1953 Jaguar Mark VII Saloon
The Jaguar Mark VII is a 4 door luxury car produced by Jaguar Cars Ltd. of Coventry from 1951 to 1956. Launched at the 1950 British International Motor Show as a successor to the Mark V, it was called the Mark VII because Bentley had already taken the Mark VI. The Mark VII chassis came from the Mark V and the wheelbase remained the same.
For consignment, a 1953 Jaguar Mark VII which was imported by a US Army officer in 1953 and it is equipped with an octane pool petrol engine, as well as functioning trafficators, (turn signals), which were not available on the car imported from Britain at the time. It still has its original engine and the odometer shows 31,583 miles which are title verified as actual. It has new tires and the door pocket tool compartment contains all the original tools.
Exterior
The beneficiary of a respray in the factory black, the cars design is a long luxurious interplay of various french curves and straight mostly rust free steel. The paint is good and shows some age with slight rust seen on some seams. The chrome is very nice and there are a few scratches in the bumpers from encounters with other hazards that were left out from wherever and hit the car! The Mark VII has a very streamlined look with integrated headlights and mudguards, a two piece windscreen, and a nice curved longer rear overhang. Like the Mark V, the rear quarter has removable spats covering the rear wheels. Chrome trimmings interact tastefully with the black paint and it is not excessively seen, only on the grille, bezels, mirrors and bumpers as well as a highlighting spear along the sill line which runs from the hood to the back of the car. Here we see a bulbous B pillar with an accentuating rear window curving around and highlight of the back of the pillar. This pillar gracefully curves down to another large chrome bumper in back which frames the bottom of the trunk. The rear quarters also help with the line with a slight curved bump out from the door panels. 16-inch black painted steel wheels have a central chromed and badged hubcap and a chromed trim ring on the edge, all are wrapped in 6.50-16 like new wide white wall rubber.
Interior
A touch of class is in store for you as you swing the doors you are greeted with a true wood highly lacquered actual burl sill. The central panels take over with deep red leather, nice and smooth peppered with chromed actuators and window cranks and an armrest. The rear passengers have a built-in ash receptacle on the sills. Seats in front are new low back overstuffed buckets that have wide bolster and rounded over tuck and roll insert panels edged with red piping. They are excellent in their condition. A rear bench is in back with plenty of leg room and is showing as original with some aging and slight cracking. Red carpeting covers the floors and is very clean. In front a large bakelite wheel in black fronts the beautifully lacquered burl dash. If you like walnut burl then this is the star of the show. It has plenty of round black faced gauges in the center of the dash easily viewable for the driver. The dash top is also fashioned from the burl and is created by a true master woodworker with its undulating curved design and central bump up panel above the instruments. A shift lever with a red leather boot in on the hump between the buckets. An original mohair headliner in tan is above and we can even see an early version of the sunroof up there. A shout to the trunk which is also completely finished with tan corduroy and there is a black box inserted along with the covered spare, a fire extinguisher and some awards.
Drivetrain
A flip of the ling rounded hood and we can see the factory 3.4L DOHC inline 6 cylinder engine. It is in beautiful machined condition, very clean and it has dual SU carbs feeding it. There is a 4 speed manual transmission on the back and it runs to a 4.27 geared rear axle. All looks just fabulous with its patina chromed look on the valve coverings and head.
Undercarriage
Underneath a solid X frame supports the slightly grease covered floor pans and rear differential. Simple mechanicals are running throughout and are well organized. Independent torsion bar front suspension is on up front and leaf springs with Girling shocks are on back. Power assisted drum brakes are on all 4 corners.
Drive-Ability
A love for British cars, especially these early Jags and I was in like flint for the test drive. During my experience I had a pleasurable drive experiencing a smooth ride, peppy acceleration and easy shifting. Truly a rolling work of art and all functions are working as they should.
Brought to the USA by a service officer and well taken care of by all of its owners and now we have an award winning, (2023 JCNA Concours Award with its judging sheet and Heritage Trust Certificate), example of a beautifully designed car from 1953 British motoring.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
