1967 Jaguar 420

The preceding Jaguar S-Type’s styling had been unchanged since 1959 and as a result, much of the public lost interest in the car’s yester-year styling. When Jaguar greenlit the 420, they knew everything had to be changed in order to recapture the public’s interest. Happy with parts of their original design, Jaguar left the rear of the 420 exactly the same as it appeared on the S-Type. However, the front of the car was heavily redesigned in order to fit in with more current design trends. The interior remained largely the same, and most of the elements that were adjusted were done with a heavier focus on cabin safety. One of the most reworked areas of the 420 when moving on from the S-Type was the straight-six engine. Refinements include the following: a stronger transmission, a more efficient crossflow radiator, a dual-line hydraulic braking system, twin 2-inch HD8 SU carburetors were added, new brake discs, a Holset engine cooling fan, negative earthing, a pre-engaged starter, and an alternator. All the adjustments made to the 420 were highly approved, and contemporary articles on the car were quite impressed by what Jaguar had managed to put together. “For a reasonable basic price of $5900, Jaguar offers brisk performance, outstanding braking, excellent handling and ride, quality finish, and luxury in abundance, all in an automobile that's easy to maneuver in today's maddening traffic.” Road & Track US, 1967. We sincerely hope the author is coping well with 2022 traffic.

This 420's exterior is clean and shows very little major damage. The front windshield has a massive crack that spans more than half of the glass, but other than that all the remaining glass is clean and free of damage. The chrome front bumper has some wrinkles and discoloration but is mostly solid overall. The front also sports two small amber fog lights, which give the car an added sense of athleticism. There seems to be some discoloration beneath the driver’s door, and one small chip in the driver’s door. Those things included the driver’s side of the car is solid overall. The driver’s side taillight has a ton of discoloration, and the top piece will likely need replacing. The chrome rear bumper has some wrinkles in it, and the underside of the bumper has a decent amount of weathering visible. On the passenger side of the car, there is a large scuff over the rear quarter panel, bubbling at the bottom of the rear door, and various chips in the panel gaps. The wire wheels are solid but would greatly benefit from some polishing.

The interior of this 420 has weathered quite significantly over the years. While there doesn’t appear to be any major damage, every piece of the interior shows some degree of aging. The eggshell leather front seats are reasonably worn, with both seats showing creases that have become legitimate cracks in the leather. The base of the driver’s seat looks solid, but its back and most of the passenger seat is experiencing the worst of it. The headliner up above hangs tightly in place, although the sunshades appear to be sagging. The leather door panels are all sagging in one area or another, with the driver’s door being the worst offender. The driver’s door panel is not only sagging, but it also has several stain marks dripping down from the seams, it is unclear to us as to what may have caused this. The dashboard has lost much of its luster, with much of the wood up front needing a hefty detailing. All the gauges are easily readable. The black steering wheel is in fair shape, although the center logo has been scratched up. The center console has a tear in the leather down by the driver’s knees. It appears that some protective carpets have been thrown in to cover the originals and the covers should be replaced. They look dirty and are not laying flat in any part of the car.

We are happy to report that the underside of this Jaguar 420 shows no major damage. The frame and floorboards appear solid, the suspension components are all in order, and the exhaust shows minimal discoloration. Under the hood, the engine bay aligns itself more closely with the interior than the undercarriage. The engine by is dirty, at every corner, but none of the major pieces or parts appear to be heavily damaged or out of place. It could use some touching-up, but the engine bay is solid.

Based on the documents available to us, the seller likely took ownership of this 420 in August of 2012.

The 420 was both a major and minor step forward for Jaguar. Jaguar refused to discontinue the Type-S and instead chose to sell the 420 alongside its predecessor and this was a move that ultimately confused the public and turned them off to the car entirely. However, the creation of the 420 allowed for the creation of their new XJ straight-six engine. The motor was extremely well reviewed, and the best decision Jaguar made was to keep it after the 420 was retired. The straight-six was ultimately dropped into Jaguar’s next car, the XJ6, one of Jaguar’s best-selling cars of all time. Today’s 420 needs quite a lot of work. Physically, there is almost nowhere on this 420 that doesn’t need some degree of help. The car presents itself as an exciting restoration challenge, or the perfect donor car for an inspired restomod build. Regardless, we are confident this little Jag will have few issues hitting its $6,000 - $10,000 estimate.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS

It should be noted that this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.