1968 Jaguar E Type S2 2+2

This E-type is the 98th 2+2 Series II made in 1968, which makes it one of the last made that year – rolling out of Browns Lane on the 2nd of December. As a manual, 4.2-litre 2+2, this vehicle represents a rare opportunity to get off to a great start with a desirable model that’s also a solid candidate for further restoration. The next owner will have something of a head start in fact, as much of the renovation work appears to be already well under way.

Coming from the collection of a serial Jaguar enthusiast – who sadly passed away before finishing the car – its former keeper seems to have started at the back and made his way forward. The majority of the corrosion underneath seems to have already been tackled well, with evidence of new metal let into the rear inner wings, rear subframe mounting areas and the jacking points.

Mechanically, this E-type still runs and drives but it’s a long way from MoT-test ready. Showing 89,304 miles on its odometer, though with very little history to back this up, it does nevertheless run well, however there are still plenty of jobs left to do. These range from tidying the paint, fixtures and fittings to replacing all the perished rubber and renewing some of the wiring – mostly the engine, headlamp and ground looms by the looks of it. Helpfully, there are copies of wiring and exploded diagrams of major components included in the history folder.

Much of the paint on this car has either been flatted back in preparation for a new top coat or has primer over new metal to cover it post-welding. The patina (or is it rat-rod) appearance is actually quite nice, though we suspect most will not want to run it in its current state. The original colour is a rare shade of Regency Red and can be seen in the condition Jaguar intended on the roof, rear offside three-quarter panel and tailgate.

The chrome, like the paintwork, is in mixed condition with some sections still shining up nicely while a few others show scratch damage and light corrosion. You could certainly improve them further with some buffing and might be happy enough with the results, but the perfectionist will want to re-chrome at least the rear bumper (including overriders) and the wheels. The latter all have some corrosion in both the spokes and the rims but it’s not at an advanced stage. They are all shod in what appear to be new tyres.

While we’re on the shiny bits, the twin-exit stainless-steel exhaust is still in tip-top condition. It’s a Bell item and its manufacturer sticker is still clearly visible, suggesting either it’s been replaced relatively recently or it’s a new-old stock system. More good news comes in the form of the glass, all of which is in excellent order and comes etched with the car’s original (and current) MWH 990G registration.

This E-type’s cabin appears to be all present and correct, though much of it is showing its age. The seat fabric has dried out with cracks and even a split visible, namely to the base of the driver’s seat and the usual high friction hip area of same. As is usually the case, the passenger seat appears to be in far better condition, though neither has degraded beyond saving. The backrest of the rear bench has a couple of spots of puncture damage, one in the centre and another on the driver’s side outer shoulder. The bench, front seats and door cards all need a deep clean and ‘feeding’ with a suitable leather care product, but thankfully all remain in place. It’s the same story with the carpets, vinyl under-dash trim and door-card caps.

The outer headlining fabric seems to have been removed carefully and thoroughly, ready for a fresh new replacement. The trim rail at the top of the windscreen is included in a large collection of spare parts that comes with the car. This bundle also includes headlight trims, additional chrome, a set of new old stock points and a collection of fixtures, fittings and nuts and bolts. All of which will no doubt prove useful to finish the car off – though naturally, we can’t confirm it’s all here.

The boot was thoroughly inspected and both its trim, metalwork and fuel tank all appear very solid and tidy. The latter did let off a smell of fuel when the car was first primed so there’s likely a gasket needing replacement here. We did briefly test drive the car on the vendor’s private driveway and can confirm that it starts, stops and appears to steer as it should with all the gauges appearing to do what they’re supposed to. Crucially, we did see oil pressure above 40 lbs register and the charging system gauge show greater than 13 volts.

It’s evident that some serious hours have already been spent on this stately old Jag from the evidence of new parts underneath. The independent rear suspension has clearly been dropped out of the car at some point to carry out the welding repairs to the subframe mounts and jacking points on both sides. The opportunity appears to have been taken at the same time to refresh the bushes and powder coat the subframe. The metalastic and forward lower control arm bushes both appear to have been replaced and the rear suspension as a whole looks eminently serviceable.

The floors and sills appear sound, other than a small area of corrosion that’s still to be dealt with on the nearside front of the floor, immediately around the jacking point. The front end doesn’t appear to have had as much cosmetic attention as the rear with the lower wishbones merely given a lick of paint, though that’s now beginning to allow surface rust to break through.

The dampers seem to have been recently swapped for a pair of Boge items and judging by their shiny new securing nuts, the steering tie-rods are also recent additions. A freshly painted airbox, the aforementioned exhaust and some decidedly new looking panels include the front valence and inner wings. We’d say the rest of the front end appears to be mid-restoration. There are some newer looking items in the engine bay including the bonnet securing catches on the inner wings, a washer pump, battery and the spark plugs.

Sadly there’s really not a lot to say here at all. The car’s history resided with the former keeper’s widow and she was unable to locate the documents. That means there’s only the bare minimum of paperwork currently offered with the car. There is a certificate of authenticity from the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust and an old-style V5 document.

Most of the rest of the former keeper info has been photocopied so it might be possible to unearth some more invoices. An HPI check confirms that the car hasn’t been written off or stolen or had its plate transferred, which is reassuring. What’s also comforting is the fact the car comes with its original build plaque – removed from the car but still clearly legible.

Finding a 1960s E-type in anything like a worthy condition for restoration is harder than ever these days. The good cars have been sorted and (rightly) now command a premium. At the other end of the spectrum, the real tat that’s fluffed up by ‘barn find’ hysteria isn’t economically worth the investment.

This car inhabits the rare goldilocks zone of sound-restoration potential in between these two extremes. Even if you’re paying a professional to do the remaining work you’re still likely to come out at least cost neutral. If you have the skill, time and space to take this on yourself then you’ll likely have a very shrewd asset that you can enjoy in time for summer. That’s why we’re confident that this Jaguar E-type will achieve between £25,000 and £32,000.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with the vendor in Leicester; 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.