1961 Jaguar MK2 3.8 Manual |

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1961 Jaguar MK2 3.8 Manual

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Sold Price

£36,000

Mileage~72,875 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine3.8L
LocationRedditch

SOLD

1961 Jaguar MK2 3.8 Manual

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Glyn Parry

Vehicle Consigner & Photographer

A superb 3.8-litre example of Jaguar's definitive MKII saloon – beautifully proportioned, elegant, and supremely capable.

Along with the E-Type and the XK120 / 150, the MKII in firmly in Jaguar's ‘A Lister' category – its beautiful, luxurious, elegant and a serious performer.

Introduced in 1959 the Jaguar MKII eclipsed its predecessor with improvements to handling, a more modern appearance and the availability of a 3.8L straight six engine.

As well as offering typical Jaguar refinement, the cars were fast and nimble leading to them quickly establishing a well-deserved reputation as an excellent ‘getaway’ car. In response, the Police ordered specially tuned and modified examples to both catch the criminals and patrol newly opened British motorways that, at the time, had no speed limits.

Coming to auction from 14 years of ownership is this really superb example of the MKII. With a 3.8 Litre engine, it’s the most desirable of the range and is presented in absolutely incredible, original, condition. The deep black paintwork is stunning, contrasting with the excellent chrome trim and wire wheels perfectly. The leather and hallmark Burl Walnut interior is supremely comfortable, gorgeous to look at and absolutely captures the spirit of '60s luxury motoring.

With a comprehensive history file showing careful, meticulous, and devoted ownership, together with a fresh MOT, this curvaceous black cat is ready to pounce.

We have taken plenty of high-resolution photos and videos of this beautiful Jaguar - so please do take a look and judge for yourself – we doubt you’ll be disappointed.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Glyn after meeting Phil the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

It’s comfortable, it’s fast and it handles impeccably - in my view, finding something not to love about this wonderful car is close to impossible.

As mentioned, Phil has owned this Jaguar for 14 years and, like previous owners, he has taken his custodianship pretty seriously.

In fact, when the car was featured as “Readers Car of The Week” in The Sun newspaper last year he told them, “It is a bit special and has been spoilt all its life….an English registered car this Jaguar has covered fewer than ~73,000 miles, it has its original engine and as far as I know has never been restored”.

Phil goes on to tell us, “This car drives perfectly, and has been upgraded to a five-speed manual gearbox by a reputable Aston Martin garage and power steering has been added – this really makes it feel much more modern and I love it”.

Phil is a classic enthusiast and, after a 14-year love affair with this Jaguar, he’s on the lookout for something different. He tells us, “I really hope someone gets the driving and ownership pleasure out of this car that I have”.

Phil is happy to answer any questions about his car in the comments section below.

Phil

Vehicle Owner

Phil saved £6,480* when they
sold their Jaguar with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Stunning black paintwork, beautiful chrome wires, curvaceous lines, and classic feline stance – Jaguar stylists were perfectly on target with the MKII.

Wheels and Tyres

The lovely chrome plated wire wheels and period spinners look in very good condition with no significant kerb damage and very few marks that we could see. The wheels are fitted with Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres all round bearing a 2015 date mark. We could see no cracks or peeling, and all the tyres have good tread remaining.

Bodywork

Absolutely stunning – this beautiful Jaguar stands straight, shut lines all look great and all four doors, boot, and bonnet open and close with precision. On very close inspection we could see some slight bubbling on the nearside behind the front bumper and on the offside rear valance. We really did have to search to find these though and, overall, the body work looks incredible.

We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view at what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Deep gloss black paintwork retains an even, consistent shine right across the car. It looks absolutely beautiful and suits the sleek, feline lines of this iconic Jaguar perfectly. There are very few stone chips or age-related marks - the finish would be impressive on pretty much any car, but, for this 61-year-old luxury saloon it’s little short of remarkable.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these hi-resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

Windows and lenses look in great condition and we observed no significant chips or scratches. There is a slight crack across the nearside door mirror which, although still useable, would benefit from replacement.

The chrome trim looks in superb condition as does the badging.

The hallmark Jaguar “Leaping Cat” mascot is undamaged and still looks fantastic.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

Unadulterated luxury – rich leather combines with highly polished Burl walnut and classic '60s instruments to create a beautifully appointed cabin.

Seats and Carpets

The seats are in great shape with no evidence of rips, tears or indentations in the leather. The current owner has had the seats re-covered and they look absolutely superb as a result.

