1968 Jaguar 340

The current owner Purchased this car from us back last year and due to a busy life style and a need for more space has unfortunately made the decision to let this lovely Jaguar move on to a new home.   

Already a good car, it was professionally restored over the last ten years. This is a much sought-after manual O/D gearbox car that is fitted with a Webasto sunroof. Still finished in its original colour of Honey Beige, its condition is so good that it was invited to attend the Jaguar 75th Anniversary run as the representative of the model (accompanied by the motoring correspondent for the Russian edition of Playboy, no less…) and to be one of the parade cars at Classic Le Mans in 2010.

Now being offered for sale, this is a rare opportunity to buy an extraordinarily well-sorted Jaguar MKII/340 for what might be a bit of a bargain-basement price…

The owner is a fastidious man, so the bodywork is pretty much all new from the swage line down. The labour for this work alone came to £8,000 but it was worth every penny as the panel alignment is mightily impressive, and the overall fit-and-finish is probably better than it ever had in period.

The Honey Beige paintwork is very good, and the chromework is magnificent, partly due to the re-chromed rear bumper. The details are there too including tinted windows, and the whole thing has been assembled with an uncommon degree of skill.

The Jaguar sits on a new set of MWS wire wheels. They’re in great shape and shod with matching 185VR15 Dimax Classic tyres, 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 do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The Jaguar also comes with a spare set of wire wheels and eared spinners, which could be used for a set of winter tyres, perhaps?

The Everflex sunroof has been refurbished and fitted with a new headlining. This work was carried out by The Trimming Centre (the same people who did the majority of the interior trimming) in August 2018 at a cost of around £1,400. Of course, it now opens and closes as it should and seals tightly.

Work to do? Well, nothing really. It really is every bit as fabulous as it looks in the photos bar the odd stonechip and a minor crack to the valance near the exhaust tailpipes.

The 340’s standard synthetic faux-leather ‘Ambla’ upholstery has been replaced with butter-soft Sand leather on the seats, centre console, central armrest, radio panel and side trims. Matching Sand leathercloth has been used everywhere else.

The leather seats are simply wonderful being wide and comfortable and typically cossetting. Bearing only very light creasing, they need nothing other than the occasional feed and the odd admiring glance.

The door cards look just as good with very neat stitching, good chrome door furniture, and freshly finished wooden cappings.

And, speaking of which, the rest of the woodwork in the cockpit is utterly magnificent. Freshly re-varnished, it makes the strongest case we’ve seen yet for a traditional wood ‘n’ leather finish in a classic luxury car.

The 340 has also been fitted with new carpets and additional soundproofing underneath them, and the manual window winding mechanism has been reinstated after electric windows had been installed.

The owner is clearly something of a completist and no detail appears to have escaped his notice: The wooden Mota-Lita steering wheel looks terrific, as does the twin-spindle radio. The sill tread plates feature the original ‘Moore of Brighton (1924) Ltd’ dealer plaques, which are a wonderfully authentic touch, as is the period Lucas hazard warning switch panel.

The metalwork in the boot is solid and has well-painted inner wings. There is a modest amount of surface rust on the floor that could do with catching, but it isn’t anything more serious at this stage.

Work to do is minimal. There’s a loose screw on the trim in the driver’s footwell and, er, well that’s about it really. And if you ask us nicely we’ll tighten that up for the winning bidder as part of the service.

Can’t say fairer than that, can we?

The mechanical refurbishment has been as comprehensive as that elsewhere. There’s far too much to list here but it comprised, in brief, work to the engine, gearbox, cooling system, suspension, brakes, rear axle, steering and electrical system.

The most recent bill from Enginuity was for almost £3,500. This was incurred following a vast amount of suspension work and miscellaneous fettling in January 2020. Again, please see the bill for the full details.

The 340 also benefits from a few well-chosen upgrades to help it cope with modern traffic conditions. These include a Kenlowe electric fan, Koni dampers, an unleaded cylinder head and a ‘123’ electronic ignition system.

The owner describes the car as being “thoroughly sorted” and says it “feels tight and together.” Please take the time to leaf through the dozens of invoices and bills to see just how extensive this element of the restoration was.

The engine exhales through a sports stainless steel item, and having driven it we can confirm that the owner’s assessment is spot-on; this is a very well sorted example indeed that drives really well and purrs into life at the turn of the key thanks to the automatic choke.

The engine bay is very clean and neatly detailed but some of the paintwork on the bulkhead and inner wings isn’t quite to the same high standard as that of the exterior. The underside is solid and professionally undersealed, but some of the older protection is flaking off here and there and could do with wire-brushing and re-sealing.

The Jaguar doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MoT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, the Production Record Trace Certificate, the ‘Periodic Maintenance Vouchers’ booklet, and two sets of keys.

It also comes with an old V5 registration document, some classic car magazines featuring road tests and model profiles, a Hayne’s Workshop Manual, and a parts catalogue.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored and refurbished to a very high standard.

The Jaguar MKII/340 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 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.

So, how much is a car like this, one that could transform your motoring (and maybe even your romantic…) life, going to cost you? Probably less than you think because we think this example, being sold fully fettled and in need of almost nothing, will only fetch somewhere between £26,000 and £34,000.

Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Viewing is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with the vendor in Tenterden. 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’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.