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Jaguar Mark IX
The Jaguar Mark IX (1958-1961) was the final development of the Jaguar Mark VII, which had been launched at the Earls Court motor show in October 1950, followed by the American launch at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. It was specifically aimed at the American market, where it sold 500 cars in the first 3 days.
The Mark VII and its successors retained a separate chassis and used the XK engine, initially of 3.4 litres capacity, first seen in the low-volume XK120 sports car, introduced in 1948. The Mark VII was a large car by British standards but offered American buyers a traditional British interior of leather and walnut. The Mark VII was also one of the first British cars to offer automatic transmission, by Borg Warner, again reflecting American requirements.
The final version of this design, the Mark IX, was introduced in late 1958. It featured a larger engine, now of 3.8 litres capacity, disc brakes on all 4 wheels and power steering. Most featured a two-tone colour scheme but not the car shown here. Automatic transmission was still an option, although chosen by most buyers. A few Mark IXs (the number 30 comes to mind) were fitted out as limousines, with bench front seats, a division between front and rear and a cocktail cabinet in the back. I saw one of these, with chauffeur, parked near Fenchurch Street station in east London in 1963. It looked very smart and not at all shown up by a pair of Rolls-Royces parked alongside. The Mark IX was replaced by the all-new Mark X in late 1961.
Jaguar Mark IX
The Jaguar Mark IX (1958-1961) was the final development of the Jaguar Mark VII, which had been launched at the Earls Court motor show in October 1950, followed by the American launch at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. It was specifically aimed at the American market, where it sold 500 cars in the first 3 days.
The Mark VII and its successors retained a separate chassis and used the XK engine, initially of 3.4 litres capacity, first seen in the low-volume XK120 sports car, introduced in 1948. The Mark VII was a large car by British standards but offered American buyers a traditional British interior of leather and walnut. The Mark VII was also one of the first British cars to offer automatic transmission, by Borg Warner, again reflecting American requirements.
The final version of this design, the Mark IX, was introduced in late 1958. It featured a larger engine, now of 3.8 litres capacity, disc brakes on all 4 wheels and power steering. Most featured a two-tone colour scheme but not the car shown here. Automatic transmission was still an option, although chosen by most buyers. A few Mark IXs (the number 30 comes to mind) were fitted out as limousines, with bench front seats, a division between front and rear and a cocktail cabinet in the back. I saw one of these, with chauffeur, parked near Fenchurch Street station in east London in 1963. It looked very smart and not at all shown up by a pair of Rolls-Royces parked alongside. The Mark IX was replaced by the all-new Mark X in late 1961.