1966 Jaguar MK II 3.8 Manual

This blue with red leather car presents extremely well and is, we think, one of the stronger and more aesthetically appealing colour combinations.

It has been owned by the vendor for 16 years and has evidently been properly looked after and maintained throughout that period. The vendor tells us that in that time he has probably clocked up something in the region of 3,000 miles.

So, not exactly overused, then.

He’s only selling it because, well, it’s just not being used enough.

We have taken the car for an a spin along some Oxfordshire lanes and can report that it starts on the button, drives strongly in all gears (including overdrive) and has quite possibly the sweetest manual gearbox of any MKII we’ve driven. It really is silky smooth, finding each gear with a simple, positive, well-oiled click.

Everything about this car feels solid and properly screwed together.

The only sighs, groans, creaks, whistles, rattles or squeaks we heard on our test drive were coming from the driver.

You won’t find great fat wads of bills and invoices in the documents section because the vendor has always been able to call upon the services of a skilled MKII Jaguar whisperer (who owns three splendid examples himself) in nearby Market Harborough.

We must thank this fellow for his expertise because we can attest to the mechanical integrity of the vehicle and the fact that it is an absolute joy to drive.

Over the years, this car has had plenty of work done to it, sensitively and expertly, both inside and outside.

This car was born in the year that Nancy Sinatra sang about her walking boots, Time magazine coined the phrase ‘Swinging London’ and Raquel Welch starred in One Million Years B.C. wearing what appeared to be a squirrel skin bikini.

So, it’s getting on a bit and some of the work it’s had done to keep it looking youthful is itself starting to show signs of age, but there’s nothing we’ve seen that causes us to tut, shake our heads or otherwise smell any kind of rat.

The lucky next owner will have a pleasant choice to contemplate: take it to the next level, somewhere towards the sunlit uplands of concours, or leave it as it is and just have fun using it.

It’s a handsome car, there’s no mistaking that, and taken as a whole it really does look very smart indeed.

The panels are largely free of any dents, dinks, warps or bends, and the door gaps and shut lines all seem fine.

The chrome work (which has been re-chromed), badging and trim are all bright and shiny. The wire wheels and their Jaguar spinners are in top condition. The tyres have plenty of life left in them but may be getting a little long in the tooth.

When the vendor bought the car 16 years ago it had recently had any bodywork issues professionally addressed.

He then had the car resprayed. That respray has held up pretty well over the years but is today something of a curate’s egg: it’s good in parts.

There is the odd run or ripple here and there, and in places the paintwork looks a little flat and/or patchy.

There is a bit of flakiness and a spot of rust in the seam of the n/s C pillar, and there are patches of dull paintwork on the driver’s side of the bonnet.

There’s also some micro-blistering and bubbling around the growler (possibly a fate that awaits us all one day).

Other minor blemishes include some scuffed paint around the bottom edge of the boot lid, some faded paint below the boot lock, some ripples and creases in the section below the windscreen and on the leading edge of the n/s rear door.

As far as we can see, any rust is either superficial or at the micro blistering stage and is, in any case, little in evidence anywhere on this car.

The Jaguar also still has the wonderful Lucas-branded reflectors on the top of the original sidelights – and the rare and splendidly monikered Lucas ‘Fogranger’ front fog lamps.

The original Lucas headlamp lenses are part of a small collection of spare parts and odds and end you’ll find boxed up in the boot.

The interior is a wonderfully authentic place to be and is instantly and powerfully evocative of the car’s era.

Very few manufacturers do the wood and leather thing better than Jaguar and this car is a testament to skills of the French polishers and saddlers who built it.

The rear seats have the creasing and patina you’d expect from original upholstery. The reclining front seats, being freshly reupholstered, are immaculate. They’re also comfortable and supportive.

The re-upholstery on the front seats and on the transmission tunnel was done by Suffolk & Turley, a highly respected firm of Jaguar coach-trimming specialists. It really is excellent work of the highest quality.

Pretty much everything inside looks very good. The car has new carpets and mats, door cards, headlining, door and windscreen rubbers, and a new boot mat and boot side panels.

The vendor tells us that, as far as he’s aware, all buttons, toggles, switches, knobs and levers do what they’re supposed to do.

The clock, needless to say, doesn’t work. They never do. In fact, we’d say you should be suspicious of any authentic MKII with a working clock.

There is some, well, we’re not sure what it is, but it’s a kind of distress or discolouration, or fraying or….something....that’s currently afflicting the red fabric running up the inside of the n/s C pillar.

There is some cracking to the veneer of the glove box but, in general, the woodwork has a glorious richness and shine to its patina.

The boot is cavernous and largely clean and tidy, with a spare wheel and jack under the floor. The charmingly original (but incomplete) toolkit is still with the car.

Lifting up the carpets anywhere in this car reveals…nothing to worry about.

Although few old Jaguars outside of a museum will ever be totally continent when it comes to fluids, there’s a pleasing dryness about the undersides of this one.

The underbonnet area is functional, tidy, clean and original. The engine block is not the one that originally powered the car away from the factory gates. This 3.8 unit is actually from a Jaguar Mk 10.

Under the vendor’s watch the car has had the cylinder head and carburettors rebuilt, with new camshafts and valves. He has also replaced the wiring loom and the brake servo, fitted new handbrake pads and had the undersides Waxoyled.

There is no service book with the car, but it does have some bills, invoices and old MoTs. It also comes with its original handbook, a small library or relevant books and publications, and two boxes of spare parts.

The car 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 opportunity. The cost of an MoT certificate 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.

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 maintained to a very good standard.

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.

All in all, we think this is a highly desirable car in impressive cosmetic condition for its age and with solid, properly fettled mechanicals that should keep it honest and enjoyable for a good few years yet.

It’s not perfect. Nothing is. But it’s infinitely nearer to Morse’s cossetted and cherished example than it is to Withnail’s basket-case scrapper.

What’s more, it drives superbly and could easily be used a daily driver by anyone so inclined.

We think it’s a thing of beauty and a pure joy to behold and drive.

What’s not to like?

We’re happy to offer this vehicle for auction with no reserve and an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £35,000.

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’.