Modern Classic: 1953 Jaguar Mark VII

To qualify as "modern classics," we choose vehicles, which are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people see that still make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. Our focus is on cars at least 25 years old, so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections.


Tastes may vary, as may peoples' own definitions of "affordable." Our theoretical limit is $50,000 for a car in good to excellent condition, which rules out many of the traditional exotics. This month's selection is the 1953 Jaguar Mark VII.

History
The crowds surrounding Jaguar's stand at the 1950 Earls Court Motor Show were drawn as much by the new Mark VII sedan as they'd been two years earlier when the sleek XK 120 roadster made its debut. Gone was the decidedly prewar-looking Mark V saloon. (There never was a Mark VI). Taking the Mark V's place was a svelte, more aerodynamic, all-steel-bodied four-door. Its fade-away fenders and full rear skirts faithfully aped the side panels of the curvaceous XK 120.


Coventry's stylists retained the older sedan's smartly curved roofline and the signature C-pillar tuck-under that had become a Jaguar hallmark. Below the beltline, the Mark V's suicide front doors, broad fenders and vestigial running boards had given way to a contemporary, yet classically proportioned sedan. It resembled a slightly shrunken, Hooper-bodied Bentley—but in more affordable guise—thus continuing another Jaguar tradition, value for money.

Features
Under its long hood, the Mark V's pushrod six was replaced by the XK 120's race-proven twin-cam, 160-bhp powerplant, mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox. The box-section frame and suspension, independent wish bones and torsion bars in front, and a live axle rear, were carried over, but the XK engine was repositioned five inches further forward. The large four-wheel drum brakes were vacuum-boosted.