The Mk 1 and 2 Register

Catering for the MK1 and 2 saloons, 240 and 340, and the Daimler 2.5 Saloon and V8 250. The home of perhaps Jaguar's most iconic saloon.

In 1955, Jaguar launched the 2.4-litre saloon and with it, transformed the concept of a four-door car. Gone were the grand old dames of the 1940s and early ’50s and, instead, the public was offered a new and modern compact saloon, embodying all the technical expertise Jaguar had gained from its previous successes on road and track. Gone were the heavy, chassis-based saloons of the past – the 2.4 heralded a whole new generation of Jaguars, using unitary construction, and blazing the trail for some of the company’s most iconic models.

The car made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1955, fitted with the 112bhp XK engine. The 3.4-litre version followed in February 1957, boosting the power to 210bhp with corresponding improvements in acceleration and top speed.

With the arrival of its successor in late 1959, using basically the same shell as the 2.4 and 3.4, the earlier compact saloons became known as Mk 1. The new Mk 2 featured hundreds of improvements, both visual and practical, and was available with a choice of three engines – 2.4, 3.4 and the flagship 3.8. Until the introduction of the XJ12 in 1972, the 3.8-litre Mk 2 was Jaguar’s fastest production saloon.

By 1966, after nearly seven years in production, a final revision of the Mk 2 appeared with the introduction in September 1967 of the 240 and 340, featuring the 2.4 and 3.4 engines. The Mk 2 body shape remained but, with orders beginning to decline, the new car’s specification was adapted to market demands. The opulent interior of the original Mk 2 was replaced with more basic materials and external changes included thinner, more modern bumpers. The 3.8-litre engine remained available to special order but only nine of these were made, probably because the 340, when fitted with the C-Type straight-port head, was much closer in performance to the original 3.8-litre cars. Production of the 340 ended in September 1968, while the 240 continued until April 1969.

The Mk 1 & Mk 2 Register offers technical and concours advice for owners of every model in the range and welcomes members at JDC events throughout the year.