later (1967–76) fastback shape, part of the "Arrow" range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Westminster</span> Motor vehicle

The Austin Westminster series are large saloon and estate cars that were sold by the British manufacturer Austin from 1954, replacing the A70 Hereford. The Westminster line was produced as the A90, A95, A99, A105, and A110 until 1968 when the new Austin 3-Litre took its place. Essentially badge-engineered versions of the Farina Westminsters were also produced using the premium Wolseley and Vanden Plas marques. 101,634 Westminsters were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humber Super Snipe</span> Motor vehicle

The Humber Super Snipe is a car which was produced from 1938 to 1967 by British-based Humber Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin DB Mark III</span> Motor vehicle

The DB 2/4 Mark III is a grand tourer sold by Aston Martin from 1957 until 1959. It was an evolution of the DB2/4 Mark II model it replaced, using an evolution of that car's W.O. Bentley-designed 2.9 L (2922 cc/178 in³) Lagonda straight-6 engine, redesigned by Tadek Marek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar S-Type (1963)</span> Motor vehicle

The Jaguar S-Type is a saloon car produced by Jaguar Cars in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1968. Announced 30 September 1963 it was a technically more sophisticated development of the Mark 2, offering buyers a more luxurious alternative without the size and expense of the Mark X. The S-Type sold alongside the Mark 2, as well as the Jaguar 420 following its release in 1966. A retro-styled vehicle with the same name was also produced, based on the design of the original S-Type vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar Mark 2</span> Motor vehicle

The Jaguar Mark 2 is a mid-sized luxury sports saloon built from late 1959 to 1967 by Jaguar in Coventry, England. The previous Jaguar 2.4 Litre and 3.4 Litre models made between 1955 and 1959 are identified as Mark 1 Jaguars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire (motor car)</span> Motor vehicle

The Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire is a large automobile which was produced by the British company, Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited, from 1952 to 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daimler 250</span> Motor vehicle

The Daimler 2.5 V8/V8-250 is a four-door saloon which was produced by The Daimler Company Limited in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1969. It was the first Daimler car to be based on a Jaguar platform, the first with a unit body, and the last to feature a Daimler engine after the company was bought from the Birmingham Small Arms Company by Jaguar Cars in 1960. The engine is the hemispherical head V8 designed by Edward Turner and first used in the Daimler SP250 sports car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standard Vanguard</span> Motor vehicle made in England

The Standard Vanguard is a car which was produced by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, England, from 1947 until 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillman Super Minx</span> Motor vehicle

The Hillman Super Minx is a family car which was produced by Hillman from 1961 to 1967. It was a slightly larger version of the Hillman Minx, from the period when the long-running Minx nameplate was applied to the "Audax" series of designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar Mark VIII</span> Motor vehicle

The Jaguar Mark VIII is a luxury four-door automobile introduced by the Jaguar company of Coventry at the 1956 London Motor Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar Mark VII</span> Motor vehicle

The Jaguar Mark VII is a four-door luxury car produced by Jaguar Cars of Coventry from 1951 to 1956. Launched at the 1950 British International Motor Show as the successor to the Jaguar Mark V, it was called the Mark VII because there was already a Bentley Mark VI on the market. A version of the Jaguar Mark V with the XK engine had been designated as the Mark VI, but it is thought that only two were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daimler Regency</span> Motor vehicle

The Daimler Regency series was a luxury car made in Coventry by The Daimler Company Limited between 1951 and 1958. Only an estimated 49 examples of the 3-litre Regency chassis were made because demand for new cars collapsed just weeks after its introduction. Almost three years later in October 1954, a lengthened more powerful Regency Mark II (DF304) was announced but, in turn, after a production run of 345 cars, it was replaced by the very much faster, up-rated One-O-Four (DF310), announced in October 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar 420 and Daimler Sovereign (1966–1969)</span> Motor vehicle

The Jaguar 420 and its Daimler Sovereign equivalent were introduced at the October 1966 London Motor Show and produced for two years as the ultimate expression of a series of "compact sporting saloons" offered by Jaguar throughout that decade, all of which shared the same wheelbase. Developed from the Jaguar S-Type, the 420 cost around £200 more than that model and effectively ended buyer interest in it, although the S-Type continued to be sold alongside the 420/Sovereign until both were supplanted by the Jaguar XJ6 late in 1968.

References

  1. 1 2 Oldtimer Katalog. Vol. 23. Königswinter: HEEL Verlag GmbH. 2009. pp. Seite 187. ISBN   978-3-86852-067-5.
  2. Culshaw; Horrobin (1974). Complete Catalogue of British Cars. London: Macmillan. ISBN   0-333-16689-2.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The jaguar Mark IX". The Motor . 8 October 1958.
  4. Greater Power of the Jaguar IX. The Times, Wednesday, October 8, 1958, Issue 54276, p.4
  5. Gloor, Roger (2007). Alle Autos der 50er Jahre 1945 - 1960 (1st ed.). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN   978-3-613-02808-1.

Langworth, Richard M. (ed.) (2001). The Complete Book of Collectable Cars. Publications International, Ltd. ISBN   0-7853-4313-X.{{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)

Jaguar MK-IX Interior Jaguar MK-IX 1960 Interior.jpg
Jaguar MK-IX Interior