2025-07-17 10:22:26 | pauls writes:

Car offered at:

collectingcars.com/for-sale/1965-jaguar-mkii-3-8-5

Auction description:

81,472 Miles (Indicated)

manual

RHD

Opalescent Silver

Black

3.8L Inline-Six

VIN A234322DN

Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

This Jaguar MKII 3.8 is a charismatic classic British sporting saloon, offered from long-term ownership and benefitting from a recent engine rebuild and mechanical overhaul by Jaguar Specialist Dovedale Garage at a cost of over £27,000.

Under the bonnet sits a naturally aspirated 3.8-litre inline-six, which sends its power to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission.

This example was originally a South Africa-delivered ‘CKD’ (Complete Knock-Down Kit) model, which was first registered in July 1965, and was purchased by the seller in 2010 before it was imported to the UK in 2023 when the seller moved to the country. It was then registered with the DVLA in July 2024

The car was displayed at the NEC Practical Classics & Restoration Show in March 2025 on the Jaguar Drivers’ Club stand.

The seller notes that it is a reluctant sale due to moving overseas.  

The odometer indicates 81,472 miles, which the seller believes to be accurate, though this is not warranted. 

EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES

This MKII 3.8 is finished in the timeless shade of Opalescent Silver, over a black leather-trimmed interior, featuring a beige headlining, and a wood veneer-trimmed dashboard and window surrounds. 

It rides on a set of 15-inch chrome cross-spoke wire-wheels with two-spoke knock-offs, shod in mixed tyres. 

Equipment includes a single bullet-style driver’s door mirror, a wood-rimmed Moto Lita steering wheel, a wooden gear knob, Smiths gauges, dashboard toggle switches, fold-down rear picnic tables, factory power steering, push-out front and rear quarter light windows, and heater and ventilation controls.

The headlights have been converted to LEDs. 

The car comes with a display board showing its history, a signed copy of the ‘Factory-Original Jaguar Mk1 & MkII’ hardback book, the NOVA documentation, the V5C, a Jaguar Heritage Trust Production Record Trace certificate, and all the paperwork since the car was imported to the UK, including maintenance invoices and MOT certificates. 

CONDITION

Specific notes from the seller include: there is a small dent on the bodywork at the rear of the car next to the bumper, a full body respray was carried out in the late 1980s, there are several scratches and blemishes in the paintwork on both sides of the car, seatbelts were installed in the late 1990s, and there is an age-related patina on the leather upholstery.

The seller reports that the car spent the first 58 years of its life in the driest climate in South Africa accounting for the condition of the bodyshell, and believes the interior wood-trim is original. 

The seller notes that there is a small, slow leak from the power steering system, which requires the system to be topped up every few months. 

The car’s last MOT test was conducted on 9 May 2025 at an indicated 81,426 miles, which resulted in a first-time pass with an advisory to monitor slight seepage from the steering box. 

SERVICE HISTORY

This MKII’s most recent maintenance was carried out in May 2025 at an indicated 81,415 miles by Jaguar specialist Tom Lenthall Ltd, which consisted of a check-over and inspection, the bras light switch replaced, poor wiring repairs, a second-hand upper column lower lock fitted, the track arms replaced, new upper and lower ball joints fitted, an LED headlight conversion carried out, and the brake fluid being renewed.  

Jaguar specialist David Thorpe at Dovedale Garage carried out significant recommissioning maintenance between mid-March 2023 and February 2024, which included a full engine-out rebuild and a mechanical overhaul.  

The seller notes that before the recommissioning maintenance, the car was in long-term dry storage in Johannesburg for around 13 years.