When the Jaguar Mark I was introduced in 1955 it was a huge step forward for the British manufacturer. In addition to their first entry in a while to the smaller saloon market, with technical advancements based on the sporting 120/140/C & D-types the XK-engined sedan was both fast and smooth for its time. This 1959 model “trailer find” ™ is listed for sale here on craigslist with an initial price of $5,750. It is located in Scappoose, Oregon.
What’s a “trailer find”, you ask? A car where the flipper hasn’t even bothered to take the car off the trailer before taking the pictures to sell the car. Nonetheless, let’s take a closer look at this big cat, which has traveled a long way from the Hix Green dealership in Atlanta to Scappose. By the way, after looking at Hix Green’s Jr.’s obituary, the dealership originally sold Rolls Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Austin Healey, Jaguar, Saab, Alfa-Romeo, and Jeeps in addition to Buicks, so it’s quite possible the car was purchased there new. It’s nice to see unbent bumpers and complete trim on the car. However, rust is the single most important thing to look for on older Jaguars–and there’s some there. Is it too much? Let’s check it out further.
As you can see from this picture, the rocker panels are going to need some work. Unfortunately, that may mean some other vulnerable parts under the car are even rustier. I would definitely recommend a pre-purchase inspection before plunking down cash on this car. However, the driving experience from ‘motoring’ in one of these cars can astound even the most doubtful driver. With “grace, space and pace” as the old ads state, the Mark I and its successors Mark II, S-Type, 240, 340 and Daimler 2.5 V8 are truly elegant touring cars that must be experienced to be appreciated!
You can see the rust a little better from this photo. Again, I’m encouraged by how straight the car is, and the seller claims that the floors are solid. It does look like replacement sill panels are available at a little over $250 each. I’m probably lucky this one is too far for me to consider (and my shop is too full already)!
It’s good to see the wood still in place; for some reason, many older Jaguar sedan projects are sold with instruments hanging out of where the dash used to be. I’d much rather start with a complete car like this one. Unfortunately, there are no engine pictures to show you, but the seller has included in the ad that the 3.4 liter XK inline-six runs well despite needing carb cleaning and fuel tank work. We’re also told that the windshield is broken, which while available is pretty expensive. Do you think the view from that windshield as you whooshed down the road would be worth the climb of refurbishment? Let us know in the comments if you have any Jaguar saloon memories!
Could’ve knocked me over with a feather when I saw this headline. I’m about 8 miles from Scappoose. It’s more than a wide spot in the road, but not by much.
You didn’t by chance contact the guy? The Craigslist post is gone, I don’t want the car but I’m wondering if the seller is named Keith? This regards an Aston Martin that disappeared in Scappoose about 16 – 17 years ago. Also about this time my ex-wife was principal of Scappoose High School and caused a bit of a stink when she would drive my Ferrari to school. We lived in Columbia City.
Hix Green also sold Bitters, fancy Ferrari-looking body on an Opel chassis and running gear.
Looks about like the one I put a 350 Chevy V-8 into in ’72. Mine was in better shape body and interior wise except for
the area from the doors forward was damaged in an electrical fire that made
everything in that area all but useless.
Throw in a total lack of replacement parts, and I knew right then and there I was screwed. The only thing that mitigated that fact was I got it free from
a friend of Dad’s who owned a car lot and
wanted it gone. When all was said and done, I had a really nice English sedan that didn’t break down every 5 minutes.
It surprises me that the car came from
the Atlanta area as many southerners
wouldn’t buy a car like this because parts
for import cars are almost impossible to
get down here. Here in Polk County Florida, a friend of mine had to wait 3 months to get a water pump for his ’91
Chrysler New Yorker sedan. And that
was in 2006! If it doesn’t say Ford or Chevy on it, you gotta scrap it.
We converted a 1959 from automatic to stick in one weekend. The repair manual states that the engine is removed by dropping the front subframe and suspension. We had no way to dot that, so the engine came out the top at at a very steep angle.
I replaced a clutch in a 1958 or 1959 by cutting out the transmission tunnel and welding it back in. Otherwise the labor costs would have totaled the car
These rotted out seriously!
I once owned a mark VI with the same engine and transmission. I was astonished at the power from this six, even in a much heavier body.
Surprisingly, those big MKVI and MKVII were actually not all that heavy.
