1964 Jaguar MK2 2.4

In the care of the vendor since 2007, this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on a well-maintained, presentable Jaguar MKII for a very reasonable price.

Yes, its white and has been used as a very occasional wedding car in the last couple of years, just to friends of the family, but is that such a bad thing? When you think it through it’s going to have been kept in tiptop condition, isn’t it; after all, no-one is going to risk leaving a bride in tears at the side of the road as they watch the AA tow her wedding car away, are they?

Mechanically good with lots of recent works, the need for some ongoing minor cosmetic refurbishment means that this should be an affordable and safe way into classic Jaguar ownership; the work that needs doing looks to be relatively straightforward and limited in scope, making it the ideal project for the enthusiastic DIYer who is keen to add value to their classic car while still being able to enjoy it in the coming months and years.

The first thing that struck us when we reviewed the photos is the quality of the panel fit and finish; British cars of this period weren’t known for their laser-like gaps but this one is very good indeed. Makes us think that it has been restored at some point, and done properly at that.

And the panels themselves are in great shape, with no real dents, dings or other damage. Even looking down the flanks, often a classic car’s Achilles’ heel, reveals straight panels without the ripples that many pick up over the years.

The Old English White paint is in decent shape, too; further proof, if further proof were needed, that whoever restored the old girl back in the day really knew their stuff. Sure, there is the odd stone chip and knock, and it is starting to crack in places, but there’s nothing there that we would bother addressing at this stage bar a small area of rust at the base of the driver’s door.

Plus, the colour means that localised repairs would be easy, so you could work your way round the car doing a panel at a time as time and funds allow.

The chromework is good, with only minor pitting; we think a day’s-worth of elbow grease and a hefty application of Autosol would bring them back up very nicely.

The wire wheels are in great shape too, and we can’t see the need for any work there at all. They’re shod with matching tyres too, all of which have plenty of tread.

As we will never tyre 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 red leather seats are beautifully patinated, having developed real character over the past five decades. Like a photograph of an elderly Greek fisherman, every crease and wrinkle tells a story and it would be sacrilege to have them recovered. By all means clean and feed them (and recolour them if you must) but please leave the original leather as a tribute to those who have gone before.

We’d forgive you getting them re-stuffed too as they’re a bit more squidgy than the factory intended but then this is a high-days-and-holidays car, so making them a bit firmer is definitely a nice-to-do job rather than an essential one.

The red leather door cards are a real feature, being as beautifully finished as they are stylish; they’re so good that we suspect they’ve been restored or replaced at some point as well. The wooden veneer is suspiciously good too, so while it probably isn’t the same stuff it left the factory with the bright side is that this is one less job for you to do.

The carpets are in great shape, and the headlining is clean and tidy and looks to be droop-free (a life goal there for us all, eh?). The sun visors are a bit grubby but they look like they should clean up with only minimal effort.

The rest of the interior has the imposing-but-luxurious feel that only old Jaguars, Bentleys and Rolls-Royces have (including those lovely little picnic tables on the back of the front seats) and all in all it’s a delightful place to be; we can see why the rest of the world looks to the Brits for inspiration when they want to inject some pomp and circumstance into their posh car interiors.

The boot is huge, and would take about £10m in used notes or a couple of dead bodies with ease. Vinyl-lined, it is more utilitarian than the cabin but that does mean it should be easy to hose out afterwards; after all, no point in making the Old Bill’s life too easy, is there? It’s solid too, which is way more important than the aesthetics when you’re looking at putting your hard-earned into a MKII Jag.

Work to do includes some fettling of the door and window rubbers, tidying some of the underdash trim, and sourcing a more discreet radio.

The engine bay is very tidy and clean, and while there is the odd rusty bracket under there, that could almost be seen as a good thing as it’ll give you an excuse to pop into the garage for a few evenings to sort them out…

The underside looks to be straight and solid - the jacking points look great, which is always a good indicator - and it is all well protected by a decent coat of underseal. However, this has started to peel off in a couple of places, so another day or so invested would reap dividends in the coming years.

The starting battery looks to be newish, as does the exhaust. Other recent work includes reaffixing the anti-roll bar, getting the heater to work, sorting out a misfire and a sticky throttle, fixing the wipers, rev counter, speedometer, fuel warning light, and ignition switch, reaffixing a loose door trim, tidying up the centre glove box, making a new fuse box cover, stopping a coolant leak, cleaning the leather seats, popping on a new boot trim rubber, and reassuring the owner that the whining Moss transmission can be chalked down to ‘character’ rather than a fault. It changes gear very well so there is no urgent issue

All-in-all, the result was a set of hefty bills over the past year or so but the work has sorted out the few niggles that all old cars accrue over time. There are plenty of bills for servicing and repair work over a longer period, too.

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.

Work still to do includes identifying and fixing the oil leak the MOT tester identified, and replacing the rear shock absorber bushes and the front wheel bearings on both sides. Easy jobs in other words, and well within the capabilities of the home mechanic.

Having been looked after by a marque specialist, this lovely old Jaguar even comes with its original warranty paperwork dated 3rd of February 1965 and period Jaguar Drivers’ Club literature.

The even better news is that the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s mileage. Having the confidence supplied by an MOT until November next year, the advisories are the usual mishmash that afflicts almost every classic car of this period and there is nothing there that would cause us even a moment’s hesitation.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage on every car – then please contact the owner to arrange an appointment.

This is a reliable and solid car, albeit one that would benefit from a programme of rolling restoration. The work that does need doing could be easily accomplished on a DIY basis in the knowledge that every little job is adding value to the finished car.

Some of you might remember the red Jaguar MKII 2.4-litre car we sold a few months ago. Well, this one is from the same classic-car-garage vendor, and we’re sure he won’t mind us telling you that this one is in even better condition that his other one was; when quizzed, he told us that this one has significantly better paintwork and a nicer interior, which is good to hear.

This history allows for a direct comparison, which makes valuing it a bit easier than usual; Old English White is a safe colour and one that is easy to colour match if and when you need to make localised repairs.

The red one sold for £8,800, which makes our estimate of between £9,500 and £13,000 for this example seem like good value, especially when you consider how much more you’d need to find to get behind the wheel of the 3.4-litre or 3.8-litre car that everyone thinks they want; even the 2.4-litre gives sprightly performance and, let’s face it, you’re not going to be using it as a getaway car, are you?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Netheravon in Wiltshire; 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’.

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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply.