1962 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 Litre Sports Saloon (Manual with O/D)

Details

The Swallow Sidecar Company was founded in 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsley. In 1934 Lyons formed SS Cars Limited to effectively take over the operation from Walmsley. The SS brand was quite successful; though they had a reputation for having ‘more show than go’. The Jaguar name first appeared as a model name on an SS 2½ Litre Sports Saloon introduced in 1936. For political reasons, Lyons changed the name of his company to Jaguar Cars in 1945.

Whilst the SS100 is indeed a fabulous car, it was the launch of the legendary Jaguar XK120 at the London Motor Show in 1948 that really put Jaguar on the map. The car caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production. The XK120 morphed into the XK140 and ultimately the XK150 and in total, just over 30,000 cars were built over fifteen years of production.

Jaguar introduced the E-Type at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, which like the XK120 all those years ago, took the motoring world by storm. The body styling was simply gorgeous, technologically the E-Type was an engineering masterpiece and it set new standards in all areas.

Whilst automotive styling is somewhat subjective the E-Type is often ranked atop lists of ‘the most beautiful cars’ and in fact, it has been described by Enzo Ferrari as the most beautiful car ever made.

Jaguar could build sports cars but they were also very successful at building sports saloons. In 1955 the Jaguar Mk1 was introduced to fill a gap in the model range of a small to medium sized luxury saloon. Initially introduced with a 2.4 litre 6 cylinder engine and later a 3.4 litre 6 cylinder engine this model was very successful with some 38,000 examples sold between 1955 and 1959. In 1959 the Mk2 was introduced and whilst visually similar at first glance the ‘new car’ had many improvements over its predecessor. In addition to the 2.4 litre and 3.4 litre engines the Mk2 was also offered with a 3.8 litre engine as used in the E-Type. Just over 80,000 Mk2’s were built from 1959 to 1967. The Mk2 was to be replaced by the XJ6, however, delays with this car resulted in Jaguar producing another series of the Mk2 which was designated as the 240 and 340 to fall in line with the nomenclature used with other models on offer at the time, specifically the 420. The 240 and 340 were built from 1967 to 1969 and almost 4,500 and 2,800 respectively of each model were built.

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1962 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 Litre sports saloon.

The Heritage Certificate on file confirms this is an Australian delivered (Brysons), factory right hand drive car with a date of manufacture of the 14^th August 1962. The date of despatch is noted as the 31^st August 1962. This Mk2 was originally fitted with a 2.4 litre engine and a manual gearbox with overdrive. It was delivered new in opalescent gun metal with a red interior.

The car’s early history is not known, however, the car has a known history back to at least 1980. There is a letter on file from Roadbend Motors (Jaguar specialists in Perth) dated 24th August 1989 which details the history of the car. In summary the car was restored for Mr Desley Mills (Mr Juicy) in 1981. The restoration was carried out by Laurie Cousin in Adelaide and he fixed a plate in the engine bay stamped “Prepared by Laurie Cousin Adelaide SA No 38DM”. The mileage on the car when the restoration was carried out was believed to be 84,000 miles. It is noted in the letter that it was then a two owner car. At that time the car was upgraded with a 3.8 litre engine. Mills drove the car for 3,500 miles before selling his collection. The car was purchased by well known Perth entrepreneur Bill Meeke in September 1983. At that time the car was registered as 6PC504 (WA). Meeke drove the car for about 6 years and travelled, 4,000 miles in that time. In 1988 the engine and gearbox were removed and the engine and engine bay were re-detailed. The boot was also re-detailed at this time. The inside of the doors were resprayed and fish oiled. The wheels were sent to England to be stripped, rechromed and tensioned. Leather work was also done in the UK.

Meeke sold the car in 1989, however, it was on sold again in 1991. From 1989 – 1991 the car was registered as 7PC 537 (WA). The car remained in Perth with its next owner from 1991 through until 2000, during which time it was registered as XXX 000 (WA). It was sold in 2000 as part of a deceased estate. This Jaguar Mk2 moved to the Gold Coast with its then owner in circa 2007. The car remained registered in WA as UNS 063. The car changed hands in July 2008 and it has remained with the same family ever since. At that time the odometer was 75,508 miles.

