By Barbara Fisher


It is no secret that Jaguar, the renowned British car maker, has produced many cars that rank highly in the looks and speed department. While every automobile comes with certain qualities that make it unique, some have far exceeded expectation to become standout performers. This article highlights 6 classic Jaguars whose style and performance continue to impress to date.

The first one on the list is the E Type. Many automobile experts regard it as the best that the manufacturer has ever made. Not only was it the best looking car at its prime, but a top performing one as well.

When put on the road with cars from other makers, it clearly outdistanced them on many fronts. This was aided by its 3.8 liter six cylinder engine. Later versions came with an engine enhancement to 4.2 liters. Its final change was an improvement to accommodate a 5.3 liter V12 engine version.

Next is the XKSS. This model was created in 1956. Not much work went to its production as it relied on the chassis of the D Type race car. The production team only had to make a few modifications to the chassis.

A notable change could be seen in the sitting structure, where a passenger seat was added. At its launch, it was introduced as an everyday car and not a racing machine as many had anticipated. As only a limited number got to the market, a well preserved one today costs a lot.

In third place is the Jaguar XK120. This was the first sports car that the manufacturer made after World War Two. Its original manufacture year is 1948. The car ran on a six cylinder 3.4 liter engine. Initially, it had 160 horsepower. By 1954, this capacity had been enhanced to 210 horsepower.

That year, the XK140 was launched as a replacement. It boasted a few important upgrades, with more power pumped into the engine. It saw its last days in 1957, when the XK150 phased it out and put an end to the XK era. The latter had a powerful 265 horsepower engine.

The XJS occupies fourth place. The motoring world bowed to it for two successive decades, right till the end of the 80s. Originally, it came as a coupe. A convertible variant was soon produced. Its engine options included the 6 and 12 liter types. In 1988, a revamp was made, launching the XJR S into the market. The latter performed better and portrayed more style.

Also worth mentioning, and occupying fifth position, are the Mark 1 and Mark 2. These two models were not built to be sports cars, but were rather released as sedans. Nevertheless, they were pretty fast on the road. Both of them were powered by six inline engines. The Mark 2 was more powerful nonetheless, with its 3.8 liter engine outperforming the 3.4 liter variant in the Mark 1.

Last on the list is the SS 100. It is known to be the first actual sports car that the company made. It was introduced to sort out the limitations of its predecessor, the SS 90. When it was first manufactured, it had a six cylinder 2.5 liter engine. This was to be soon replaced with a 3.5 liter version which gave it an edge on the road.




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