Automotive Firsts

Codename ZENITH: The Jaguar Mk X (420G)


(Sir William Lyons' own Mk X outside his home).

My username should betray the fact I have got a bit of a soft spot for this fat-bottomed girl. October 2021 will mark the 60th anniversary of the launch of the Mk X, (if any of us are left to see it).

Although not world firsts the Mk X did establish a lot of Jaguar firsts, amongst many innovations, it was the first Jaguar saloon to feature:
Independent rear suspension
Inboard (disk) brakes.
Triple carburettors, (SU).
Twin fuel tanks.
The order option of air conditioning.
The order option of glass division.

It's dimensions were gargantuan:
Length        16'10"
Width           6' 4¼"
Wheelbase  10'
Weight        4,200lb
It wasn't outleviathaned on any of the above until more than 3 and 4 decades later when the XJ220 and X350 lwb exceeded the Mk X's width and length respectively, (no Jaguar has yet managed to outdo it for width and length).

The Mk X was a totally revolutionary design from the staid luxury saloon, the Mk IX, that it replaced;


When developing the Mk X Lyons set out to design a modern luxury performance monocoque saloon with a very distinctive look, it was also developed with an eye on the US market which is why it became the fattest cat. It was lower, sleeker and more aerodynamic than its predecessors. The bonnet profile, the style of grille, the twin sets of headlights looked new and unusual in 1961 but they would all become familiar features on the XJ saloons as they morphed and evolved. The last XJ saloon (X358) rolled off the production line in 2009, this distinctive 'Jag' look that is so familiar to all of us had lasted 48 years, (also scaled down for the X-Type).



In the last 'proper' XJ incarnation you can easily see that the 2009 X358 has the same genes;


In 2009, nearly half a century after the Mk X was launched, I think this evolution still looked fresh and iconic.

Not sure if it was a first but my Mazda RX7 turbo11 had rear wheel steering. which stuck to the road like glue but could be a strange sensation at times.