The carpets have been replaced and along with the door trims and headlining are in equally superb condition. This gorgeous cabin reflects the care and attention lavished on this car over the years.

Do take a look at the hi resolution images and video of the interior to appreciate the condition of this interior for yourself.

Dashboard

Burl walnut dash has been professionally polished recently and presents really well, providing the perfect backdrop for the clear, unmarked Smiths instruments. We could see no sign of cracks, fading or peeling and all switchgear, buttons and gauges appear in very good order

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The original steering wheel, Jaguar centre badge and chrome horn ring all look very good. Although this car has been upgraded to a five-speed gearbox the original gear knob, with the pattern marked for 4 gears and overdrive has been retained - we think this lovely touch adds to the authentic, period feel of the cabin.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

3.8 straight six delivers 220BHP to the rear wheels giving this iconic saloon 0-60 in 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 125mph – the very best performance of the MKII range.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine looks superb in the clean, uncluttered engine bay and we could see no signs of leaks during our visit. The overall impression is one of meticulous maintenance. The polished SU carbs and cam covers look absolutely stunning too.

On our “Cold Start” video the car fired up eagerly and settled down to steady, even, idle with that wonderful Jaguar exhaust note. Oil pressure looked good, rev counter was responding appropriately, and the ammeter was showing a charge. There was a little black smoke at first, resulting from the car being on full choke but this quickly cleared, and emissions then appeared clear.

This car has been upgraded to a five-speed gearbox by the previous owner, greatly improving the driveability in modern traffic. The work was carried out by an Aston Martin specialist and the original gearbox, 4 speed manual with overdrive, will be included in the sale.

This lovely MKII had an unleaded head conversion done in Phil's ownership at the time of replacing of the cylinder head valves.

Suspension and Brakes

An early pioneer of all round disc brakes on a production car, the MkII Jaguar has plenty of stopping power. It’s even got a Disc Brake warning symbol on the rear bumper!

Through the chrome wire wheels the disc brakes and calipers look great.

Suspension provides a smooth, luxurious ride with minimal road noise but make no mistake, this remains a high-performance sports saloon having lost none of the superlative handling qualities that made it famous.

The Drive

On the Road this beautiful Jaguar provides a drive every bit as good as its looks. Its smooth, comfortable, and planted while the engine pulls strongly and without hesitation. The gear changes through the upgraded 5 speed manual gearbox are smooth and precise.

There is no apparent wander on the aftermarket power steering and the brakes pull the car up quickly and evenly. Overall, this is a truly luxurious, comfortable, and capable car – easy to see why these MKII’s are such desirable classics.

Check out the On the Road video to share in our experience.

Electrics and Other

All dials, gauges and switchgear appear unbroken, and Phil assures us everything works exactly as it should. The car comes with an '80s period radio/cassette although we did not test this fully.

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History and Paperwork

Highly original, low mileage, stunning condition and fantastic history – this has to be one of the best MKIIs around at the moment.

It’s easy to see why these cars were popular with the public, criminals, the police, and motorsport heroes including Stirling Moss, John Surtees, and Bruce McLaren. Magnificently engineered to blend power with nimble handling the MKII is a true legend.

And this lovely, well cared for example offers a chance to be a part of that story. MKII’s have been steadily increasing in value, making really good examples like this hard to find. As well as being a sound investment these cars, particularly with the subtle modifications of this one, are more than capable of keeping up with modern traffic, making regular use every bit the pleasure it should be.

The history file is a real pleasure to read with original service manual, extensive MOTs to help verify the mileage, and a Heritage certificate confirming original chassis and engine numbers. There is also an extensive list of works, supported by receipts, which includes, polybushed steering and suspension, a carb rebuild, engine rebuild, over £3,000 in bodywork repairs and Flamethrower electronic ignition. This car has been meticulously maintained.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
06.06.2022	MOT	72,640
25.06.2020	MOT	72,256
19.10.2019	MOT	71,583
06.10.2018	MOT	70,856
17.07.2017	MOT	70,556
07.10.2016	MOT	69,903
09.10.2015	MOT	69,015
21.10.2014	MOT	68,025
06.11.2014	MOT	67,117
26.12.2012	MOT	66,108
02.11.2011	MOT	64,425
10.11.2010	MOT	62,047
30.11.2009	MOT	60,046
21.11.2008	MOT	56,548
20.11.2008	MOT	56,546
28.11.2007	MOT	55,730
12.09.2006	MOT	54,158