Amid all the 100-year auto celebrations taking place a significant diamond (60th) anniversary may have been overlooked. It honours the anniversary of one of the greatest auto engines ever created, equal to the Chevy Small Block, the Chrysler Hemi, and the Ferrari V-12. Arriving just two years after the end of WW2, the Jaguar XK 6-cylinder engine was built in different variations until 1994. It drove Jaguar to five LeMans victories in C-Type and D-Type racers. It was fitted to sports and touring cars, including legendary models like the Mark2 and the fabulous XJ6, both contenders for the most beautiful sedan of all time.

The XK engine was conceived during the last years of WW2 by Jaguar head William Lyons, chief engineer William Heynes, chief experimental engineer Wally Hassan, chief engine designer Claude Baily, and Harry Mundy. The XK 120 that was unveiled at the London Motor Show in 1948 was billed as "the sports car that had everything." Twin-overhead camshafts and hemispherical combustion chambers were among its advanced features. The XK 6 started at 3442 cc.'s with 160 hp, soon achieved 250 hp in the racing D-Type. The Mark 2 sedan arrived with 210 hp, which made it a frequent winner in touring car races. Like the XK 120 in which it first appeared this engine also looked good. Raise the hood on any XK-equipped Jag to see mechanical engineering at its finest.