Jaguar 2.4 vs Citroën ID19: do you dare to be different?

By Andrew Roberts

| 23 Jan 2026

Classic & Sports Car – Jaguar 2.4 vs Citroën ID19: a stroke of genius

On 19 October 1955, the well-heeled motorist in search of an elegant and dynamic five-seater saloon had two ports of call at the London Motor Show.

The first was stand 154 to appraise the all-new Jaguar 2.4, before heading to stand 155 to marvel at the Citroën DS family.

As a tribute to these two symbols of post-war progress, we have Andrew Guest’s 1957 2.4 and Reg Winstone’s 1959 ID19.

The Jaguar 2.4 Mk1’s teardrop shape is evident in profile

The Jaguar’s narrative began in 1952, when the company embarked on the £1million ‘Utah’ project.

There were several reasons for the firm to build a compact saloon in the 2½-litre class.

Project Utah would enhance Jaguar’s market base, while a smaller, volume-produced model would be less subject to economic vagaries than the larger MkVII and the XK sports car.

It would also make full use of the Browns Lane factory’s capacity.

The Citroën ID19’s steering is unassisted but low-geared

William Lyons was responsible for Utah’s styling, and it was to be the first unitary-bodied Jaguar.

William Heynes, the firm’s technical director, devised the suspension: independent by coil springs in a separate subframe at the front, with leaf springs and a Panhard rod to the rear.

Power came from a 2.4-litre version of the MkVII’s XK engine; Jaguar rejected the idea of a smaller four-cylinder unit.

On the model’s launch at Earls Court in 1955, Jaguar promoted the 2.4 as ideal for those who wanted a car of compact dimensions and ‘the mere possession of which indicates insistence on owning nothing but the best’.

The Jaguar 2.4’s overrider bumpers are very much of the period

Browns Lane displayed an extravagant, £1298 15s 10d Special Equipment version with twin Lucas foglights, windscreen washers and door-operated courtesy lights, plus a rear folding armrest, heater, clock, rev counter and cigar lighter.

The 2.4 Special Equipment was intended for ‘the motorist demanding the utmost in specification’ – which, in practice, turned out to be virtually all of them.

While Browns Lane also listed a standard version without such luxuries, only 14 appear to have departed the factory, and those were for internal use.

Few, if any, private buyers wanted to save £29 15s for a Jaguar so miserably equipped that it even lacked the leaping-cat mascot.

Jaguar drew on its heritage to create the 2.4

The Motor reported: ‘No doubt at all attaches to the mechanical design or execution of a car which completely succeeds in the difficult job of furthering a first-class reputation.’

The magazine’s writer grumbled that the driver could not wear a hat when behind the wheel – clearly a pressing issue in the late 1950s – but the 2.4 was excellent value for money.

It may have been an expensive car to most Britons in 1955, when the average weekly wage was £10 17s 5d, yet it was not unattainable for a solicitor with weekend Goodwood ambitions.

Looking at Andrew’s fine example today, it is immediately apparent just how elegant a machine the 2.4 is.

The Mk1 Jaguar’s narrow rear track can make handling lively

The Mk2, which succeeded the original compact Jaguars in 1959, has been a cornerstone of the classic car realm for so long that the appeal of its predecessor is often overlooked.

The Mk1, as it became known retrospectively, is beautifully restrained, with the full wheel spats enhancing its profile.

Some motorists disliked the narrow rear track that was a result of the suspension layout, but to me it is one of the most appealing aspects of the body, lending it a teardrop-shaped profile.

On the inside, the Mk1 has the atmosphere of a gentleman’s private study; for Jaguar, it was essential that the 2.4 conveyed the same opulence as the MkVII.

The Jaguar 2.4’s cabin has the leather and veneers of a luxury car

The fascia, with its centrally mounted instruments and Bakelite switches, is an utter delight, even if the front ashtray does look like an afterthought: William Lyons was a non-smoker.

That four-spoke steering wheel would have reassured an older buyer that the 2.4 carried on the 1930s tradition set by the SS Jaguar 2½-litre saloon.

Andrew sourced his 2.4 from South Africa in September 2017 (Jaguar’s assembly plant in Johannesburg meant that the company was able to circumvent swingeing import duties).

He believes that for years the 2.4 Mk1 has been overshadowed by the 3.4-litre version, which was launched in 1957 in response to demand from US customers for greater performance.

“The Jaguar 2.4 was fast in its day, and even now it keeps up with modern traffic”

Not only was the larger-engined version faster, but it also had more of a racing pedigree via its association with Mike Hawthorn.

“Many 2.4s have been imported from South Africa, because there are comparatively few left in the UK,” says Andrew.

“Aside from the colour, the specification of my Mk1 is identical to a British model. It has the optional overdrive, which makes a great difference – Jaguar sold very few without it.

