1954 JAGUAR MK VII

Over the years, Jaguar has built many wonderful cars, but there are the odd few that fly under the radar, more discreet than their more flashy siblings. In 1950, Jaguar launched the MKVII, which somewhat confusingly replaced the MKV, but it shared its predecessor's chassis, though it was fitted with a new body, and vitally, an all-new engine, borrowed from the XK120.

Jaguar would produce an MKVII up until 1956, when production focus was shifted to more fuel-efficient models, thanks to the Suez crisis. But before that, in 1954, Jaguar launched the MKVII M, a sort of mid-life facelift that tweaked the styling, and vitally, added the high-compression variant of the 3.4-litre straight six, boosting power to 190BHP.

This car is one of those unique and increasingly rare MKVII Ms. But it's no ordinary example. Over a number of years, Jaguar engineer and racer Dick Bradley converted this car from a luxury saloon into a competitive touring car. With help from the team at Guy Broad, it has been fettled into a truly excellent racer.

It really does have the Goodwood look, finished in a tasteful shade of silver, the car sits on a set of 16” Dunlop-spec lightweight alloy wheels, with suitable period correct tyres. The wheels and tyres hide upgraded brakes from an MKIX, the same brakes fitted to lightweight E-Types.

The motorsport heritage is abundantly clear, safety cutoffs, fire extinguishers and bonnet safety catches are a necessary evil, but the roundels are a classy touch. The car’s styling isn’t compromised by its transition from road to track, with little details like dual polished Le Mans style fuel filler caps adorning the rear wings, and yellow lenses to cut through the fog on the additional spotlights.

The Jag’s original luxury interior has sadly had to make way, but in its place is a full roll cage, lightweight aluminium door skins, a Brantz trip-meter, and race harnesses. The seats, which are made by OMP, featured corduroy centres, and as it is still a Jaguar, wood trim adorns the dash and the Stirling Moss-engraved steering wheel.

As a racecar, the car has been substantially upgraded; the engine is now a 3.8-litre competition spec unit, fuelled by twin 2” SU Carburettors, it sends power through an all-synchromesh close-ratio gearbox. The car sits on Koni dampers, with a limited-slip differential and a set of anti-tramp bars responsible for maximising grip.

The car comes with its full set of FIVA technical papers, is fitted with an 85-litre fuel tank from an XJS and is eligible to be entered into a variety of highly prestigious classic motorsport events, including the Mille Miglia. It’s ready to be enjoyed, whether competitively, on the road or for track days.

As with all our vehicles, an entire digital folder is available upon request and contains more images, walk-around videos, and scans of the service history. The car can also be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.