Jaguar’s success in sports car racing, and the success of their Mark VII saloon, established their reputation for producing the very best sporting and luxury cars at an exceptional value for the money. Towards the end of 1955, the company announced what was retrospectively dubbed the Mark I Saloon. The unitary method of construction was a new venture for Jaguar, as it was a type of manufacture in which the shell doubled as the chassis. This not only saved weight, but it also made their cars much more rigid than before. Originally offered with the 2.4-litre powerplant, the 3.4-litre and 3.8-litre engine joined the range in 1957 and 1959, respectively.

In 1959, Jaguar introduced the successor to the Mark I, the Mark II Saloon. Even though the Mark I had been a tremendous success, Sir William Lyons knew that it could be improved upon, and so he ensured that his company made the Mark II one of the best Jaguar’s yet. The windows were larger, the roof supports were more slender, and the interior was redesigned and updated. Mechanically, the rear axle was much wider and its performance was drastically increased.

The 1962 Jaguar 3.4 Mk II Saloon presented here was manufactured on 12 July 1962 and sold through JR Inwand’s dealership, in Ruinship, Middlesex, UK. On 7 August 1962, it was sold to Ain Vice Marchal GP Chamberlain, of Stanmore, Middlesex, UK. Originally finished in opalescent Silver Blue with a dark blue interior, this right-hand drive example shows 87,403 miles and wears a colour combination of red finish with a tan leather interior, which is a combination that suits the car well. Equipped as such, the 3.4-litre version was derived from Jaguar’s spectacular XK120 and produced 210 brake horsepower at 5,500 rpm. The car had a top speed of 120 mph and would go from 0–50 mph in 9 seconds.

The Jaguar Mark II was a sensation in saloon car racing during the 1960s, which helped promote the marque, and this model in particular, and as a result, the Mark II is regarded to this day as one of the most adored Jaguar saloons ever made. This particular example is in wonderful condition and shows trace signs of wear.

As with many Jaguar vehicles of this era, this Mark II Saloon is a delight to drive and will have no problem seeing use as a dual purpose collector car. It is a car that can be taken out for a spirited weekend drive, and one that can also easily handle the tasks associated with an everyday driver.