2023-07-03 13:10:51 | pauls writes:

Car offered at:

www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1965-jaguar-mk2-38-automatic-8qPA54

Seller's description:

1965 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 Automatic

Colour Black

Odometer 3,906 Miles

Engine size 3800

Seller Type Trade

Town Barcalona

Country Spain

Very solid and presentable LHD Mk2 with the powerful 3.8 XK engine

One of the most beautiful saloon cars of all time and highly practical too

Factory fitted power steering and automatic gearbox make driving this great car more relaxing

ITV certificate to March 2024

First registered on 1st January 1965

Jaguar chassis records indicate that this car was built towards the end of 1964

Chassis plate confirms:

P prefix: equipped with power steering from the factory

BW suffix: Borg Warner automatic gearbox option

LE engine prefix: 3.8 litre model

S body prefix: 3.8 litre model 

At the time of writing we did not have visibility of this car’s history or service records

Spanish vehicle registration certificate included showing chassis number and registration date

The Interior

Black trim with red piping theme carried throughout and in very good condition 

Black leather seats in very good condition, just light creasing and patination visible

Door cards and wood cappings in excellent condition with complete and good condition chrome fittings

Extensive wood veneer dashboard in excellent condition with no deterioration immediately visible

Standard picnic tables fitted to rear of front seats with working latches

Seatbelts fitted front and rear for up to four people

Black carpets in good condition with rubber protective over mats

Boot vinyl covering present but showing some light stains, likely easily rectified with a good valet

Original radio, steering wheel - with light crack on the rim - and what appears to be the original factory fabric headlining

Jack in boot

Before the Mk2 Jaguar was known for its sports cars and big executive saloons. The Mk2 was designed to be a smaller, volume-orientated model, but Jaguar didn’t cut corners when it came to the interior. Step inside this beautiful car and you are presented with arguably one of the loveliest interiors of any British saloon car.

It is all about the wood veneers and leather, of which there is a lot. The gorgeous wood veneer dashboard on this car is in excellent condition, with its centrally located Smiths auxiliary dials and starter button. 

The door cards and seats are trimmed in black with red piping - we suspect this is a later retrim rather than factory supplied. They are all in very good condition, the seats showing light creasing and patination that simply adds character to this nearly 60 year old car. The door cappings and chrome fittings are complete and in very good condition.

It is a pleasingly original interior with what appears to be the factory supplied fabric headlining in place, a period correct radio and the vast factory-fitted two spoke wheel. This car has the useful factory option of power steering which makes these big, heavy cars much easier to manoeuvre. 

The boot vinyl covering appears to be original and has some stains but appears complete and undamaged. 

The Exterior 

Dark blue paintwork appears to be Jaguar Indigo Blue and in very good condition with only very minor signs of use

Stylish whitewall tyres

Original factory wide rear spats

15inch chrome wire wheels in good condition

Car sits level along its length and across its width with even spacing of the rear axle between the arches

Unusual visage with vents rather than often-fitted additional driving lights

Tinted glass all round adds to the stylish effect of this dark blue car

Chrome around the car appears to be original and is complete and in good condition

Good front and rear bumpers with no signs of damage to the over riders

The beautiful Mk2 is an unmistakable shape and arguably one of the prettiest of the glutch of 1960s saloons. With its larger glass house and wider rear track it cleverly updated the aesthetics of the original Mk1.

This 1965 car has the larger front and rear bumpers and appears to be finished in Jaguar Indigo Blue. The paintwork is in very good condition so has either held up extremely well from new or is a later respray. There are a few very minor signs of use around the car and visible in the photographs, including a chip on the offside of the scuttle where it meets the bonnet, a small chip on the front edge of the bonnet and small scuffs and chips on each of the arches.

The car sits level along its length and across its width with an evenly spaced rear axle between the wider factory-fitted spats. It is fitted with tinted glass and attractive whitewall tyres on chrome rims, all of which complete the impression of a very stylish and carefully maintained car.

The underside of the car reflects the bodywork with no issues to report. The car has a ITV valid until March 2024. 

The Mechanics 

Chassis records confirm that this is a factory 3.8litre car

Fitted with the optional Borg Warner three speed automatic gearbox with column shift

Factory fitted with optional power steering system

Unfortunately at the time of writing we did not have access to the service or maintenance records of this car

Very durable XK engine with presentable engine bay

Polished cam covers

Radiator expansion tank modification 

Evidence of some recent rewiring and refitting in the engine bay

Developed for Le Mans then dropped into the Mk2, Jaguar’s remarkable XK engine in 3.8 form made its compact saloon a proper four-door sports car. Good for over 200bhp and with acceleration that can still bother modern saloon cars, the Mk2 is a hugely rewarding car to drive.

The P prefix and BW suffix on this car’s chassis plate confirm that it left the factory equipped with two options that make piloting one of these cars more relaxing and effortless - power steering and a Borg Warner automatic gearbox. 

At the time of writing we did not have access to the service and maintenance records for this car. However an inspection of the engine bay photographs indicates new wiring and recent ancillaries. The XK engine is a very durable unit with easy parts supply.