1967 Jaguar Mk2

Finished in Signal Red with a black leather interior, ‘KCA 625F’ is a 1967 Jaguar MKII. A genuine UK-spec, right hand-drive car it was supplied to the Hollingdrake Auto Company of Colwyn Bay in North Wales via Henleys, the Manchester distributor for the marque.

It’s fitted with the desirable manual gearbox too and features a very nice black leather interior. It also comes with a suitcase full of spares and a good history file, making this a classic Jaguar you can buy with your head as well as your heart.

Originally beige when it left the factory, the change to Signal Red appears to pre-date its time in the Isle of Man, which was around 1992.

Nonetheless, despite having been done so long ago, it was clearly done well as it still looks smart with a great shine to it and an impressively rakish air.

The panel fit is decent too, and the coachwork is set off by some good chromework that shows only modest pitting and negligible corrosion.

There’s a badge bar fitted of course, and this holds three badges: one for the AA; one for the RAC; and one for the Jaguar Drivers’ Club. The windows also contain stickers for Rotary International and the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club, all of which we’d find reassuring were we thinking of bidding.

The rest of the badges, the ones the factory fitted, are very good too, as are the lamp lenses and the window glass.

The 15-inch wire wheels are painted rather than chromed, which is nice to see. They’re in a very presentable condition and are fitted with a full set of 205/70R15 Hankook Kinergy Eco tyres, all of which still look almost new and have oodles of tread on them.

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.

As for work to do, there is some rust at the bottom of nearside rear door, the boot lid, around the nearside front sidelight, the rear spats (replacements are included), and around the rear window. The rubber seal around the latter has also perished.

There is also micro-blistering and bubbling to both front wings as well as the leading edge of nearside front door, plus cracks to the paint finish on the joint between nearside front wing and the bonnet. 

An article from 2003 tells of a refurbished interior, something we have no trouble in believing given how clean this one still is. Mind you, given the MoT certificate that year lists the mileage as being a smidgeon over 38,000 and the odometer’s current reading of just under 40,000, we suspect it hasn’t seen a great deal of use since it was done.

There’s a receipt for a soft indoor cover in the history file too, which further suggests it’s spent a lot of time in a garage protected from the light. This is not definitive, of course, but it is suggestive: perhaps true on the balance of probability rather than beyond reasonable doubt, as it were?

And yes, there is an element of waffle here because there really isn’t much else to say. The black leather seats are plump and comfortable, the walnut veneer is shiny, the headlining is firm and taut and very clean (and that isn’t something you can write about every old Jaguar), and the carpets and their black-and-red overmats are both excellent.

Speaking of which, we haven’t lifted all the carpets but the ones we have revealed only solid metalwork underneath.

The Smiths instruments are as glorious here as they always are, and they’re matched to the usual array of neatly labelled toggle switches.

The gearknob is a simple black affair with bright white numerals, the steering wheel is classically thin and a joy to hold, and the radio is an old twin-spindle Motorola that probably looks better than it sounds.

The boot is as vast as ever and this one is also nicely trimmed. The metal floor in here looks solid too, and the spare wheel compartment holds a matching wire wheel fitted with a 175/70R15 Michelin tyre in addition to the tool kit.

As for work to do, some of the veneer, especially along the dashboard, is cracked and could do with being either refinished or replaced. The brake pedal rubber is worn and the front passenger’s door card needs some attention.

There is slight damage to the piping plus a small rip on the outer edge of the base of the driver’s seat, and there is another hole in the leather of the nearside rear door handle just aft of the ashtray.

Our assessor said the engine felt “quite robust” during the test drive despite some hesitancy to accelerate, something he thinks might have been down to the cold weather and the recent cold start. He said it “drove okay” though, which is higher praise than you might think.

The engine bay is in a decent condition too. True, you aren’t going to win any concours prizes as it stands but it looks straightforward and honest, which is what you want to see; few things ring louder alarm bells than modern silicone hoses, paint overspray, and the overabundant use of detailing fluids and we’d rather see a lightly patinated underbonnet like this every time.

Not that it has been neglected because a new battery and an adjustable dynamo belt were fitted this summer.

As you can see, it starts well and revs as it should with good oil pressure showing on the gauge. It idles nicely too and has a surprisingly fruity exhaust note.

The seller tells us it is “lovely to drive”.

As for underneath the car, some of the protection is flaking away and there is some corrosion, so expect to spend a day or so under there with a wire brush followed by another day or two killing/sorting out the rust and touching up the underseal.

Other minor faults include the clock, which doesn’t work. The brake fluid warning light is on too, which has left the seller stumped as the brakes have only just been gone through.

The Jaguar doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for having changed colour, and it comes with two sets of keys, both of which have ‘Leaper’ keyrings.

As for the history file that comes with the car, it comprises an old auction catalogue listing for the car, a brochure, the owner’s manual, a Jaguar Service Manual, a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Production Record Trace Certificate, a registration document from the Isle of Man, a bunch of expired MoT certificates and tax discs, and some later invoices.

It also features in volume 26 of the Jaguar Owners’ Club magazine, and it also comes with a suitcase full of spares plus a packet of gaskets.

This, allied to the public’s fondness for them, means that running one can be an absolute joy as other drivers will be falling over themselves to let you out of junctions, while passersby give you cheery waves as you pass – and this is not hyperbole; this really does happen.

This appears to be an honest example of the breed too, albeit one that needs a little TLC to bring it back to its former glory.

Bought on a bit of a whim by the seller who fell in love with it at first sight, he’s found himself much busier at work than he thought he’d be, leaving him with no time to drive or enjoy it.

How much is it going to cost you to make it yours? Well, we think the bidding will settle somewhere between £16,000 and £20,000, which is good value when you consider how much fun you’ll have in it – and how popular it’s likely to be when the time comes to let it go.

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