Lets open the Jaguar book at the XK120 then as this engine in several formats went on to serve in much of the the model range over a significant production period
Six cylinders aside, this was simply one of the greatest engines ever designed and produced.
Conceived by Jaguar bosses and engineers during night-time 'fire watch' during WW2 this engine was produced in various capacities between 1948 and 1992. Subsequent straight-six Jaguar lumps took direct design inspiration from this engine.
During their Thinktank sessions, William Lyons stipulated that " . . . it has to look good . . . " And subsequent testing showed that the dual overhead cam was the way to go.
It powered a range of legends including; XK120 XK140 XK150
XK-SS
Mk VII Mk VIII Mx IX
D Type E Type
Mk 1 Mk 2 S-Type
Mk X 420 Daimler Sovereign 420G
XJ6 s1 XJ6 s2 XJ6 S3 DS420
FV101 Scorpion (tank) FV107 Scimitar (tank)
(And derivatives, and spin-offs, etc.)
112bhp in short block form on the 2.4 litre. to 265 bhp in performance spec E-type.
Not only did it look good, it did good! At famous motorsports events across Europe and elsewhere. It also set many new records.
Nearly didnt make it past 6 months of age in one of those. My mum was a rather spirited driver..and was to the end..and one day took one of our more fierce local hump back bridges at speed. I was in my carry cot in the rear (pre health and safey mimbo jumbo days of course) , next thing she knows it i appear in the rear view mirror. Obviously myself and the Vitesse soon met again as i am still here but the incident might explain my love of getting airborne!!