1954 Jaguar MK VII 3.4 Saloon

Jaguar’s Mark VII evolved from the interim Mark V, which had looked like the pre-war Mark IV, except with long flowing separate fenders. Bentley had already used the name Mark VI, so Jaguar skipped to the next Roman numeral. The body was now full-width, with slab sides and the suggestion of fender lines, but the Mark V roofline was retained and the grille also bore the same Jaguar signature. Inside, the burled walnut dash was crammed with gauges and the engine had been moved forward, which added three inches of leg space for the rear seat passengers. The new trunk also had a vertical spare wheel and was significantly larger. The Mark VII was able to cruise at 80 mph easily, especially with the optional overdrive gearbox, available in 1954. It sold well in the US, considering this was during the period of “export or die” for British industry. The Mark VII finalized 20,918 sales from 1950-54, and The Motor tested a Mark VII at a top speed of 101 mph and 0-60 mph in 13.7 seconds. Los Angeles dealer Peter Satori did even better, with 0-60 in 12.6 seconds and a top speed of 104 mph.