1964 Jaguar S-Type

First registered in 1964, this is an early-production 3.8-litre example, which has been previously restored and benefits from recent mechanical attention.

Obtained by our vendor last year during a ‘lockdown’ with a view to bringing it back to its full glory, the choice has now been made to move this S-Type on, due - quite simply - to not having enough space or time to bring the car up to the vendor’s levels of quality and finish, with plenty of other cars in his collection taking up much-needed time and attention.

According to the previous keeper, the following works have been carried out, prior to the car being bought by the current owner:

“Full rebuild, full engine rebuild, gearbox rebuild, upgraded (more modern) four-pot brake calipers and discs, shell respray approximately 10 years ago, fitment of electric power steering, new subframes, full suspension replacement, new fuel tanks, new radiator, hoses and water pump, and a new clutch”

Unfortunately, there is no paperwork to substantiate this, though when the car was taken for an MoT exam - more on that shortly - the tester noted that the car was “exceedingly solid” and in excellent condition underneath, whilst there are also several photographs showing the shell being restored included in the history folder.

Whilst in the care of the current owner, the car has been driven only a handful of times, though with other cars and a lack of space being a factor, the choice has been made to move this S-Type on to another home, with the hope of it going to an enthusiast that will restore it to its former glory.

Finished in the classic shade of Carmine Red, this S-Type still looks regal and impressive to this day, and is certain to catch plenty of attention and admiring glances wherever it goes.

Whilst the shell was sprayed around ten years ago according to the previous keeper, it is clear that some work is going to be required to bring the appearance of this S-Type back to its best, with the usual age-related wear visible around the bodywork, along with the following more noticeable issues:

- Paint reaction/burn marks on the rear deck lid

- Cracks to the nearside front indicator lens

- Small areas of bubbling along the lower edge of the rear window

- Larger scratches on the nearside front and offside rear wing

The good news, however, is that the chrome bumpers and trims are in generally very good condition, with only some light age-related patina being displayed, whilst there are no obviously missing or misplaced badges, trims or details on the vehicle.

Looking along the flanks of the car, there are also no signs of any accident or impact damage - barring the odd ‘car park’ dent if you look closely - nor any particularly mis-aligned panels, though some of the fit-and-finish is, naturally, ‘of its era’.

All four wheels remain in presentable condition, though one tyre appears to be slowly leaking air, whilst the recent MoT exam noted that all four tyres are over 19 years old.

Inside, the sea of leather, wood panelling and cutting-edge technology (for its era) still looks relatively smart overall, though there are a few areas that will require attention.

Let’s start with those areas. The carpet in the driver’s footwell requires some attention as it is coming away from the centre console/transmission tunnel area, the wooden trims on the upper edges of the dashboard and the inner door shut areas has seen better days, and there are the usual scuffs, marks and patina visible to the front seats, commensurate for a vehicle of this age and mileage.

The good news, however, is that the headliner is taut throughout, there is no major wear or damage to any of the seats, and the boot floor looks to be nice and solid as far as we could tell.

Elsewhere, the door cards, inner door sill covers, headliner material and carpets show some commensurate wear-and-tear, with two of the door cards requiring some attention due to coming away from the doors themselves. Another small issue - though no doubt one that may prove slightly annoying on a longer journey - is that the driver’s sun visor is limp, and does not stow properly in the upright position.

Naturally, the high-traffic areas such as the gearstick and steering wheel show some more noticeable wear, with the lacquer/gloss on the latter item having all but disappeared, though the wood itself looks to still be in fine fettle.

During our test drive, the full complement of gauges appear to work as they should, though the vendor noted an intermittent fuel supply issue with the right-hand tank, though no such issue was experienced during our short test drive.

Under the bonnet, the 3.8-litre XK inline-six engine present well, and would appear to be in excellent health. Starting with ease on the first push of the button and with virtually no cranking, the ‘six’ settles into a smooth idle happily, with the automatic choke working as it should and easing off as the engine warms up.

Out on the road, the engine and gearbox both appear to be fault-free, though we’d suggest perhaps renewing the gearbox linkages as the shift is rather vague in its nature, though once ‘home’ the gears showed no sign of popping out or any other issues.

One minor issue we did note is that at low RPM, particularly in reverse, there is a knocking noise from the front, which the vendor states is the exhaust knocking on the subframe, and that some minor adjustment would be required to rectify this issue.

The vendor notes that PAS has been fitted to the vehicle, though it does currently appear to be inoperable. A blown fuse or poor terminal connection has been suggested as causes for its lack of operation, though this has not been verified. As always, we’d welcome any potential bidders to come and view the car for themselves at our Abingdon HQ - simply use the ‘contact seller’ button above to arrange an appointment.

Underneath, the chassis looks to be in very good shape, with the subframes, suspension and other items looking to be in fantastic condition.

Upon presentation to his local MoT centre - always an excellent sign of faith in a classic car, especially one such as this which is exempt from mandatory MoT examinations on account of its age - the tester noted how solid the vehicle was, how well the brakes performed and that its overall condition - from a mechanical standpoint - was very good indeed. In fact, the only issues noted were the age of the tyres, a faulty registration plate lamp, and play on all four wheel bearings, which the vendor suspect lies within the splines, rather than within the bearings themselves.

The current MoT certificate is valid until July 2023.

Included with the vehicle is a small folder of history and paperwork, comprising of the following items:

- The V5 registration document

- A HPI check showing a total of seven former keepers

- An exceedingly rare (and likely original) local authority/council registration booklet

- Numerous tax discs

- Current MoT certificate until July 2023

- Several photographs of the shell during the aforementioned restoration process.

As ever, we’ve photographed all of the documentation we’ve received with the vehicle, and this is available to view at the end of the gallery below.

Offering true 1960s style, design and luxury but with a price tag that makes them accessible to almost all enthusiasts, these classic Jaguar S-Types make for fantastic weekend and evening cruisers, with plentiful aftermarket support and knowledge making them ideal for home mechanics and competent ‘wrenchers’ that love to work on their own vehicles.

This 1964-registered example is finished in a fantastic colour combination and appears to be in rude mechanical health, though offers plenty of potential for the next owner to fettle, maintain and improve it, all whilst using and enjoying it as Jaguar intended.

Offered with an estimate of £8,000 to £12,000 and with NO RESERVE, this is an ideal opportunity for someone looking for a useable example of the breed, complete with a recent MoT exam and heaps of potential.

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’.