1968 Jaguar 240

In the care of the vendor for the past two years, this wonderful Jaguar 240 was first registered on the 10th of October 1968. Finished in blue over blue, it’s MOT’d until December 2020 and fitted with the manual gearbox and sought-after overdrive.

Structurally sound following some intensive recent mechanical and structural work – the vendor estimates he’s invested around £5,000 in fettling it since he bought the car - it is running very well and sports a fabulous blue leatherette interior.

Now being offered for sale through us with no reserve, this is your chance to buy a very usable example of a much-loved sporting saloon for not a lot of money…

Dark blue is a tricky colour as it, like black, shows off every single swirl mark and blemish. So, your first impressions might not be terribly favourable but we would encourage you to take a closer look because there’s a lot here to like.

For a start it all hangs together nicely, with good panel alignment and decent shutlines. It’s had new inner and outer sills too, plus new rear chassis rails and both front jacking points, work the vendor estimates set him back around £2,000. It’s also had some paint over the years, most notably on the front end.

The chrome is a solid seven or eight out of ten, with large parts of it being only lightly patinated; we think a day with the radio on the background and a big tub of Autosol to hand would work wonders. A couple of the pieces, including the rear bumper, could probably do with re-chroming or replacing but given the omnipresent nature of the model, this needn’t be an expensive job.

The 15-inch steel wheels, which look to have been hand-painted blue to match the coachwork, are set off by a set of good chrome hubcaps. They’re shod with matching tyres too, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you an insight into their attitude towards maintenance.

Aside from the usual patina of stonechips and minor marks, there is also some rust bubbles and crazing to the front wings, boot lid, and the bottom of the doors. Some of the paintwork is also slight micro-blistered in places and could do with flatting down.

All-in-all, we can see the new owner might like to have it professionally resprayed at some point but it could be used without shame until funds and motivation allow it to fulfil its full potential.

Oh, and it has a towbar fitted making it the perfect car for anyone with an interest in period caravans. (It’s still got an old Caravan Club sticker in the rear window to get you started…)

The blue leatherette seats are in a very good condition. The owner believes they’re almost certainly the originals; if so, they’re in a remarkable condition still being firm and springy and cossetting. The seat covers are good with only light creasing and no damage other than a few small tears to the driver’s seat.

The woodwork is good too, as are the door cards. The steering wheel is a little patinated but this could easily be chalked up as being an important part of the car’s half-a-century history and ignored.

The Smiths dials are still crisp and bright, as are the switches. The headlining is exceptionally good, being taut, clean and free of damage.

The carpets are decent, and lifting them shows solid metal after recent work to replace the rotten bits.

The interior also still sports a Motorola twin-spindle radio and the mono speaker grille, both of which are a lovely period touch. Additional speakers have been fitted in the front doors.

The boot is, if we’re being honest, a bit scruffy. But, surface rust aside, it’s solid and needs only cosmetic fettling. The spare wheel is very rusty though and unless you have a ‘perfect restoration’ YouTube channel it might be easier, cheaper and quicker to buy a good secondhand replacement rather than trying to restore it.

Other work to do? Well, while the woodwork seems to be solid it could do with removing, sanding down and re-varnishing.

The Jaguar has been the recipient of much recent expenditure including a new clutch master and slave cylinder, brake vacuum valve, Hardi electronic fuel pump, and fuel filter bowl along with ignition consumables such as the coil, HT leads, rotor arm, and distributor cap.

There’s a recent exhaust too, and the vendor also tells us that the Jaguar has had the rear suspension rebuilt, all four brake calipers refurbished and new discs and pads fitted all round, four new wheel bearings, and the front suspension rebuilt with new joints and track rod ends, etc. He estimates this little lot set him back another £2,500 or so.

He also believes that the engine was rebuilt and a new clutch fitted only a few thousand miles ago but is unsure of the exact date.

We’ve driven it and found it does everything a good ‘un should, when it should.

While the engine bay does show evidence of recent expenditure, it’s purposeful rather than pretty, so if this sort of thing bothers you (heh, we aren’t judging…) you might like to add detailing to your list of jobs to do. We have also noticed the bonnet release is not connected, although a gentle slide through the grill with a screwdriver does the trick.

Ditto the underside. It’s solid and strong after recent remedial work and the bits that have been replaced have a good coating of underseal. However, the older stuff is only patchily covered and there is the odd area of light surface rust. Still, sorting that out would be cheap and easy, even if a little messy.

The Jaguar’s MOT certificate is valid until December 2020 and the car has done well under a hundred miles since then.

It also has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The Jaguar MKII/240 is, for many people, THE iconic 1960’s sporting saloon. A favourite with cops, robbers, bankers, and rock stars, it’s as classless as it is fun to drive - and it is great fun to drive, being sporty and slidey when you want to hoon, and cosseting and luxurious when you want to waft.

Capable of fulfilling multiple roles, a well-sorted Jaguar of this era is a joyful thing and one that makes even the shortest journey a genuine pleasure, not least because people will fall over themselves to let you out of junctions and tell you how much they admire your car.

So, how much is this one likely to cost? Probably less than you think because we think this example, being sold needing some cosmetic fettling to allow it to continue to flourish for the next half-century, is likely to fetch somewhere between £7,000 and £11,000.

Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.