“The 2.4 was fast in its day, and even now it keeps up with modern traffic.

“I have had power steering retrofitted because the original set-up was for crossply tyres. The combination of radials and unassisted steering can make the Jaguar feel heavy to drive.”

Chrome caps adorn the Jaguar 2.4’s steel wheels

Back at Earls Court in ’55, the vexed question concerned what the rivals to the Jaguar were.

Armstrong Siddeley offered the new 234 and 236, at £1510 and £1565 respectively.

Some devotees of the marque regarded them as socially superior to the Jaguar; the issue of class was an unavoidable element of ’50s motoring.

However, the 234/236 did not have the Jaguar’s almost soigné looks.

The Citroën ID19’s ride is extraordinarily smooth

Meanwhile, the elegant Riley Pathfinder may have been good value at £1214 14s 2d, but it had an appeal different from that of the Jaguar. It was a grand tourer rather than a sporting saloon.

The potential Jaguar buyer might have equally dismissed the £1661 9s 2d Daimler Conquest Century as too stately, and the Sunbeam MkIII at £1184 10d as charming but clearly derived from a pre-war design.

The Rover P4 90 was certainly a fine motor car, and it cost a reasonable £1339 17s 6d, but it lacked the 2.4’s ‘flat hat and club blazer’ appeal.

But Motor Sport advised: ‘At all events, until you have visited Stand 155 you haven’t seen this year’s Motor Show!’

‘The ID19 possesses all of the Citroën elements that would have startled British drivers 70 years ago’

The Citroën DS certainly promised to be as exciting as the Jaguar, albeit in a totally different way.

Front-wheel drive, a 1911cc four-cylinder engine, hydropneumatic suspension, semi-automatic transmission and bodywork that resembled neither the outgoing Traction Avant ‘Big Six’ nor virtually any other car.

Citroën launched the DS the night before the opening of the 1955 Paris Salon.

On 7 October, The Daily Telegraph reported: ‘New Citroën Mobbed at Paris Car Show – Gendarmes Called.’

The Citroën ID19’s idiosyncratic interior makes use of modern plastics and vibrant trim material, completely at odds with the Jaguar’s ethos

A company spokesperson told the newspaper: “In France, there are thousands of motorists who so revere the memory of André Citroën that they have been running worn-out, aged Citroën cars, determined not to change their model until the new one appeared.”

By the end of the show’s first day, there were more than 12,000 orders for the DS.

Across the Channel, the concessionaire called the black-and-cream model on display at Earls Court the ‘2-Litre Six-Seater saloon’.

Autocar declared: ‘One of the Show’s sensations is the new 2-litre model DS19 Citroën, which had been the subject of wild rumours for a long time.’

The Citroën ID19’s Helanca Bleu fabric

There were plans to assemble UK-market versions of the car in the firm’s Slough factory, and Citroën’s own sales copy promised that: ‘All The Joys Of Restful Motoring Are Yours.’

The Traction Avant had caused a great stir 21 years earlier, but the DS redefined motoring.

The famous Roland Barthes essay Mythologies has been quoted many times over the years, but it is hard to disagree with: ‘It is obvious the new Citroën has fallen from the sky inasmuch as it appears at first sight as a superlative object.’

Many showgoers uttered a more succinct but equally heartfelt “gosh!”, as various Standard Vanguard owners fainted in amazement.

Citroën rewrote the rulebook with the new DS and ID ranges

Autosport’s John Bolster wrote that he came away from the DS feeling that ‘British cars are merely vintage vehicles dressed in modern shells’.

In his view: ‘It looks right and is right.’ The Motor raved about ‘luxurious roominess, speed without extravagance and a unique standard of comfort over every variety of road’.

The sole anachronistic element was the four-cylinder engine inherited from the 11CV, due to France’s tax-horsepower regulations.

For £1403 12s 6d, the British motorist could enjoy the shock of the new and cause mass-curtain twitching among their neighbours.

The Citroën ID19’s cutting-edge detailing

In its homeland, the new car’s high price deterred Traction Avant owners, so Citroën responded in 1956 with the lower-priced ID19, which had a detuned engine, a more spartan cabin, no power assistance for the brakes and steering, and a manual, four-on-the-column gearshift rather than the semi-automatic ’box of the DS.

Jamie Piggott of DS Workshop reflects: “When correctly set up, the DS seemed to drive for you – a vision of the future. The ID was for Paris taxi drivers who wanted to be in control.”

By 1957 there were the standard ID Luxe, the Normale sans heater or passenger sunvisor (and only available in black), and the more opulent Confort featuring a clock, windscreen washers, carpets and seats out of the DS.

The Citroën has white toggles for its dashboard-mounted air-vent controls

The Normale was short-lived, and when Citroën GB commenced assembly in March 1958, it built the Confort exclusively.

