1967 Jaguar 420G Review

1967 Jaguar 420G Review

We’re going on a tour of car shows to bring you vehicles from all marques and years. You’ll see many collector car favorites and along the way we’ll show you a few cars you didn’t even know existed. At every stop, we’ll visit with the owners young and old to find out why they’ve picked their special collector car, and we’ll learn the stories and history of both.

HEY!!! If you find our content informative and fun, become a channel member -    / @twoguysandaride  

This is Autorama…

Special thanks to Steven for sharing his remarkable 1967 Jaguar 420-G

The trick is selling cars in the United States of America. It always has been, and even with ascending car ownership in places like China, India, and Russia, moving metal in America is the key to successful auto manufacturing. If you don't agree, just ask Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen how not selling cars in the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave is working out for them. Which is why, back in 1961, Jaguar's Sir William Lyons decided a little stateside pandering was in order, and concocted the plus-size Mark X. Longer, wider, lower, and just bigger than any full-size cat that came before it, the Mark X had an imperious presence. More important -- and for better or worse -- the prodigious saloon laid the foundational path that Jaguar has been walking down ever since.

As even most of your pets know, 1961 was a historic year for Jaguar, marking the introduction of the legendary E-Type, which seven out of 10 gearheads agree is the best-looking car of all time. But 1961 also brought the introduction of a more important Jaguar, the Mark X (spoken as "Mark Ten"). Why more important? Because as wondrous as the E-Type was, it did not point the way forward. In fact, the E-Type is more of a terminus - the end of the lithe, lightweight Jaguar line. From the XK120 through the C and D-Types to even the Mark I and II, Jaguars had been lightweight, sporty things. (Well, light and sporty or large and formal, as evidenced by the long-running Marks IV through IX.) The Mark X, in contrast, represented a jumping-off point, because in addition to grace and pace, it added space as a brand value. Sadly for this grandest of all Jags, the Mark X (which in 1966 became the 420G) never had enough space for its intended target, the United States.

Viewed as big in Europe, the large saloon was merely midsized by top-drawer American standards. Consider the contemporary Cadillac Sedan de Ville. In 1962, that luxury Yank yacht measured 222.0 inches long and 79.8 inches wide while riding on a massive wheelbase of 129.5 inches. The Mark X, by way of comparison, was just 202.0 inches long, 76.3 inches wide, and rode on a wheelbase of only 120.0 inches. The two cars were closer in height, with the taller Cadillac at 56.3 inches and the Jaguar topping out at 54.5. As it turns out, the Mark X is closer in size to a current Toyota Avalon. Spacious for sure, but, back in the early '60s, when Americans bought luxury by the foot, not nearly capacious enough. Moreover, its diminutive 3.8-liter inline-six wasn't even on the same soccer pitch as the 6.4 and 7.0-liter monster V-8s residing under Cadillac hoods.

Aside from the sleek, low-slung, and absolutely gorgeous body, the thing that grabbed me hardest about the 420G is its gentleman's lounge of an interior. I'm not sure how or where to check, but I'd wager that the 420G comes complete with the widest seat cushions in all of autodom. They extend past your hips and squash right up against the front doors. They are copious and swaddling. Then of course there's the wood -- and so much of it! The 420G is in fact the last "full wood" interior Jaguar ever executed. The burled walnut (48 pieces in all!) seems endless, covering not only the dash, but all the pillars, door joins, waistrails, the top of dash, and the front window frame. In back you'll find twin foldout picnic tables (complete with vanity mirrors) and, above them, dual wooden ashtrays. Excess demands excess, which is why the 420G also has a center-mounted front pullout picnic tray. I am particularly in love with the "Cigar" lighter located between the ignition and the starter button. This, my friends, is a British car.

Don’t miss these other great reviews:
   • Humber Super Snipe  
   • 1981 Citroen 2CV  
   • 1967 Jaguar 420G Review  
   • Morgan Plus 4 and Jaguars  
   • Lotus Caterham Super 7  

Follow Us on Social Media:
Instagram - http://bit.ly/2SjJ4YI
Twitter - http://bit.ly/2Tjv9yX
Facebook - http://bit.ly/2Tghetr
Two Guys - https://bit.ly/2TTs4sT
Tumblr - https://bit.ly/2HDLo7W

Jaguar 420-G information source - https://www.motortrend.com/news/13q1-...

Special thanks to Steve for sharing his 1967 Jaguar 420G.
All Music licensed from http://www.purple-planet.com