- Seller: David B (Contact)
- Location: Gales Ferry, Connecticut
- Mileage: 50,000 Shown
- Chassis #: P216417BW
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 3.8-Liter DOHC Inline-6
- Transmission: 3-Speed Automatic
Some classics are worth a closer look than others. Take this 1961 Jaguar 3.8 Mk 2 Saloon as a prime example. It has belonged to passionate enthusiasts of the British marque from within the same family since 1969. Naturally, that means that it has been maintained by people who know the product, ensuring that all work was performed to a high standard. Sadly, the owner’s recent passing means the Mk 2 must head to a new home. Therefore, the seller has listed the Jaguar exclusively with us at Barn Finds, priced at $32,500.
Jaguar introduced the Mk 2 in 1959 as its mid-sized luxury model. Featuring styling that has become iconic, the Mk 2’s performance certainly met the company’s marketing slogan of “Grace…Space…Pace.” This Mk 2 left the Coventry factory in 1961 and was purchased by an eighteen-year-old lady in 1969. She and her husband joined the Jaguar Club of Southern New England shortly after. They remained active members until he passed away approximately fifteen years ago, with his widow later marrying another club member. They have both since passed away, leading to the Mk 2 hitting the market. The owners had the Jaguar repainted in its original shade of Cotswold Blue approximately a decade ago, and it still looks good. The seller states that close inspection will reveal minor chips and nicks, consistent with the paint’s age. Otherwise, from five feet, it looks like an extremely tidy, driver-grade vehicle. The image gallery contains several underside shots, confirming the car’s rust-free status. The trim looks excellent for its age, and the glass is clear.
The Mk 2 might seem like a relatively conservative vehicle, but it is a steel fist clad in a silk glove. Its 3.8-liter DOHC six-cylinder engine produces 220hp and 245 ft/lbs of torque, feeding to the limited-slip rear end via a three-speed automatic transmission. The company equipped the Mk 2 with four-wheel disc brakes, providing exceptional stopping power. Jaguar quoted a top speed of 120mph for these cars in automatic form, and several contemporary motoring reports confirmed that figure. The seller says that the owners replaced this car’s engine block approximately fifteen years ago, but fitted the original motor’s high-compression cylinder head. It has always been meticulously maintained, and the sale includes over $70,000 in receipts, a full set of Service Manuals, and a selection of spare parts. The driver can slip behind the wheel, tap the gas pedal a couple of times, and the motor springs instantly into life. The car runs and drives perfectly, and is a turnkey proposition for its new owner.
With leather upholstery and acres of walnut trim, this Jaguar’s interior is a thing of absolute beauty. The late owners performed a retrim in the correct Red leather only a few years ago. There is no wear visible in the supplied images, only the wrinkles of gracefully aging leather. The timber is excellent, and the carpet is spotless. It carries the hallmarks of a classic that has always been treated respectfully, and should remain stunning for decades if the buyer continues to do so. The interior features its correct push-button radio, and with such plush trim, every journey would feel like a special occasion.
This 1961 Jaguar 3.8 Mk 2 Saloon is a gorgeous vehicle that has obviously been a cherished possession of its passionate owners for over five decades. It needs nothing and is ideal for enthusiasts seeking a turnkey British classic perfectly combining a luxurious motoring experience with surprising performance. Jaguar designed the Mk 2 to turn heads, and this Saloon can still do so sixty-five years after rolling off the showroom floor. It is worth scrolling through the image gallery, because you will struggle to find anything to criticize. That may lead you to approach the seller, and I will understand if you do.
What a beautiful car, and with ironclad provenance. Love the blue over red, very 1960ās. I know people say it all the time, but if it were closer and I could inspect it in person and not have to pay $$$ to move it from the Connecticut, I would be very, very tempted. And Iām not even a Jaguar guy.
I think I’ve posted this before. My wife and I like to watch British TV and one show we really enjoyed was the Inspector Morse series. And of course, his car all throughout the entire series, His MK II Jag. These are just beautiful cars and to find one like this with a known 57 year history is icing on the cake. I’m right with Euromoto about the blue and red interior combination. Absolutely beautiful.
By mistake I wrote Detective, its supposed to be INSPECTOR Morse… What was I thinking? At least I got the photo right.
You could have typed DCI Morse, and would not have dropped a brick. Am I the only one who heard Barrington Pheloung’s theme from INSPECTOR MORSE whilst reading this article and discreetly salivating over the photos?
R.I.P. Colin Dexter, John Thaw,
and Barrington Pheloung.
John Thaw was an amazing actor. He very sadly died too soon.
Great post, Driveinstile.
The show affected me a bit, to be honest. There is a (to me) an air of sadness to the show and to the Inspector Morse character. I love the show, and I do love his Jag, though, and I love this one, though I wasn’t aware they were bringing this kind of money.
GLWTS
I agree, his life was his job. And even though he could be grumpy and a little hard on Inspector Lewis, we all knew he cared about him and liked him very deeply.
Nice car! I hope it sells before the Type 01 destroys whatever brand equity Jaguar has left.
Excellent write up of a fabulous automobile. Well done, sir.
Howdy everyone!
Another beauty that I have the honor of representing.
This one means a bit more than others as I was close to the owner, as a fellow Jaguar Club of Southern New England member, he and I were often at the same gatherings and he was often at my own garage when I hosted tech sessions there.
Thanks for the great write up Adam.
It hits all the marks … š
If you have any questions or would like to see several hundred more photos and video please feel free to reach out.
Thank you!
AutoArcheologist, its a very, very beautiful car.
Thank you šš¼
Nice example! Would love it if it were a stick. I have no interest in an automatic in one of these classics!!
Any Jaguar with an automatic (except the Jaguords) is sacrilege!
Make cars beautiful again.
Make automobiles beautiful again. MABA
I saw one of these being driven as intended a couple of years ago; coming to an uphill turn, change down, down, right foot down hard, tyres chirp, car vanishes! It was a dull dark green with matching painted wires – as is right and proper! Nice cars, but I’m not into automatics.
These are indeed lovely. The engine compartment always looks crammed compared to an E-type.
These may cost less, but the repair costs must be about the same as an E-Type.
I was taking videos of cars not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. One of them was this lovely Jaguar. Sadly, the owner of that one has passed away too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9dFN5tH13o
Plus one on Morse and his MK2. In recent years I have drifted over to preferring the look of the MK1-totally subjective, I know-maybe it’s the Mike Hawthorne connection. I prefer manuals, but I wouldn’t turn away an automatic (after a thorough inspection). My use case would mostly be highway driving, anyway. A long distance cruise in one of these (manual or not) would be a real pleasure!
Tapping the gas pedal does nothing for SU carbs.
These are iconic cars, beloved of saloon car racers and bank-robbers too! but if I were going to shop for one, it’d have to be a stick-shift.
yes, as noted, no accelerator pumps on SUs so tapping the pedal has no effect – just a regular manual choke button which drops the jets in relation to the tapered needles…. works well (ironically, when Leyland/Austin Rover did fit automatic choke mechanisms to SU carbs in much later years as they imagined that consumers didn’t want to have to suffer the complication of operating the choke on cold starts – they were notoriously unreliable and many people retrofitted manual choke kits !)
A real Jaguar with the proper toggle switches and not rocker switches.