MKVII’s for sure were often seen being flogged around corners in saloon racing events.
Not without their foibles, that 3.4 motor was a pretty good powerhouse for 1949. I think the XK120 and C type used most of the same parts.
I remember driving Hix Green loaners in Drivers Ed!
Too few pictures, in my opinion; means too much to hide. The camera didn’t just break after 5 pictures. Too much effort to post a true reveal of the car? Something just doesn’t seem right. Love the cars and the style, but huh-uh.
Well it all comes down to what condition the frame and chrome is in. The interior is gone- $10K there. Wood may be salvageable. From the tail lights, it is a later 59, that’s good. The 3.4 L has plenty of pull for this car, so if compression is good, that’s in your favor. Mk 2s, upgraded from Mk1s were raced and were a favorite of criminals in the UK based on their speed and handling. There is no such thing I know of as an automatic with overdrive. Either a 3 speed bendix, or 4 speed manual with optional overdrive. No driver side pic so we can’t see if perhaps this was originally a 4 sp with overdrive switch or if seller is confusing the auto lockout switch for OD.
So, the jury is definitely out on this one without an in person inspection. Would be sad if it is scrap.
John…
Have a 1951 Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster here in Spartanburg SC that looks, runs and drives very nicely. Looking to sell or trade but really wanting to find out if any more of these cars are in our lovely state.
Sherman at 864 706 9591
My dad owned one of these, also black with a red interior, through the mid 1960’s. What follows in an account of one of his experiences with the car.
“In one of the “hollows” of which there are many in Tennessee the car really showed its mettle. On a downhill stretch of two lane I passed a semi tractor that had been particularly slow on the previous turns and apparently its driver took umbrage at my action and on the steep straight section decided to chase us. This was all well and good except on the other side of the little valley, the road took a sharp left to climb up the other side. If we didn’t turn sharp left the car would have rocks and dirt up to its back bumper! There was no oncoming traffic and I’d planned to use the whole road for the turn but entering it at about 60 I felt the front end sliding back to the right side of the road instead of biting the pavement to complete the turn. The then famous race driver Stirling Moss had road tested this very model and I’d luckily read his report. He had found the same effect and had prescribed a remedy for it. His advice was to quickly drop down a gear and floor the accelerator! I did that and was pleased to find my steering looseness gone. The front wheels bit well and we rocketed up the hill – right on track! (I’ve heard that NASCAR drivers do that today to get the front tires to bite.) The rubber smoke from the truck’s locked wheels was still in the air as he exited the turn far behind us, as I saw in my mirror! We never saw him again. In our travels, those who had never heard of or seen this model of Jaguar occasionally confused it with a Volkswagen Beetle – one or two of which they may have seen. Perhaps this confusion may have piqued the truck driver’s anger as VWs then had only 36 horsepower and would have likely slowed to a crawl on the upgrade. Thus he learned that this “Beetle” bites! We went on into a bit of North Carolina and started home.
aint you suppose to drop a gear and stand on it before the sharp turn? thats what i learned many years ago as a reckless gearheaded teen on back roads. piled a few, but pulled it off way more.
Well…being that the old man is no longer here to clarify and I can’t find Sir Moss’ review, I’m not going to comment on specifics other than to say that it seems to me that he probably went in a bit too hot and quickly figured it out with no damage done. Pops was a fair helmsman with a number of rally trophies on the shelf and no accidents of consequence in the 60 years he drove, so I’m not going to second guess him. Your mileage may vary.
definitely an auto car – NO ONE would go to the effort of installing the under-dash controller if they didn’t have to. A hole in the floor and an after-market shifter later and down the road you go. I drove a 59 3.4 4spd/OD wires car in about the same condition for 5 years back in the late 70’s. It was the only thing that would start on really cold days when we lived in Dallas back then. With all its rust it was still a joy to drive my “baby Rolls” as friends called it. Oh…it had the “competition” bucket seats as well.
REALLY cold days in Dallas are like really cold days in Surrey, that is, not so.
They were good cars, but loved and hated.
i was in Dallas one time only and for one night, 2008 the weekend after the giants beat the cowboys in the playoffs on their way to man handling the patriots i their first superbowl loss, it was 8°f. it gets cold there.
The door fits scare the H out of me! That’s a unit body and the rear suspension mounting points are very susceptible to the rust worm. Deep inspection recommended!