Jaguar Mark VII 1954 - 4-Door

2 Previous Owners, Over the years, Jaguar has built many wonderful cars, but there are the odd few that fly under the radar, more discreet than their more flashy siblings. In 1950, Jaguar launched the MKVII, which somewhat confusingly replaced the MKV, but it shared its predecessor chassis, though it was fitted with a new body and an all new engine borrowed from the XK120.Jaguar would produce an MKVII up until 1956, when production focus shifted to more fuel efficient models thanks to the Suez crisis. But before that, in 1954, Jaguar launched the MKVII M, a mid life facelift that tweaked the styling and added the high compression variant of the 3.4 litre straight six, boosting power to 190 bhp.This car is one of those unique and increasingly rare MKVII Ms. But it is no ordinary example. Over a number of years, Jaguar engineer and racer Dick Bradley converted this car from a luxury saloon into a competitive touring car. With help from the team at Guy Broad, it has been developed into a truly excellent racer.It really does have the Goodwood look. Finished in a tasteful shade of silver, the car sits on a set of 16 inch Dunlop spec lightweight alloy wheels with suitable period correct tyres. The wheels and tyres hide upgraded brakes from an MKIX, the same brakes fitted to lightweight E Types.The motorsport heritage is clear. Safety cutoffs, fire extinguishers and bonnet safety catches are necessary, but the roundels are a classy touch. The car styling is not compromised by its transition from road to track, with details like dual polished Le Mans style fuel filler caps on the rear wings and yellow lenses on the additional spotlights.The Jaguar original luxury interior has given way to a full roll cage, lightweight aluminium door skins, a Brantz trip meter, and race harnesses. The seats, made by OMP, feature corduroy centres, and as it is still a Jaguar, wood trim adorns the dash and the Stirling Moss engraved steering wheel.As a race car, it has been substantially upgraded. The engine is now a 3.8 litre competition spec unit fuelled by twin 2 inch SU carburettors, sending power through an all synchromesh close ratio gearbox. The car sits on Koni dampers with a limited slip differential and anti tramp bars to maximise grip.The car comes with its full set of FIVA technical papers, is fitted with an 85 litre fuel tank from an XJS and is eligible for a variety of prestigious classic motorsport events, including the Mille Miglia. It is ready to be enjoyed competitively, on the road or for track days.As with all our vehicles, a digital folder is available upon request and contains more images, walk around videos and scans of the service history. The car can also be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.