Vehicle Description
As an interesting little side note, the company that is currently
called Jaguar today was originally called "SS" and the model this
replica was built to emulate was the "Jaguar." It was so popular
(and because of obvious connotations during WWII) the company
changed its name to Jaguar shortly thereafter. Either way, this
neat roadster is a fantastic way to get the look without the price
tag nor the maintenance headaches of an original.
It's a recent construction that looks better than your
run-of-the-mill kit car, suggesting that professionals were behind
it, not some guy in his home garage. The light gray paint is
sophisticated and elegant, a nice step up from the usual white or
tan, and they didn't try too hard to make it exact, which never
works out well. Instead, they focused on proportions and style,
which gives this one a much more cohesive look than many such
replicas and cleverly masks the modern hardware underneath. The
headlights, chrome radiator shell, and leaping cat hood ornament
are all straight out of the late '30s, and the cut-down doors and
swoopy fenders look dramatic. Neat details like the fender marker
lights, twin horns, and nicely crafted bumpers do even more to
create a compelling illusion. And it's all in very good condition,
with great paint, nice chrome, and good attention to detail.
There's even a set of back-up lights out back, suggesting that they
really cared about making this a real car, not a toy. Nice!
There's more well-turned-out craftsmanship inside, where you'll
find a pair of vintage-looking bucket seats lined in gray leather,
a wood-rimmed wheel that looks very Jaguar-like, and door panels
with gathered map pockets, just like back in the day. The oak
dashboard is real oak and has been filled with VDO gauges with big
markings and easy-to-read dials. There's also an AM/FM/cassette
stereo, a dash-mounted mirror, and even a glove box, giving it a
nicely finished look throughout. The automatic shifter handle
should look familiar to Ford fans, and it stands out a bit in the
sporting interior, but the lovely burled wood E-brake handle more
than makes up for it. Weather protection consists of a rather
good-looking folding top but if you're doing it correctly, you'll
only need it for emergencies.
Don't worry about maintenance, though, because instead of the
labor-intensive Jaguar inline-6, you get Ford's bulletproof 2.3
liter inline-4, which probably makes more power than the original
anyway. It's simple and rugged, inhaling through a single 2-barrel
carburetor and wearing a coat of bright Ford Blue paint. A 12-volt
electrical system means it fires up easily and the wiring is simple
and well done. The engine bay is fully insulated to keep the
interior comfortable even on warm days and the three-speed
automatic transmission always seems to snap to attention when you
open the throttle. It's a neat fit in the pointed engine bay, but
service access is good and parts are readily available, so it'll be
easy and inexpensive to keep this car healthy. The chassis is
rectangular tubing with a Mustang II front suspension that features
rack-and-pinion steering and disc brakes, while out back you get
leaf springs and a Ford 8-inch rear with highway gears inside.
Classic chrome wire wheels are the right choice on this sporting
ride and include 205/75/15 whitewall radials for improved ride and
handling.
Replicas like this provide a lot of fun for not a lot of cash, and
the truth is, a vast majority of the public won't even spot that
it's not a real one. Imagine how much fun you could have with this
car and call today!