1961 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 Saloon (Automatic)

The Jaguar Legacy Collection.

A carefully collated collection of landmark sporting Jaguars from the past 65 years, each one bringing something special, museum quality, very low mileage, value for money motoring or some simply being the 'best of breed'.

Rarely do cars given a facelift look as good as the models they were intended to replace, but with the Mk2, Jaguar put paid to that particular theory. Unveiled in October 1959, the second generation of Jaguar’s Sports Saloon was altogether more modern and stylish with a brighter interior and balanced looks that most of us still admire. The 3.4 and 3.8-litre were the 'super-saloons' of their day, with the 3.8 being the fastest saloon in the world at the time. The Jaguar Mk2 saloon was voted 'Car of the Year' when launched in 1959 and would form the mainstay of Jaguar's saloon production until 1967.

Underneath its sculpted coachwork, the Mk2 boasted advanced engineering for its time. It sported coil and wishbone independent front suspension, a leaf-sprung Salisbury rear axle and servo-assisted four-wheel disc brakes. The range-topping 3.8 model was particularly remarkable, delivering nearly seven times the horsepower of a contemporary Mini 850 with a top speed of 126mph. Inside, the Mk2 pampered its occupants with a truly iconic automotive interior where elegant instrumentation, rich wood veneers and sumptuous leather upholstery combined to cocoon passengers in luxury and style.

Manual gearbox examples of the Mk2 have commanded significant premiums over the smooth automatic for some time and consequently few good two-pedal cars have survived. Today, they provide the older classic enthusiast with an easier ownership experience, helped by the power steering and without the need to operate a, possibly quite heavy, clutch. A bit less sporting perhaps but offering stylish touring and, in most cases, better value for money.

Finished in Royal Ivory with a dark red leather interior matched to beautifully worked wooden veneers, this lovely example was first registered on 20th March 1961 to the first of five former keepers, practically an owner per decade since production.

The history file shows thousands of pounds worth of restoration, maintenance and mechanical receipts over the years, with marque specialists, David Manners Ltd, appearing frequently. It’s a testament to the previous ownership that an insurance valuation of £38,000 from 2017 illustrates the quality of the earlier restoration and subsequent maintenance. It’s supplied with maintenance handbooks etc. and previous sales information from 2002 and 2017 includes some details of previous owners and their timeline.

Today the car presents very well, with an odometer reading of 73,930 miles, at the time of cataloguing and is keenly estimated for serious attention.