Autocar wrote: ‘Only in the DS can one appreciate the chief objectives in the minds of the Citroën engineers when this design evolved.’

But the ID cost only £1498 7s, compared with £1726 7s for the DS, and it proved more popular than its stablemate in the UK.

Some keen motorists preferred the ID’s manual gearchange and conventional brake pedal rather than the rubber ‘mushroom’ stopper of the DS.

The Citroën ID19’s 1911cc, four-cylinder engine makes 66bhp

During its 13-year production run, 835,666 IDs were made, accounting for more than 57% of the DS family.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Reg’s Citroën is, strangely enough, its roof.

Until 1962, the ID had no interior headlining, which meant the cream-coloured, translucent panel filtered sunlight on to the occupants.

This proved to be just one of the charming aspects of the ID, along with the many startled responses of passers-by.

The Citroën ID19’s plastic ‘trumpets’ house the rear indicators

The Slough-built ID had leather trim and a walnut-veneered fascia, as part of its ‘local content’ to appeal to British drivers.

The result almost neutered the D-series, which was decorated with a slab of wood to make it suitable for the likes of chartered accountants in Putney.

With the French-built ID, however, Reg notes Citroën’s use of plastics and synthetic materials both inside and out: “As well as the roof panel made of unpainted, lightweight glassfibre, there are the plastic ‘trumpets’ housing the rear indicators, the acrylic rear window, the ABS and nylon dashboard mouldings, and the nylon carpeting.”

The Citroën ID19’s simple wheel design

Reg acquired his ID around 10 years ago. “During this time, I have become accustomed to its low-geared steering to compensate for the lack of power assistance, and the way it sheds so little speed when lifting the throttle on motorways, presumably because of its relative aerodynamic efficiency,” he says.

“And I can vouch personally for the suspension’s ability to accommodate high-speed punctures virtually unnoticed – with shades of de Gaulle.”

Above all, the ID possesses all of the Citroën elements that would have startled the average British driver 70 years ago.

Flaminio Bertoni’s styling incorporated pillarless doors without quarterlights, fresh-air vents on the dashboard and eye-level amber indicators at the rear, at a time when many contemporary road users were still beholden to trafficators.

This Jaguar 2.4 Mk1 features power steering to suit its radial tyres

The Jaguar and Citroën would – and did – appeal to different but equally demanding British motorists in 1955.

The 2.4 Mk1 has an almost Janus-like appeal, with an interior that simultaneously reflected the pre-war idiom while its performance anticipated the coming age of the motorway.

Furthermore, it founded an entire dynasty of Jaguar saloons that would last until 1969, with the demise of the 240, the Daimler V8-250 and the Jaguar 420-based Daimler Sovereign.

Any connoisseur of fine automobiles would be proud to own a 2.4 Mk1, regardless of hat-wearing practicalities.

The DS, on the other hand, was for the driver who wished to experience motoring of the future, while the ID was for those who wanted greater control over this vision.

Or, as the 1958 UK-market brochure put it: ‘The unsurpassed smoothness of its hydropneumatic suspension and generous dimensions of its interior make the ID19 something rather more than what is commonly called a “car”.’

Images: Max Edleston

Thanks to: Gaynor Cauter; Peter Hugo of Winspeed Motorsport; Jamie Piggott of DS Workshop

Factfiles

Jaguar 2.4

Sold/number built 1955-’59/19,992
Construction steel monocoque
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, dohc 2483cc straight-six, twin Solex carburettors
Max power 112bhp @ 5750rpm
Max torque 140lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar rear live axle, radius arms, Panhard rod, cantilever semi-elliptic springs; telescopic dampers f/r
Steering recirculating ball
Brakes drums, with servo
Length 15ft (4572mm)
Width 5ft 6¾in (1695mm)
Height 4ft 9½in (1460mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 11½in (2730mm)
Weight 3038lb (1378kg)
0-60mph 15.8 secs
Top speed 104mph
Mpg 23.1
Price new £1298 15s (1955)
Price now £10-25,000*

Citroën ID19

Sold/number built 1956-’69/835,666
Construction steel punt, base unit and outer panels, with glassfibre or aluminium roof and aluminium bonnet
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, ohv 1911cc ‘four’, twin-choke Weber carburettor
Power 66bhp @ 4500rpm
Torque 97.5lb ft @ 2500rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, FWD
Suspension independent, at front by twin leading arms rear trailing arms; hydropneumatic units, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 15ft 9in (4801mm)
Width 5ft 10½in (1791mm)
Wheelbase 10ft 3in (3124mm)
Height 4ft 10in (1473mm)
Weight 2720lb (1234kg)
0-60mph 21.1 secs
Top speed 88mph
Mpg 26.3
Price new £1498 7s (1958)
Price now £10-25,000*