Jaguars prowl towards Sandown Park
An impressive pack of Jaguars will slink into Sandown Park for Barons’ annual Jaguar Heritage sale on April 19th.
Headlining the event are an immaculate, concours-condition 1948 3.5-litre drophead coupé and a truly unique 1959 MKIX 6.0 saloon which has been rebuilt at a cost of over £85,000. And this year’s auction marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic cars of all time, the E-type, so, fittingly, there are also some fine examples of this legendary model.
Headliners
The outstanding 1948 3.5-litre drophead coupé has been the subject of a meticulous, nut and bolt restoration. To confirm the quality of the work, the car comes with official concours score sheets from the Jaguar Clubs of North America, where it consistently scored over 99.5 points with a best score of 99.82. This translates into a near perfect car, for concours purposes. Estimate - £95,000-£125,000.
The 1959 MKIX 6.0 saloon is also something rather special. In 1997 the vendor commissioned the Swedish Jaguar modifier Bertil Backstrom to work on the car. The body and chassis were restored, the running gear was adapted from XJ40 and every aspect of the ride, handling and braking were brought up to modern standards. The car received a custom wiring loom to accommodate the modern electronics, which includes sat nav, CD stacker, DVD player, power seats, power windows, central locking, air conditioning alarm and immobiliser. The clocks were built into a special veneered panel, screened behind Perspex, and sit in the centre of the matching dash above a row of toggle switches. A V12 6.0 XJRS engine was fitted, complete with the GM400 auto transmission, which required a special front subframe. The finished article is a fabulous piece of engineering, which took almost 10 years and absorbed over £85,000. Estimate - £50,000 – £60,000.
E-types go under the hammer
To date five E-type roadsters have been entered– just in time for the warmer weather. The bright red 1973 V12 S3 is in superb condition (£38,000-£45,000), as is the white 1975 V12 S3 - registered on August 1st of that year, KYS 870P is one of the last E-types. It has had just two former keepers and has less than 34,000 miles on the clock (£41,000-£45,000). Primrose is a colour that suits E-type roadsters very well, and fans of this particular hue have two to choose from: a 1974 S3 V12 (£25,000-£35,000) and a 1970 S2 (£24,000-28,000).
Fixed head coupé E-types also have loyal fans, and Barons has one with a glamorous history. The very fine, light blue 1969 S2 was first owned by the famous 1960s model Karen Young, who was featured with her Jaguar in the June 1970 issue of Motor magazine (a copy of which is supplied with the car). Ms Young laid the car up in the 1980s, finally selling it in 2004 when it had covered circa 25,000 miles from new. Since then it has been restored at a cost of almost £50,000. This included a bare-metal repaint and full mechanical rebuild. Only the leather interior was left alone, in order to preserve the marvelous patina. Estimate - £26,000-£30,000.
Another of the fixed head coupés on offer has spent the past 21 years in dehumidified storage. Finished in British Racing Green, the automatic V12 is reported to have covered a little over 36,000 miles from new. In 1990 it was put into storage and since then it has been run regularly but over low mileages. It is only coming out of storage for the sale. The valuable registration number 15 FCR is included with the car, which offers exceptional value for money at £12,000-£15,000.
There is also a fine 1969 S2 FHC in a most unusual colour. The vendor recently obtained a Jaguar Heritage Certificate, which shows that the car was specified new in Rolls Royce Pearl Black Metallic. This was a special order specification, making it very rare, and the Jaguar clubs do not appear to know of any other in the same finish. Estimate - £23,000-£27,000.
There’s also a fine example of the ‘family man’s’ E-type, a 1969 S2 4.2 2+2. It sits on chrome wire wheels, is equipped with a Webasto style sunroof, and is offered complete with the original owner's manual, service booklet, sales and service location booklet, radio and instructions and the original cigarette lighter, which still works. Estimate - £16,500-£18,000.
The sale features ‘big cats’ for all tastes and budgets, including a 'timewarp' 1989 XJS coupe which is reported to have covered just 19,800 miles from new (£6,800-£7,500), and a fine selection of MKIIs. Other models include a highly original 1968 420G which has been in the same ownership for 39 years (£6,500-£8,500).
Other marques are also available…
Recognising that enthusiasts also appreciate other marques as well, Barons has some fine alternatives to Jaguars in the classic and sports car section of the sale. These include a handsome 1993 Aston Martin Virage Volante. Appropriately registered K12 AML, it comes with a portfolio of bills which detail a recent engine rebuild by Oselli just 550 miles ago for an eye-watering cost of £22,595! Estimate - £28,000-£34,000.
Other notable entries include the splendid 1996 Bentley Continental R (£25,000-£28,000), and a recently-completed, beautifully built Pilgrim AC Cobra replica, which has covered no miles at all (£18,000-£24,000). A full list of entries can be found here.
To consign a Jaguar or other classic or sports car to the April 19th auction, or to be kept informed about entries as they are confirmed, visit barons-auctions.com.
