1967 Jaguar Mark II by Beacham

Originally finished in Opalescent Golden Sand with a contrasting Red leather interior, this lovely Mk2 was supplied new to Stapleton Tyre Services of Watford from franchised dealer Henlys of London in April 1967.

The car remained in the UK until 1990 when it found a new home in New Zealand. Its new owner then commissioned renowned restoration and upgrade specialist Beacham cars to a carry out a full restoration to its world-renowned levels.

Highlights included:

• A bare shell restoration 
• Re-paint in Opalescent Gunmetal
• New Biscuit leather interior re-trim by G. W. Bartlett
• Full engine rebuild with conversion to unleaded fuel
• Five-speed Getrag gearbox
• Power rack-and-pinion steering
• Coombs rear spats
• Air conditioning 
• Halogen headlamps
• Central locking

The car then spent some time in Japan before being repatriated to the UK, via a short Marbella residency. Since then, it has continued to be improved with the addition of Coopercraft four-pot disc brakes all round and fitment of wider Competition 72 chrome-wire wheels wearing Michelin XVS tyres. 

“All in all, this stunning early Beacham restoration retains all of the true character of the classic Mk2 but thanks to their craftsmanship and wise choice of OEM parts and upgrades, is an extremely enjoyable and easy-to-drive modern classic,” states vendor, Shane.

“I’ve owned it for about two years having bought it from a friend, who in turn had it for eight years, so the car was well known to me. It joined my small collection and has been used regularly, if sparingly since. All my classics are kept in nice condition, and this is no exception; it has just passed a fresh MOT with no advisories”.

So why is Shane selling? 

“I look at it and think I won’t find another like that, and I know I won’t. However, I’m getting older and have five or six other cars that I have a deep sentimental attachment to; one of them, and old Rolls-Royce is just coming back, and I need the space for it. You can’t drive them all and it’s time for someone else to get enjoyment from it”.

“It’s such a beautiful car and, having taken it a couple of shows, it always gets positive comments. It had that big restoration in the early Nineties but, as you can see, it remains in stunning condition”. 

It certainly does. As our Photographic Gallery shows, the Opalescent Gunmetal paintwork retains a first-class finish with a deep hue and is allied to superlative panel fit. To our eye it’s pretty much flawless. “The bodywork is in great condition,” says Shane. “That’s down to the fact that the previous owner and I have never even considered taking it out in bad weather; it’s been looked after and only seen sunny days.

“There’s a tiny mark on the bonnet, which you would likely miss if I didn’t tell you about it, but that’s it; I didn’t want to have the whole panel painted because of it, so it remains there”.

Brightwork too remains in lovely nick and incorporation of the Coombs rear spats and the wider wire wheels lends the car an even more rakish demeanour to standard Mk2.

Tyres have plenty of tread remaining, too. Glasswork is also clean and clear. 

The Mk2 currently wears the registration number MWV 217F.

Superb.

Having dispensed with the original exterior colour, it’s no wonder the person who commissioned the restoration did the same with the interior. And that’s because its current Biscuit leather trim is quite simply the perfect foil for the Gunmetal exterior – in combination, they are superb. 

“I love the cabin,” admits Shane. “With Beacham cars you can change the interior and dashboard as much as you want; in fact, some can be built to resemble a modern car, but even though it’s been restored this still has the feel of an original Mk2”.

It certainly does, and with just over three decades having passed since its completion the Mk2’s interior also has a pleasing, gentle patina. The leather seats, door cards and headlining all remain exceedingly smart, as do carpets and the all-important walnut veneers. Bronze-coloured seatbelts are fitted (inertia reel in the front), as is a (modern-for-the-time) Pioneer stereo multi-cd system; personally, we’d perhaps look for a period-perfect retro fascia for the latter. 

The boot is trimmed black and holds a spare wire wheel and tyre, as well as a full tool set. It also houses the multi-cd unit.

“It’s a lovely car on the road,” says Shane. “I’ve got a couple of E-Types and when driving either of those you really feel like you’ve been in it. This though, you could get in and drive comfortably to London. The driving position is lovely and it’s so comfortable. 

“The performance is very good, with a strong engine featuring uprated carbs and the five-speed Getrag gearbox is nice to use and transforms the car’s usability; brakes are very good, too. 

“There are no faults with the car. The only thing that will need done is the air con wants gassing; I was going to have it done but the chap I use is 40 miles away and couldn’t do it on the day that I planned to go over – that’s it, though”.

Pop the bonnet and you will find a clean engine bay; as our Video Review below demonstrates, the XK engine fires first time and settles into a contented, breathy tick-over. 

Underneath, everything looks to be in nice, solid condition; there’s a touch of cracking to the underseal in a couple of places, with what appears to be some light surface rust having formed in those areas, so it’s probably a good time to have this cleaned up and a fresh treatment applied to ensure that it’s fully protected going forwards.

You will find 30 documents in the Mk2’s history file including its V5c Registration Certificate (and a copy document, too), the original Jaguar 3.4 Litre Mark 2 Model Operating, Maintenance and Service Handbook and a Jaguar Heritage Certificate that includes the following information:

Issued 11 April 2011

Production Record Trace Certificate Number: 33753

• Make and model: Jaguar Mark II 3.4 litre
• Body style: Saloon, right-hand drive
• Date of manufacture: 7 April, 1967
• Chassis number: BN1/224865
• Engine Number: 171573
• Body number: Originally E 067572
• Gearbox number: Originally JC 6051
• Transmission: manual
• Exterior paint colour: Opalescent Golden Sand
• Interior trim colour: Red
• Hood (soft top) colour: Not applicable
• Original distributor: Henlys Limited, London
• Original dealer: G Blizzard Motors
• Date of Dispatch: 27 April 1967
• First owner: Stapleton’s Tyre Services, Watford
• Registration mark: VJH 8E

Also present is a handwritten document from 2011 detailing the restoration works carried out by Beacham, as well as a letter that same year (dated 10th June 2011) from Aston London detailing the findings of its inspection of the car stating: “we can confirm the car has been restored to a high standard” and “the car is in excellent overall condition”.

A Clayton Classics sales advert from June 2013 is included. This lists some of the information then available about the Mk2 and gives the then asking price as £62,950. 

Operating manuals for the Pioneer Multi-CD sound system are present, as are a small selection of invoices for minor works carried out on the car (it hasn’t needed much!).

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos to support our claim that this car has been restored and upgraded to a first-class standard and then exceptionally well maintained. 

Beacham’s reputation for excellence hasn’t come about by chance; it’s taken over three decades to gain. The company has done this by ensuring the highest quality output right from the outset and today its name and cars are known worldwide. 

This is an opportunity to purchase an early Beacham Mk2. One that underwent a full and comprehensive restoration that involved the incorporation of some choice upgrades and that the current vendor has continued to upgrade, further enhancing its drivability; add to that, the beautiful interior/exterior colour combination, and the fact that it still presents in beautiful condition, and you have one stunning car.

Given the above, we think this very nicely specced Beacham Mk2 will realise between £50,000 and £55,000. For that, the next lucky owner will receive a classic car that drives beautifully, is easy to live, and yet one that still retains that all-important, original Mk2 essence.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located in Boston, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom; 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’.