1966 Jaguar S-Type

Finished in the evocative colour scheme of Sand with a red leather interior, this Jaguar S-Type was built in 1966.

Yup, buy this and you can revel in telling everyone that ‘WTD 100D’ was made in the same year as Our Boys brought it home.

(Interestingly, Alan Ball, a member of the winning team in 1966, was born in Bolton and started his professional career playing for Bolton Wanderers, the very same town where this car was sold new. Just a coincidence, or one for Mulder and Scully?)

It’s got the 3.4-litre straight-six engine too, which gives you almost the same performance as the bigger engine without having to pay the 3.8-litre tax.

An older restoration – the car was repainted and the engine and gearbox rebuilt in 2002 – this one also has the waftalicious automatic transmission.

Used for a photoshoot in Classic Car magazine in 2006, the seller has smartened up the interior, and spent a small fortune in improving its mechanical reliability, which was important as he used it to attend a Jaguar meet at Gaydon as well as a run down to Beaulieu.

Tidying the bodywork was next on his list but, at 82 years old, he’s decided that it is perhaps time to quit while he’s ahead.

The coachwork, which we think is Golden Sand, but which Jaguar refers to on its certificate as just ‘Sand’, sparkles nicely as you walk up to it, the metallic gold colour working in unison with the extensive chrome work to give an understated yet regal finish.

All your favourite hits are here including the Leaper, the auxiliary driving lamps, the chrome front bumper that is styled to accommodate the tall radiator grille, and a set of chromed wire wheels.

It’s all in an attractive condition too with decent panel alignment, a marked absence of ripples along the flanks, and a healthy shine to the finish.

The lamp lenses are good with no chips or cracks, and the rear-facing Lucas lenses are still sport vivid colours. The glazing is also free of apparent issues, and the badges are shiny.

The chromed wire wheels are in good shape too with almost no tarnishing or pitting, and it’s the same with the rest of the brightwork; clearly not new, what ageing it has is modest and age-appropriate, including the rear bumper, which has dulled in one spot.

The tyres are matching 185VR15 Michelin XVS, and while they are premium tyres and have good tread left on them, they were made in 2013, so new rubber is overdue.

You’d expect to find a few marks on an older restoration and we spotted: Noticeable repairs to the front end and near the rear numberplate; the nearside doors are a slightly different shade to the other panels; a dent and peeling paint under the rear bumper with more peeling paint around the boot aperture; heavy orange peel finish between the boot lid and the rear window; chips around the edges of both filler caps with further chips to the offside front door; uneven radiator slats; bubbles on the bonnet and at the base of the windscreen; overspray on the rubber windscreen seal; what looks like mastic on top of rust at the bottom of the offside rear door aperture; and cracked paint on the radiator shroud and the trailing edge of both sills.

The seller refreshed the leather interior in September 2023, with flexifiller, dye, and both softening and protection cream. The results are very good and the patina that remains is the sort that would add considerably to the value of a Chesterfield sofa in a Cotswold’s antique shop…

The seats are also still plump and comfortable, so their charm is more than skin-deep, especially in the rear where the occupants can also sit and back enjoy good legroom.

The pencil-thin steering wheel – a Jaguar is guided by nothing more than fingertip pressure – is supremely elegant, and if the centre cap has a crack in it, the rim is solid and free of obvious problems.

The walnut burr dashboard is free of chips and cracks too, although the varnish isn’t as shiny as it perhaps could be. Nor is the top of the dashboard finished to the same high standard as the rest.

The use of wood extends to the door caps too, as well as the transmission tunnel.

White-on-black Smiths instruments are as elegant as they are easily assimilated, and the row of beautifully labelled toggle switches operate their respective items in the most stylish way possible.

Further nice touches include chrome buckles for the seatbelts, a machine-turned Lucas rearview mirror, chromed door and seat furniture, and a pullout picnic tray in the dashboard.

Not forgetting the Motorola 828 radio, which was serviced in April 2025. This included upgrading the FM module and supplying two Visaton speakers, and while the final bill came to £664, it was worth every penny as it has revived this lovely period feature.

As for the rest, the carpets are bright and free of holes, the headlining is clean and taut, and the door cards are above average.

The boot is a very good size, and its fixtures and fittings include a wicker picnic hamper (complete with some useful bits and bobs inside) in addition to the usual spare wheel and (empty) tool tray. The vinyl trim is in good shape too, and lifting it all out reveals nothing more than solid and well-painted metal.

The straight-six engine starts well, even if it hunts a little at idle. However, it smooths out when revved, and our man reports that it drives well and that everything he prodded and pressed worked as it should. Mind you, the engine and gearbox were rebuilt in 2002, and we doubt it’s covered many miles since.

We are fairly sure that the engine bay wasn’t repainted when the car was restored as the finish it wears looks older to us. Honest though, and that’s rarely a problem, is it?

The engine and ancillaries are nicely presented being clean without being overly fussy. We also like the combination of a green engine and plain, unpolished metal components like the rocker covers and the air filter housing.

You could replace the under bonnet sound insulation when motivation and money coincide, but that’s about all that caught our eye.

As for the underside, Bilt Hamber products were applied in November 2024 to provide protection. True, there is a little surface rust on some of the wheelarches but that should be straightforward to catch and treat.

Despite not needing one, the Jaguar’s MoT certificate is valid until the 28th of June 2026.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys.

The history file includes a summary of the work that was undertaken between 1998 and 2015 – and this comes to nearly £13,000.

Notable recent expenditure includes an electronic fuel pump (£186) and miscellaneous fettling (£873) in July 2025, converting it to negative earth in the same month (£112), more fettling including an electronic ignition system in June 2025 (£554), and many more invoices for parts at work from 2024 and earlier including a service kit from SNG Barratt in June 2024 that follows on from an oil service and much more in May 2024 (£1,371).

These invoices, which date back as far as 1979, are neatly filed in a thick lever arch file.

It also comes with its Operating, Maintenance, and Service Handbook, a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate confirming its build date and specification, some expired MoT certificates and tax discs, an instruction booklet for the converted Motorola radio, notes regarding the restoration and a subsequent photoshoot with Classic Car magazine, and Autopress and factory workshop manuals.

With a guide price of between £10,000 and £15,000, this S-Type offers solid value alongside a bit more luxury than the MKII you’ve been lusting after.

Yes, it still needs a bit of tidying up but to sweeten the deal it’s being offered with no reserve, so will be going to a new home after the very first bid has been placed.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.