Known best for his works with Aston Martin and, most recently, as Director of Design for Jaguar, Ian Callum’s no stranger to the motoring limelight, especially when it comes to launching new models. This time, however, the model in question is Callum’s very own modified Jaguar Mark 2.
Redesigned and refined by Callum himself, the 1960s classic has been rebuilt to his 2014-spec by Shropshire based Jaguar restoration whizzes Classic Motor Cars Limited (CMC) over the course of 18 months. “I like my designs to be very clean and very pure” says Callum, “we’re going to simplify the car as much as I can get away with but still recognising it clearly as an original Mark 2, so it’s a very fine balance!”
Sitting a considerable 30mm closer to the ground, Callum’s ‘hot-rod’ Mark 2 is meaner and more purposeful than the Inspector Morse-famed runabout on which it’s based. With 17-inch split rims, race-inspired gills behind the front wheel arches, a centred twin-pipe exhaust and body incorporated bumpers, Callum’s creation is a stunning homage to the iconic Mk 2.
Favoured by 1960s touring car drivers and getaway drivers for its performance and agility at the time, it’s easy to see why Callum’s Mark 2 was a perfect platform on which to build a hotrod. The 2014-spec car boasts a modified and uprated 4.3-litre XK V8 engine, which produces 256bhp as well as improved suspension and front brakes.
Inside, the Mk 2’s been treated to a butchers shop-red, quilted leather interior, redesigned dials and a nifty – if not a little bit out of place – 16cm flip-out touchscreen entertainment system.
Although the car is a “very personal statement” says Callum, it’s good news for gentlemen with a craving for cars of yesteryear, as CMC will be producing a limited edition run of the Mark 2. Priced between £350,000 and £375,000, buyers will only have the opportunity to choose the body and interior colour, so there’s not much scope to get carried away with the optional extras. First launched at Salon Prive at Syon House, London between the 3rd and 5th September, buyers will have to keep hold of their cash a little longer with news to follow of when the first deliveries will be made.
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