July 201 9\JaguarWorld|4 7WORDS&PHOTOGRAPHYJIMPATTENoftheday.Brakes,gearboxandcabin
roomwereheavilycriticised–evenin1 961
mostmanufacturerswereofferingfull
synchromeshgearboxesandbrakesthat
wereuptotheperformance.
Jaguarwasstillarelativelysmall
manufacturerin 1961 ,boundbythe
limitsofitsresources.WheresomeItalian
companiescouldoptioneffectivefive-
speedgearboxes,Jaguarwasforcedto
exploreitsexistingshelves.Although
Jaguarhadbeenexperimentingwith
moreadvancedproducts,eithercost
ordevelopmenttimehamperedtheir
use;thehugeinvestmentrequiredin
developingeverysinglepartin-housewas
prohibitive.Thosethatdidcomeoutof
Experimental,however,weremasterpieces
oftechnologicalengineering.Thinkofthe
independentrearsuspensionthatexcels
eventoday.
Formdominatedoverfunction.Those
deliciousglass-coveredheadlightsrobbed
whatlittleefficiencytheperiodlightshadandevenwhenusingmodernunits
todaylightishampered.Spacewasajoke
forsuchabigcar,andanydriverover5ft
9instruggledtofindcomfort.Ironically,
thoseearlyso-called‘flat-floor’cars,with
minimalseatadjustment,areamongthe
mostvaluabletoday.Somethinghadtobe
doneandJaguarslowlyreacted.
Someissuesweredealtwithin 19 64,
withthearrivalofthe4.2,suchasthe
superbJaguarall-synchromeshgearbox
thatwouldhavebeentherefromdayone