1970 Jaguar 420G

This particular 420G appears to have been somewhat of a globe-trotter throughout its lifetime, though its history is somewhat patchy.

From what we can tell, the car was originally registered in the UK during 1970, and subsequently made its way to the United States, where it resided for a number of years.

It was then purchased from the US during 2013, and then re-imported to the UK from New York during the same year, being brought in via Southampton docks.

Following it’s return to British soil, the car appears to have spent some time on the Isle of Wight judging from the paperwork, before coming into the hands of the former owner who was a classic car dealer.

Initially sold to a client, the gearbox then failed and the vehicle was returned. Since then, the gearbox has undergone a costly full rebuild before the car went back into long-term dry storage. However, due to the sad passing of the owner, the car has only travelled a handful of miles since the rebuild, and is now being sold by a close family friend.

The sable-over-fawn bodywork exudes a classy, upmarket mood, which sits well with the imposing nature of the 420G’s bodywork.

Looking around, the body itself is nice and straight, with no sign of any major dents, dings or tell-tale signs of impact damage, which is very good news indeed.

There are a few cosmetic marks - most notably on the front offside wing - though these have been photographed and shown in the gallery below. The chrome around the windows and on the front and rear bumpers wears a light patina and patches of pitting, though from afar still presents fantastically.

Lower down, there are signs of bubbling and what appears to be surface corrosion around the lips of the arches, which has also been photographed, along with a small patch of bubbling on the inner edge of the bonnet on the offside.

Inside, it is clear that this car has been in long-term storage as it has the familiar ‘classic car storage smell’ which many of us are familiar with. However, it still presents rather well.

It is obvious that the carpets and over-mats need a significant cleaning and valet, and the driver’s mat may be beyond repair. The sun-visors also need attention as they do not stay folded up off their own accord any more, being instead held in-place by some strategically placed velcro.

The seats, by contrast, are in excellent condition and there is an invoice in the history folder suggesting they were a new set fitted after the car was repatriated from the US, though sadly the invoice is undated, so it is impossible to ascertain exactly when they were fitted to the car.

Elsewhere, the headlining is in great shape and displays no signs of sagging, whilst the door cards, dashboard and steering wheel show only light wear, though the latter will need a thorough cleaning before use due to being stored for an extended period of time.

The 4.2-litre inline-six engine certainly takes up plenty of real-estate in the engine bay, and, in this case, looks to be in very good health visually.

Whilst a jump-pack was needed to get the car going due to the battery being devoid of power, the car fires into life almost instantaneously, and idles in the refined way that one would expect from a high-end Jaguar product.

As far as we could see, the car was happy to drive, turn and stop, though there was a slight belt squeal noted whilst the car was on full-lock when manoeuvring. As we’ve stated, and as shown in the history folder, the gearbox has recently undergone a major overhaul and restoration, and is in excellent working order.

Looking underneath, the chassis of this 420G didn’t scream, shout or set off any alarm bells during our inspection. The most recent MOT test would also suggest that the chassis is in good shape, noting only ‘heavy under seal’ in addition to the failure items of all four tyres being in poor condition, and a broken windscreen wash jet.

Should the new owner wish, the vendor has stated he would be happy to arrange four new tyres at the buyer’s expense, in order to provide a full 12-month MOT certificate before the car is collected.

Whilst we weren’t able to get any first-hand history of the car, the folder that accompanies this Jaguar 420G is comprehensive in its nature, documenting the work carried out on the car both before and after the vehicle returned to the UK.

As far as we could see, there were no documents from the vehicle’s time in the states, but the import invoices are present, along with various other receipts and miscellaneous paperwork.

In terms of particularly noteworthy invoices, there is one document pertaining to a brake calliper rebuild in 2013, a new headlining in 2013, and a full automatic gearbox rebuild in September 2018 at the cost of £2,376.

This globe-trotting 1970 Jaguar 420G has seen the world during its lifetime, and has been cared for by a number of different owners throughout its history.

With an impressively detailed history folder, recent gearbox rebuild and with room for cosmetic improvements, this 420G would make an excellent light project for any Jaguar enthusiast or home mechanic looking for a useable classic with potential for further restoration.

As for pricing, we estimate a value of around £8,000 to £13,000, so be sure to get your bids in early to secure this ‘big cat’ for your collection.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Carmarthen, Wales; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance, Classic Concierge for storing your car plus we have a list of contacts who can help with transport and shipping.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, return policy does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.