Jaguar Mark IV

The smallest model of the range originally featured a 1608 cc side valve Standard engine but from 1938 this was replaced by a 1776 cc overhead-valve unit still from Standard who also supplied the four-speed manual transmission. Pre-war the car was available as a saloon or drophead coupé but post war only the closed model was made. Up to 1938 body construction on all the models was by the traditional steel on wood method but in that year it changed to all steel. Performance was not a strong point but was possible: the car featured the same cabin dimensions and well-appointed interior as its longer-engined brothers. Despite its lack of out-and-out performance, a report of the time, comparing the 4-cylinder 1½-litre with its 6-cylinder siblings, opined that the smallest-engined version of the car was "as is often the case ... the sweetest running car" with a "big car cruising gait in the sixties". Mechanically operated brakes using a Girling system were fitted. ==SS Jaguar and Jaguar 2½ Litre==

Again the engine was sourced from Standard but was redesigned to use overhead valves rather than the side-valve layout used by Standard. Harry Weslake was called in to advise on the cylinder head design, and the change resulted in a very considerable uplift in power to give 105 bhp. Unlike the 1½ Litre there were some drophead models made post-war. The chassis was originally but grew by an inch (25 mm) in 1938 to . The extra length over the 1½ Litre was used for the six-cylinder engine and the passenger accommodation was the same size. ==SS Jaguar and Jaguar 3½ Litre==

The 3½ Litre, introduced in 1938, was essentially the same body and chassis as the 2½ Litre but the larger 125 bhp engine gave better performance but at the expense of economy. The rear axle ratio was 4.25:1 as opposed to the 4.5:1 on the 2½ Litre. Jaguar SS 3,5.jpg|SS Jaguarsports saloon S S Jaguar drophead coupe 1940 (8679189922).jpg|SS Jaguardrophead coupé 1940 Jaguar Mk IV 3½ Litre (1948) (10275785216).jpg|Jaguarsports saloon 1948 Jaguar 1948 - Flickr - mick - Lumix.jpg|Jaguardrophead coupé 1948 ==References==