CAR OF 1955 JAGUAR Mk1

Originally officially known as the Jaguar 2.4-litre, the car was available in two formats – Standard and Special Equipment. The £29 price difference gained you fog lamps, heater, screen washers and a folding central back armrest. While it was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1955, it was the following year before the motoring press got to test it. Both Autocar and The Motor seemed impressed with their Special Equipment model and both accelerated it to over the ton, reporting 0-60mph times of 15.8 and 14.4 seconds respectively. It was the first Jaguar road car to feature unitary construction, with coils instead of torsion bars at the front, and early cars featured rear-wheel spats and big wraparound bumpers. It was more of a luxurious cruiser than a sporting saloon but it did point the way towards the Mk2 from 1959.