Top five Jaguar cars to invest in

Almost every adult person knows an ‘E-Type’ is a Jaguar. Indeed, few cars in the history of motoring are so immediately recognisable and so evocative.

Jaguars were invented by Lyons; they started out as SS cars then became SS Jaguars, but after World War II Bill (Sir William from 1956) Lyons redoubled his efforts to produce high performance sports cars and great performing luxury sedans at astonishingly low prices.

The downside of this affordability is that Lyons was notorious for squeezing his suppliers; quality was sometimes a victim!

In 1948 Jaguar announced a new sports car, the XK120, powered by a revolutionary new twin overhead camshaft 3.4-litre six-cylinder ‘XK’ engine.

Lyons’ shrewd decision inspired entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and an extraordinary five victories (1951, 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1957), initially in the C-Type (developed from the XK120) and then the purpose-built D-Type.

Jaguars were already desirable but the marque’s brand values were lastingly consolidated on those Le Mans victories.

The XK120 was superseded by the XK140 in 1954 and the XK150 in 1957.

Among classic Jaguars, especially the four-door models, there is some great buying for the discerning collector. This is largely because only two mainstream Jaguar models have truly inspired collectors across a broad range: the E-Type and the Mark 2; most of the rest have been ignored but this situation is already beginning to change.

Price ranges here were established in consultation with Shannons National Auctions Manager Christophe Boribon. Concours/show cars will be dearer again.

The Mark VIIM was a sign of less austere times in postwar Britain. Petrol rationing was finally at an end and higher octane fuel was more readily available. So the big Jaguar got a power boost from 160 to 190 horsepower via a higher 8.0:1 compression ratio.
Optional overdrive allowed it to stretch out to a maximum speed of 106mph, making it the fastest British four-door sedan. Automatic transmission was also available. For me, the loveliest detail was the purple instrument lighting.

Prominent in Mark VIIM provenance is outright victory in the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally. The Mark VIIM commands a premium over the standard car but its added refinement and rarity make it great value among classic Jaguars.

The XK140 looks little different from its illustrious predecessor but has 190hp (30 more). It got rack-and-pinion steering, which gave improved feel at speed and lower efforts around town. There were more powerful headlights. Overdrive was optional. There were larger Mark VII-style bumpers.

The engine was located further forward, permitting a larger interior, which now incorporated a corner seat for the carriage of (diminutive) additional passengers. The spare wheel was housed beneath the boot floor.

A larger rear window and longer doors further enhanced its claims to practicality. The XK140 had a walnut veneer fascia and a generally more luxurious interior reflecting Mark VII themes.

The XK140 tends to get overlooked, sandwiched as it is between the XK120 and 3.8-litre XK150. Some purists feel its profile is less elegant than the XK120’s, due to the longer, higher roofline. But the FHC is less expensive than any of the XK roadsters.

The Special Equipment version (1955-1957) – many of which were specified with a C-Type cylinder head and 9.0:1 compression ratio – added wire wheels and Lucas fog lights.

Nothing prepared us for the Mark X. This 1892kg behemoth was almost 90kg heavier than its Mark IX predecessor, 14cm longer, 8cm wider and an extraordinary 22cm lower. It actually stood half an inch lower than an XK150 FHC.

Beneath its voluptuous curves, the Mark X was a very advanced machine. Its rear suspension was per the E-Type’s. This was an elaborate monocoque with the rear suspension, transmission and propeller shaft mounted on an auxiliary chassis frame. As on the E-Type, inboard rear disc brakes were fitted – unusual for 1961.

The Mark X was the most luxurious Jaguar yet, with sprawling interior space and a rear seat to rival any Cadillac. In 1964 the torquier 4.2-litre version replaced the 3.8 and this made the Mark X more responsive at urban velocities and better suited to US tastes.

But, despite outstanding driveability, the Mark X never hit the spot with collectors. That is now beginning to change.

Perhaps for purists the 420 was always a bridge too far. There was an almost caricature element to the way it seemed to combine the amidships section of the Mark 2 (same wheelbase again) with the nose (including similar raked-back grille and quad headlights) and tail sections of the Mark X.

This was indeed a stopgap car, while the radically new XJ6 was being readied for production. It is far superior to the Mark 2 from which it was distantly derived.

The 420 was low-geared, meaning it was fast off the line but busy at highway speeds: the three-speed auto version (by far the most common) showing some 3300rpm at 100km/h. The all-synchro manual version could reach 123mph.

There was also a Daimler Sovereign, differing only in badging and detail. In a concession to safety, the beautiful solid wooden dashboard was topped with a padded roll of black vinyl (enclosing a square-dialled clock in the centre).

The 420 had plusher seats than either the Mark 2 or S-Type with individual pull-down armrests for the front occupants.

You can buy a pristine 420 for roughly one-third the price of an equivalent Mark 2 3.8 manual. Some 10,000 were made.

The supposed successor to the E-Type, the XJ-S was first seen in Australia in 1976. But the model never sold here in significant numbers before 1983 when the ‘HE’ variant arrived.

Fuel economy was the bugbear of Jaguar’s 5.3-litre V12 engine and a young Swiss engineer called Michael May had been recruited to design a new cylinder-head. This unit in combination with more powerful electronic ignition and re-programmed Lucas digital fuel-injection brought economy improvements in the order of 20 per cent. The ‘HE’ badge stood for High Efficiency.

These XJ-S HEs were also much better built and finished than the earlier cars. They had a higher level of equipment, including a richer interior with wood veneer dash and door cappings. The only downside was the lack of a manual transmission.