NZCC reader Stephen Moore talks about his Jaguar 420, and compares it to a friend’s Daimler Sovereign

The Jaguar 420 may well be the least familiar of the many models produced by Jaguar in the ’60s, but its pedigree is impeccable, tracing as it does through several better-known models that preceded it. The 420’s stable-mate was the Daimler Sovereign, a badge-engineered variant that was virtually identical to the Jaguar.

The 420 was sold as a compact sporting saloon filling a perceived gap between the Jaguar’s Mk2 and MkX and sharing features of both. But we should go back to the start of the story, which is quite complicated, so hang on tight.

The familiar Mk2 was introduced in 1959 and sold throughout most of the ’60s. It had a live rear axle and was powered by the XK six-cylinder engine first used in the XK120 of 1948. In the Mk2 that engine was available in 2.4, 3.4 and 3.8-litre capacities at one time or another.

In 1961 Jaguar launched two new models. The MkX saloon had been developed to use a sophisticated new independent rear suspension and a triple carburettor version of the 3.8-litre engine. Aimed at the American market, the MkX had somewhat overblown body proportions, although compared with the full-sized MkVII, VIII and IX saloons that preceded it the MkX was almost svelte. The other new car for 1961 was the sensational E-Type sports car, which shared the same 3.8-litre engine as the MkX and used a scaled-down version of the independent rear suspension. In 1965 both cars were updated with the new 4.2-litre version of the XK engine, again with triple carburettors.

Meanwhile, in 1963 Jaguar had introduced the S-Type as a development of the Mk2, in which a mid-scale version of the MkX independent rear suspension replaced the Mk2’s live rear axle. Other differences the S-Type had over the Mk2 were extended rear bodywork to provide for a larger boot, a changed roofline for more headroom, a slightly plusher interior and detail differences around the nose. The S-Type was available with either 3.4 or 3.8-litre XK engines, but only in twin carburettor form because the triple-carb set-up would not fit into what was essentially still the Mk2 engine bay.

Jaguar 420 and Sovereign

In August 1966, Jaguar added to this already extensive range a new saloon that combined the 4.2-litre powerplant of the MkX and E-Type with the compact body and independent rear suspension of the S-Type. This was the Jaguar 420, and its Daimler Sovereign equivalent was released at the same time. Both new cars featured a squared-off nose with four headlamps akin to that of the MkX, but again the engine carried just two carburettors.

As if the story was not complicated enough, at the same time as the 420 was released Jaguar up-chromed the MkX and renamed it the 420G (for Grand). Then, in 1968, the 420G floorpan was modified to form the basis of the huge Daimler DS420 limousine. So, with a name so similar to both the 420G and DS420 and with a tail the same as an S-Type, it’s no wonder people have always tended to mistake the Jaguar 420 for something else. The author’s elderly neighbour even thought it was a Bentley!

But the thing that really makes the 420 easy to overlook is the relatively low numbers made. The factory at Browns Lane, Coventry, stopped making the 420 at the end of 1968 just over two years after production began, and with only 10,236 produced. The Daimler Sovereign soldiered on into July 1969, by which time 5824 had been sold. By the end of the production run, buyers were hanging back to wait for the new Jaguar XJ6. The handsome and iconoclastic XJ6 was slightly larger than the 420 and swept it from the Jaguar range, along with the Mk2 and S-Type. For the record, the 420G only remained in production until 1970, although its mammoth cousin the DS420 endured until 1992.

Daimler or Jaguar

This is probably a good place to detail the ways that the Daimler Sovereign was differentiated from the Jaguar 420. Whereas the Daimler 2.5-litre V8 of 1962 differed from the Jaguar Mk2 by having a genuine Daimler engine, the Sovereign differed from the 420 only in its badging and aspects of interior trim. Of course, mentioning this fact to a Sovereign owner is unlikely to win you a friend. A table of the real differences between the cars is included below. According to the major reference work (see Reference #1 at end of feature) for the models, the Daimler differs from the Jaguar in having:

• A fluted Daimler-badged grille;

• A fluted number plate housing on its boot lid (although the author has only seen Sovereigns that lacked this difference so wonders if it is correct);

• Wheel trim centres carrying the flying ‘D’ rather than a Jaguar’s head and similarly the horn button, oil filler cap and seat belt clasps;

• Ribbed cam covers bearing the inscription ‘Daimler’ rather than ‘Jaguar’, although earlier cars shared the same polished alloy cam covers;

• Higher-grade seat leather with perforated centre sections (often left out of restorations);

• Better-quality covers for the sun visors;

• Possibly more carefully selected and matched walnut veneer trim.

All the 420 extras were supplied as standard, including overdrive on manual transmission cars and power assisted steering.

Contemporary tests

How were the 420/Sovereign regarded in their day? Contemporary road tests indicate they were very highly thought of. For example, a Motor (UK) road test in May 1967 reported: “It seems somehow insolent to apply medium [price] standards to a saloon that for a combination of speed, comfort and safety is as good as any in the world, regardless of cost.” Similarly, a road test by Wheels (Australia) in August 1967 enthused: “While they can continue to build and sell cars as good as this, there is hope for the man who cares about his motoring.” Despite the gender exclusive language representative of the era this was high praise indeed, and such admiration was not uncommon. About the only exception the testers could take was to the 17.65l/100km (16mpg) fuel consumption, which for 1967 was rather high and, today, verges on the ruinous.

In terms of performance measured under test conditions, 0 to 96.5kph (60mph) in under.

10 seconds and a top speed of over 201kph (125mph) were typical. The factory-quoted power rating of 183kW (245bhp) has always been thought of as rather hopeful. The consensus seems to be that the rear wheels were unlikely to need to transmit more than about 134kW (180bhp to the road), which is nevertheless a healthy figure for a car of that time and weighing ‘only’ 1676kg.

