1966 Jaguar MK2 3.4

MoT’d until June 2023, this delightful Carmen Red Jaguar MKII has made a bit of a habit of passing the annual inspection without drawing any adverse comments from the tester, ruining its clean run just once in 2020 with an insecure steering rack.

Originally Opalescent Golden Sand, this genuine right-hand drive, UK-spec car went from Spink of Bournemouth to its first owner, a Mr R.W. Ford of Poole in Dorset, in December 1965.

Still wearing its original registration number, FLJ 558D is only up for sale because its owner, charmed by the experience of having a MKII in his life, has gone and bought another, leaving him with the enviable problem of having two iconic Jaguars in his life…

The ripple-free flanks look terrific with straight swage lines and even panel gaps. The Carmen Red paint makes a change from the more subdued colours we tend to see more of but it’s bright and cheery and period-correct - and if you couldn’t order your new Jag in bright red during the Swinging Sixties then when could you?

The rest of the exterior trim is good, including the sparkling chrome, light lens, windscreen and windows, and the badging. It’s all stood up well since the restorative work that seems to have been carried out nine years ago. The car has also been fitted with factory power steering.

The badge on the front suggests that someone has been a member of the Jaguar Drivers’ Club, which bodes well for its curation under them – and is there a better looking club badge anywhere than this?

The chromed wire wheels are in good order with only a little rust on some of the spokes (for example, slide #180 and #198), and they’re fitted with a matching set of Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres but then you’d probably guessed as much by now, hadn’t you?

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Work to do is minor and likely to be highly satisfying. You could start by realigning the wiper arms as they sit too low (#110) and then take a look at the microblistering you can see in slide #311. There is some very light and very mild patination to the chromework here and there (i.e. #116) but it doesn’t detract from the car’s overall presentation and could probably be left as it is without detriment.

But, you might like to get a chap in to replace the windscreen sealing rubber as it’s starting to crack and decay (#118) and willl let rain in at some point.

The interior is so good that it has almost certainly been treated to a retrim at some point. Finished in light tan, the both front and rear seats are in an excellent condition with even the outer edge of the driver’s seat being free from any damage or significant wear. There are picnic tables on the back of the front seats for the passengers to enjoy, and these open and close as they should.

The door cards good too, and they, along with the dashboard, are trimmed with walnut burl, which is in excellent condition.

There’s the ever-popular wood-rimmed Mota-Lita steering wheel plus the usual array of switches and instruments that are such an important part of the whole MKII experience.

The headlining is taut and undamaged, and the lovely interior lamps, which work as they should, add yet more glamour to an already very appealing cabin.

There’s a period-looking radio in the centre console and the (very good) carpets are protected by a set of fitted mats to the front and rear. It also still sports the period Lucas rear-view mirror, which is a lovely touch.

Lifting the boot floor carpet reveals a wire spare wheel and a Jaguar tool kit.

Flaws are few. There are a few marks on the seat leather (i.e. #141, #166, #170), some of the bezels for the minor instruments could do with tidying up, there’s some marks on one of the door cards (#229), and the headlining is a little grubby in places (#162 and #188).

There are plenty of meaty invoices in the Jaguar’s recent history including one from 2016 for chassis welding (circa £500) as well as a new radiator and waterpump (£900). 2017 saw a bill for around £500 for mechanical work to the running chassis, while 2018 saw another for mechanical and body repairs costing £2,151.

There are also plenty more from what appears to be a comprehensive refurbishment/restoration in 2013/14, many of which are for significant sums.

There’s a more recent invoice from July 2021 from Winspeed, the renowned Jaguar specialists in Guildford. You can see the full list on slides #427, #428 and #430 but the bottom line is work to the front crossmember, chassis legs and radiator mounts along with new brake discs and pads. These, along with the rectification of some other issues rectified, resulted in a bill for £6,347…

This year has seen the Jaguar treated to a replacement Moss gearbox lid assembly and selector forks in addition to fixing the overdrive.

As you can see, it fires into life and shows good oil pressure and battery charging – and hasn’t it got a lovely exhaust note?

In addition to the invoices and bills we mention above, the MKII comes with a Jaguar Heritage production certificate, an owner’s handbook, some old tax discs, and a maintenance chart.

This is a solid, well-fettled example of a perennially popular classic British sporting saloon – in fact, many would consider this to be THE classic British sporting saloon. Finished in a cheery red, the interior is every single one of your MKII fantasies made real.

Of course, the elephant in the room is that you really want the 3.8-litre, don’t you? After all, more is always better, right?

Wrong. Just like the Bentley Continental, a car whose V8 engine is a far better proposition for most folk than the W12, the 3.4-litre Jaguar is thought by some to be a sweeter option; with a deficit of just 10bhp over its larger sibling, the 3.4 revs beautifully and still offers a top speed of 120mph and a 0-60mph time of under 12 seconds. This makes it the perfect choice for the canny Jaguar enthusiast with an eye for a bargain.

How much of a bargain are we talking about? Well, we think it’s going to sell for somewhere between £22,000 and £32,000, which is small change really when you see what inferior 3.8-litre examples can fetch…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.