1963 Jaguar Mk2 3.8

Built in 1963, this 3.8 Mk2 went off to beautiful Switzerland when new where it seems to have stayed until the mid-1970s. It returned to the UK in 1976 and was, according to the vendor, restored in the country before going off with its second owner to the south of Spain. That owner, by the way, was a former Malboro Man model who also collected high performance marques such as Ferraris, so this glamorous Jaguar was in good company with him and his fleet.

In 1982, the car was re-registered with a British number, albeit, as was the way back then, one related to the year of the registration rather than the actual age of the car. Which is why this 1963 classic Jag has a UK ‘X’ plate, rather than the ‘A’ you might expect.

While this Jaguar has spent much of its life in Spain (where it still is, in exotic Marbella), with its generally kind climate, it is now 45 years since its restoration, so the vendor freely admits that it could do with “some TLC, but is still very original, as it wasn’t fully rebuilt”. We’re further told it’s very solid and drives well. The current mileage - well, kilometreage (if that’s even a word) - is recorded as 112,968km, which equates to 70,200 miles.

Old English White is a colour that has always suited Mk2s; it seems to set their curvaceous lines off well, emphasising their grace and dignity. From a distance, the car presents well, and the paint does look of a uniform shade throughout. However, having last had any significant work (at least that we know of) some 45 years ago, there are obviously blemishes, plus other areas where age and wear are starting to set in.

The area on the left-hand front wing behind the wheel arch is showing signs of bubbling back through the sill, as well as rust blossoming under the paint. Further along the sill, there’s a shallow scrape while, at the point where the cut-back rear wheel spats are mounted, there’s some touch-up paint. A bit of touching up has also been carried out on the back corner of the spat. Under the rear bumper, there’s a crack in the paint just before the point where the exhaust exits. Some bubbles are apparent on the bottom of the doors. The right-hand side of the car has survived better, but again there are some bubbles on the bottom of the front door and some rust marks on the sill. The sidelight on the top of the front wing is also missing its tell-tale red marker. At the rear of the car, there is some missing paint on the bottom of the rear valance. Panel fit is reasonable, although the bonnet doesn’t fit quite as snugly as it should. We’ve photographed all these spots, so take a look at our gallery.

Mk2s have a substantial amount of chrome, and here, it’s all in pretty good order. There is some tarnishing apparent up close in places, but the weather of southern Spain has obviously been quite kind to the sparkly bits of this Jaguar. The wire wheels are chromed, and look like they might have been quite a more recent addition, as they’re in such good order. Tyres are Goodridge SC328 185 R15C items all around, which seem to have plenty of life left in them.

It’s difficult to know if the interior was re-done during the 1976 restoration, or whether it is still largely untouched and original. It certainly gives the impression of being factory standard and its patina could correspond to a car that’s 58 years old or ‘just’ 45. There is quite a lot of surface cracking across the red leather upholstery but, aside from a split on the squab of the passenger seat where it meets the seat back, it’s all intact. The wood seems to be standing up well, although there is some cracking of the veneer in spots and it looks slightly lighter than Jaguar’s usual walnut veneer finish. Only the small cubby hole area under the centre switches and gauges shows significant discolouration.

The carpets in the front are quite marked, and do look their age, with the one on the driver’s side - remember, this is a left-hand drive car, having gone to Switzerland when new - being covered by what looks like a household mat. There are areas, such as by the accelerator pedal, where the carpet material has been worn away while there are splits on both sides of the transmission tunnel underneath the centre console radio and speaker housing. It looks like there has been an attempt to join the sides back together using glue, but over the years it has come unstuck again - something likely to happen in the heat of a Spanish summer. The carpets in the rear, being more lightly used, are better preserved.

Overhead, the beige headlining is clean and tidy, with just a few baggy areas here and there. The steering wheel is the original item and, aside from some minor tarnishing to the half-horn ring, it’s looking good. Some of the wiring under the driver’s side dash could do with tidying, as it’s hanging down slightly lower than Browns Lane intended, but that should be a simple enough job to put right.

For those who prize period details, the fitted radio is a Blaupunkt transistor unit, totally in-keeping with the era of its setting. There are circular speakers of a similar vintage in the front footwells.

Undersealing has been carried out underneath, although it does look like this was some while ago. So there are areas where it has flaked off or thinned, and surface rust has blossomed, such as on the bottom of the fuel tank. However, this is superficial stuff - everything looks very sound and solid, no doubt helped by the slight smattering of oil for, being an XK engine, there’s inevitably been a little bit of leakage over the decades. What is still shiny is the full stainless steel exhaust system, with a flexible joint in the centre.

The engine bay is tidy enough, although there are some inevitable grime and areas of surface rust. The areas of bright metal - such as the rocker covers and SU carburettor tops - aren’t quite as sparkling as they once would have been, but some judicious polishing should improve that. Everything looks largely stock under the bonnet, even down to the Champion-branded spark plug leads. The vendor reports that the car starts easily and drives very well indeed, with everything functioning as it should.

There isn’t a great deal of paperwork unfortunately. It runs to a 1980s’ UK vehicle registration document, issued when the car was re-registered as FGC 361X in 1982, and there’s also the original owner’s handbook. Some more paperwork may surface - but it is a little limited at the moment.

A Jaguar Mk2 3.8 with manual overdrive transmission is still one of the most desirable models of the 1960s; a thoroughbred, comfortable classic that is practical and potent - for with 220bhp on tap, these biggest-engined Mk2s are no slouches. This example does have a few rough edges here and there, and there’s room for improvement, but it’s fundamentally a solid, honest uo-and-running example of its breed

We’ve estimated this one as likely to go for between €19,000 and €25,000, because it is the Mk2 spec that everybody is after. Examples in very good condition go for far in excess of those values, so if you tackle some of the issues on this one, it’s likely to be a good investment. Or you could just enjoy it as it is for a while, as a very usable historic Jag that you won’t be afraid too afraid to properly drive for fear of knocking a few grand off its price by picking up some stonechips.

Inspection is always encouraged, with this particular car located in Marbella, Spain. 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’.