1969 Jaguar E Type SII

The current owner purchased this coupé in September 2013 (on his late father’s birthday) to honour his passion for classic cars. But, after almost nine years of ownership, “It’s time to move on”.

According to the vendor, the car’s third owner undertook an extensive rebuild in the mid-to-late 90s and the car’s condition, though decent, evidences not having had much done to it since then. As part of the rebuild, the colour changed from the original pale blue exterior and grey leather interior to the red bodywork and black upholstery it dons today. The rebuild is responsible for the lack of wing mirrors, as when it was restored, the previous owner didn’t want the doors drilled. However, this isn’t a big job should a prospective buyer want to reinstate these.

The only things the current owner has replaced are the clutch, thrust bearing (in 2014), and the mechanical contacts for the electronic ignition, all in the effort to make this motor more drivable. The owner says: “The car runs sweet” and recalls taking it on several long-haul trips (including one from Newbury to Dorset) and to a car show in Penzance. Beyond the memories, it’s comforting to know the car can manage the best part of a 500-mile round trip without needing a pit stop. As a result, the car has ticked up 99,997 miles, so the lucky punter who takes this car away will likely have the privilege of crossing this significant 6-figure milestone.

The V5C states that there have only been four keepers, but there’s actually been five, including the seller. That’s because the vendor never updated the logbook with his details. So, technically any prospective buyer will be the sixth owner. As such, whoever takes this car away may need to do some further investigation to sort this

The body is monocoque, meaning the chassis is integral with the body, with a brazed Reynolds tubing front sub-frame. For E Types, rustproofing was not a high priority. As a result, the door sills and floor pan (mentioned later) show evidence of rust. There is also a blemish on the front driver’s side panel near the headlight, and the paintwork on the top of the passenger door shows evidence of damage.

Inside the cabin, the textured aluminium central dashboard of the Series 1 was changed to a more practical vinyl in the Series 2. Headrests were supposedly introduced as part of the enhanced safety features of the Series 2, but for some reason the seats in this example are nowhere to be seen. The interiour looks decent overall, but upon close inspection, there are a few details that would benefit from some attention. For instance, there is a scuff to the vinyl on the centre console, the radio speaker covers could do with being replaced and the floor pan on the driver’s side shows evidence of rust under the carpet. Under the boot floor an aluminium spoked spare wheel is stored and the boot looks tidy, which is good news as this is often an area that succumbs to rust.

Under the bonnet packs the long-lived, 4,235cc DOHC inline 6-cylinder engine and a 4-Speed Manual Transmission. This gives the Series 2 more torque than its predecessor (at 283-lb/ft) and 265bhp at 5,500rpm. Overall, things looks pretty tidy and there don’t seem to be any obvious leaks, though there is evidence of mild surface rust on the 3 SU Carburetors. As the best part of six years have passed since the car last had an MOT, the innards (particularly the gearbox) and oil pressure would benefit from a deeper inspection.

There isn’t anything noticeably untoward other than that the front bulkhead, especially around the mountings for the engine rails, shows evidence of rust. To ensure the 4-wheel independent suspension is able to deliver the cossetting ride and tenacious handling it should, it’s probably worth checking out the wear on the bushes and bearings of the rear suspension.

The car comes with a Heritage certificate and a slightly patchy service history. That’s because the owner didn’t use it all that much, doing the best part of 3,000 miles over the 9 years he’s had it. As such, the last MOT was carried out six or seven years ago. With this in mind, it will likely be in need of an oil and filter change, at the very least.

The Series 2 offers voluptuous looks with practical usability. Spares supply and specialist back-up is abundant and there’s a wide choice of models and upgrades available should that be required. The values of E Type's have been volatile, ranging from pricey to eye-watering. Series 1s have been seen to exceed £300k, which makes this good value given that it delivers the same glorious view down that long, louvered bonnet and offers a similar drive. It also wouldn’t be ridiculous to expect to part with the best part of £70,000+ for a Series 2. Given that this motor could do with a bit of tarting up, we think you’ll need to part with somewhere between £40,000-50,000 to take this car home.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.