Jaguar / Daimler 'Compact Saloons'
At the Motor Show in 1955, Jaguar introduced the 2.4 litre Saloon. It used a revolutionary monocoque chassis, powered by a short-stroke version of the
3.4 litre XK DOHC in-line 6 engine.
It was considered a little underpowered for the American market and in 1957 a 3.4 litre was anounced. This model soon
found popularity; including the domestic market.
Both models were considered by many to be 'over-engineered' and costly to produce, and in 1959 a re-designed body shell was used on the Mk2. At this
point, the 2.4s and 3.4s became retrospectively known as the Mk1.
There was a marked similarity between the models, but the Mk2 made greater use of glass and became very popular, in all three variants: 2.4L, 3.4L and
3.8L.
1962 saw the introduction of the Daimler 2.5L V8, using the Mk2 body shell and Daimler's 2.5L V8 engine.
In 1967, Jaguar made a number of cost-savings in the production of the Mk2, re-naming the model 240 and 340.
Daimler followed with the V8 250 but the model retained some of the better features of the existing model.
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