Comparing cats

Now let’s leave the history books to look more closely at our matching pair of live Coventry cats.

‘Sewage is our bread and butter’ is an unpromising conversation starter, so when you are an engineer who works in the water and waste industry you tend to need some other topic to talk about with new acquaintances.

What better alternative than classic cars? Perhaps that’s the reason why professional engineers Rainer Hoffmann and the author acquired our featured cars.

Rainer bought his 1967 Daimler Sovereign from an enthusiast in Timaru in 2002 as a partly completed restoration project. Only the suspension and body had been restored, and over the following three years Rainer co-ordinated specialist restoration of the doors and windows, chrome trim, electrics, engine, seats and interior trim and gave it a full respray in dark blue. The Daimler’s interior was retrimmed in tan leather, a colour not available from the factory in combination with the dark blue exterior, but one that suits the car well.

The Daimler has the four-speed manual with overdrive transmission. Rainer has had some minor problems with the power steering, clutch and overdrive unit, but there are several specialists in Christchurch able to help resolve such issues. Unfortunately, the previous owner forgot to refit the radius arms to the Daimler’s rear suspension. Neither VINZ, which re-registered the car, nor various garages that subsequently issued it with WoFs, noticed the omission until December 2007, when the rear suspension cross-bridge finally gave up the struggle and cracked in several places. All is now well, however, with a refurbished cross-bridge from an expired S-Type fitted along with reconditioned radius arms.

Stephen’s 420

Despite being Rainer’s colleague in the same engineering firm, I only discovered he owned the Daimler after I had bought my Jaguar. Seeing the Jaguar for sale on a classic car website in 2006, I scurried up to Dannevirke to check it out. The Jaguar was in very tidy and original condition, benefiting from a comprehensive mechanical overhaul back in 1994 and an overspray in bright gold metallic, which had given the original drab ‘golden sand’ paintwork a much needed lift. Being of modest means, I prefer cars in good original condition rather than fully restored. A succession of honest classics, including three Rovers, an Alfa Romeo, a Lancia, four Citroëns, two BMWs and a Mk2 Jaguar have passed though my hands, and I can still recall my 2.4-litre Mk2 as having the smoothest-running motor I’ve ever sat behind, to the extent that I sometimes tried to re-start it whilst it was running at idle.

Road testing the 420, I found that it idled sufficiently lumpily to prevent me from ever making the same mistake. Nevertheless, recognising a good Jaguar when I see one, I purchased the 420 on the spot and drove it back to Christchurch on a shakedown trip, during which nothing much shook down apart from the fuel gauge.

My car has the three-speed automatic transmission and Adwest Variamatic power steering only available on the Jaguars as extras. It has been continuously registered since it was sold new in New Zealand in 1969. According to the chassis number, this 420 was produced in December 1968 and is one of the last 350 made.

In my first year of ownership I replaced the tyres and some suspension bushes, and had the steering geometry sorted out after finding that it was set for maximum lock in one direction and somewhat less in the other. I also decided to put up with a loud scream that briefly emanates from the ‘torquatrol’ viscous fan unit when starting the engine from cold, since replacements are unavailable and the fan still keeps the engine cool.

Secure and relaxing

Most mechanical and many body parts for the cars are still available from specialist suppliers. Both Rainer and I are members of the Daimler and Lanchester Spare Parts Club, an excellent mail-order organisation based in New Zealand which, despite its name, has many Jaguar drivers as grateful members.

These 40-year-old cars are very secure and relaxing to drive. Rainer’s manual transmission Daimler gets away from rest somewhat more quickly than the languorous three-speed Borg Warner Model 8 automatic allows the Jaguar to. Nevertheless, with plenty of power available to the right foot, both cars can still startle inattentive rice-rocket drivers at traffic lights; not that their owners would ever drive them like that, of course.
Rainer likes to defend himself against accusations of driving a ‘gas-guzzler’ by reckoning that preserving one such car in use for 40 years consumes a lot less energy and produces less CO2 overall than manufacturing and running, say, four less thirsty vehicles over the same time. Uncertain energy economics apart, I always like to point out that such hobby cars now only run a few thousand kilometres each year anyway, and are worth preserving for aesthetic reasons alone.

The 420 and Sovereign have real appeal to the younger generation, who appreciate their presence and style. My nephew was only too pleased to accept an offer of the Jaguar as his wedding car, and more recently Rainer’s son, daughter and friends dressed up in formal clothing and took the ‘old lady’ (the Daimler) to a local beauty spot for a picnic. There the car aroused considerable interest among bystanders young and old.

Despite owning more modern cars for everyday use, neither I nor Rainer would quickly part with our classy Coventry saloons, which stand out from the masses and give us both a lot of pleasure.

Though now quite hard to find, the Jaguar 420 and, to a lesser extent, the even rarer Daimler Sovereign can still be had at prices close to that of the less complex Jaguar Mk2 or Daimler 2.5-litre V8. The character of the 420 and Sovereign is quite different from those cars, filling the role of refined grand tourers rather than sharp-handling sporting saloons. In the words of a professional restorer ¨who drove my 420 recently, “That’s a really nice car to drive, very like an XJ6 but with bags more style.” The 420 and Sovereign are certainly models that deserve to be remembered and cherished.

References:
1. Jaguar S-Type & 420 — The Complete Story by James Taylor, Crowood.
2. Jaguar S-Type & 420 — Limited Edition various ¨contemporary road tests, Brooklands Books.

Words: Stephen Moore, Photos: Sean Craig

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