The car had a refresh in 1992 and it was then repainted, air conditioning was installed and we understand that a gearbox from a Jaguar S-Type was installed.

There is a service book on file which is stamped from the 9/9/83 through until 1/7/94 when the car was serviced twice every year, most often by Alf Barbagallo Jaguar. The mileage at the first entry is noted as 1,140 miles and the last entry 27,500 miles. Subsequent to this there is a significant history file of receipts for work done on the car over the years.

Back in the early 1980’s the car won numerous trophys at classic car shows and concours, including ‘The Best Mk2’ at the National Jaguar Concours held in Perth in 1984. This is all documented in the back of the service book, which is a really nice accompaniment to the car.

The car had some paint touch-ups in 2009 and the differential was replaced in 2013. There is a note on file stating that a faulty diff housing caused damaged to the diff internals and the axle. Everything was overhauled.

This Jaguar Mk2 is presented in the most stunning colour combination of gunmetal grey with a red interior. Out in the sun it looks simply spectacular!

Today this car presents really well. The paint is generally very good, though there are a few blemishes and defects here and there. Most noticeable are small stone chips or gravel rash on the nose and some cracking in the paint near the aerial on the front left guard. All of the exterior trim, chrome, lenses and the glass are generally in very good condition. The bumpers, grill and the badges are particularly nice. The wire wheels are in excellent condition and they are shod with Federal 185/15 tyres on the front and Michelin 185/15 tyres on the rear. The panel gaps are all excellent and importantly the car looks to be structurally solid underneath.

The inside of any Jaguar Mk2 is a nice place to be and this car is no exception. The interior of this car is clean, neat and tidy. The leather upholstery is generally in good condition and it presents with some patina, typical of English cars of this period that carry older restorations. Whilst the front seats have been reupholstered at some stage the rear seats may well be original. The timberwork is beautiful and a feature in this car, though there is a small blemish on the top of the dash which could easily be repaired. We also love the timber Lecarra steering wheel which adds to the sporting feel of the car. As a result of the air conditioning being fitted, which works, the centre console has been modified. The carpets are showing some wear, but they are most certainly presentable. The hood lining is clean though it is just starting to sag in places. The engine bay and boot present very cleanly, consistent with the overall condition of the car.

Whilst the car drives well it has been sitting for a while and it would benefit from a tune.

This Jaguar Mk2 takes it’s time to start, but it soon burst into life. Once the car warms up the engine settles into a smooth idle. It definitely has a slight edge to it and the exhaust note means business. Once warm and on the open road the car is a delight to drive, though as noted above an engine tune will take it to the next level. The engine feels strong and it revs willingly. The gearbox is excellent and the car is tight on the road with no rattles or squeaks. The car handles and stops better than one would expect and it is surprisingly quiet on the road at cruising speed. Drop a gear and hit the ‘go peddle’ and you find that ‘edge’ again and the fabulous exhaust note puts a smile on your face. Time warp back to the 1960’s and for today’s episode one has decide whether we are going to be the cops or the robbers!

It is pertinent to note that the odometer was reset when the car was restored. Today the odometer reads 80,601 miles.

With the creature comforts of power steering, modern air conditioning and overdrive this car would make a great ‘classic daily driver’.

Accompanying the car is an extensive history file from 1980, a service book that was started following the restoration of the car in 1981, a Service Manual and the Operating, Maintenance and Service Handbook. There is also a spare wheel, correct and complete tool kit, jack and set of wider rear wheel arch spats.

This car will be serviced and tuned prior to delivery to its new owner.

Highlights:

• a factory right hand drive Jaguar Mk2 upgraded with the desirable 3.8 Litre engine and an upgraded gearbox (from a Jaguar S-Type) with overdrive.
• presented in a stunning colour combination of gunmetal grey with a red interior.
• a fascinating and excellent history.
• a well presented and fantastic car to drive.

 

 

 

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