Lot 009: 1961 JAGUAR MK II 3.8 LITRE

For many the definitive Jaguar sports saloon, the MKII was introduced in October 1959. A peerless blend of elegance and muscularity, its super sleek shape clothed an evolution of the Coventry marque's first monocoque design. Powered by derivatives of the same XK DOHC straight-six engine that had swept Jaguar to five Le Mans victories, the MKII was quick to dominate contemporary saloon car racing. Equipped with coil-and-wishbone independent front suspension, a leaf-sprung Salisbury rear axle and servo-assisted four-wheel disc brakes, the range-topping 3.8 boasted nearly seven times the horsepower of a Mini 850cc and a 126mph top speed! Blessed with one of the all time great automotive interiors, its stylish instrumentation, rich wood veneers and sumptuous leather upholstery all conspired to cosset and cocoon occupants. Finished in Sherwood Green with Suede Green leather upholstery, this particular example is variously described by the vendor as being in "good" (four-speed manual plus overdrive gearbox, electrical equipment, chassis, bodywork, wheels / tyres), "average" (3.8 litre engine) or "very good" (interior trim, paintwork) condition. As well as an extensive history file with records dating back to 1967, chassis '203774 DN' is accompanied by its original buff logbook and a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Production Trace Certificate. Built on March 15th 1961 and supplied new to Penylan Confectioners of Cardiff some nine days later, the sports saloon boasts such niceties as painted wire wheels, Reutter reclining front seats and an original tool box. Entering the current ownership over ten years ago, it was reportedly treated to its last full service in 2004. Though, some £6,756.35 was spent with Flying Cat Engineering during August 2002 including an engine overhaul (reground crankshaft, reconditioned conrods, honed bores, new piston rings, fresh bearings etc), brake system refurbishment (discs, pads, pipes, seals), replacement clutch and partial respray. Believed but not warranted to have covered just 64,000 miles from new (the first surviving MOT certificate to show a mileage dates from the early 1970s), the Jaguar is presently garaged by Autostore of Cambridge. An appealing prospect, this comparatively early MKII 3.8 manual overdrive car is offered for sale with aforementioned history file, MOT certificate valid until June 2008 and the cherished number plate 'XKG 5' which has apparently been "valued at over £5,000 alone".