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One Is Better Than Two: 1968 Jaguar XKE

A well cared for survivor car is exciting, but even more so when it is an E-Type. Reader Mike B. just sent us the link to this 1968 Jaguar XKE which resides just four doors down from his place. He is more than willing to go take a look if anyone is interested. Someone is helping the deceased owner’s wife sell the car so they have listed it on craigslist with a price of $41k.

The seller states that they been a Jaguar club member for 30 years and that they are also a Judge for the club. This could be a good thing because they can give you an honest assessment of the car, but they also know what it is worth. They claim that the Ascot Fawn paint is original and that the car would be a good candidate for the preservation class at any concours event.

Cinnamon colored leather covers the interior surfaces and is claimed to show almost no wear. I miss the toggle switches of the earlier cars, but would probably forget all about that once I got behind the wheel and rested one hand on the wood rimmed wheel and the other on the four-speed shift knob. This car is in such good condition that few will bicker over the fact that it’s a Series 1 1/2 car. Open headlights, softer switches, and cleaner carbs started the downhill transition into the Series 2.

Jaguar’s 4.2 liter inline-six provided enough to power to hurtle these beauties to speeds of almost 150mph. That top speed could never be achieved in this car though because the triple SUs got swapped out for a pair of Zenith-Strombergs in the Series 1 1/2 cars. This one is claimed to be in good order mechanically and a dream to drive. Who goes 150 these days anyway?

Just because there is only room for two in there, that doesn’t mean you can’t haul a few things in the back. We love this functional design and wish more sports car manufactures would go back to it.

We have no doubt that this one will get wheeled into someone’s personal collection very shortly. We just hope they have the good sense to keep it as original as possible for as long as they can. They are only that way once you know… But, would it be so wrong to back-date just a couple of things?

Comments

  1. Avatar paul

    6 figure car!

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  2. Avatar Randy Rush

    Beautiful, I would love this car

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  3. Avatar Tony Drago

    I am interested in the car. How can I get in touch?

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    • Avatar Barn Finds

      Tony, if you read the post you will come across the craigslist link.

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  4. Avatar Rancho Bella

    With the “very early” E types being the ones to own, these years fall somewhere in the middle of high and low. If you check the Hagerty value guide this car is priced fairly. I do indeed like the originality. Nice to see someone hasn’t mucked about and messed it up. Do I see black plates? Indeed a nice touch.

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    • Avatar paul

      higher!

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  5. Avatar Tom Minch

    Series 1 and 1/2 are my favorite..better all around practically if you are going to use it. It also is a great original and very rare in that condition. DO NOT RESTORE a single thing on this one.

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  6. Avatar stu

    Not sure why it would have tailpipes from a Series II. The license tag is not in the way on this car. All E-types are gorgeous, Series I, II, or III. All have some attributes that are better than the others.

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  7. Avatar scot c

    ~ ‘Who goes 150 these days anyway?’ ssshhhhh, i’ll never tell.

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  8. Avatar Dolphin Member

    The car looks pretty good except for the paint color, which does nothing for the car’s lines unfortunately, and the tires, which look like they might be incorrect for the car’s needs in terms of speed rating. In fact they look like they might be truck tires.

    I have serious doubts about the listing and the accuracy and believability of some of what is said. I could be wrong, but I have never seen an E-Type with disk wheels, which makes me doubt the claim in the listing that this car’s wire wheels are options. The 4-speed manual transmission is also claimed to be an option—an option as opposed to what? No transmission? The Wikipedia entry for the Series 1 E-Type says: ” 4.2-litre cars have…..an all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox”, and that “The 2+2 offered the option of an automatic transmission.”, which is exactly as I remember it for these cars.

    I do not believe that wires or the manual transmission were options on this car. For me, that raises doubts about this “Jaguar Club of North America Judge”.

    According to the SCM Price Guide, and assuming this car is in #2 condiion, which it looks to be, the asking price is in line with the value for a ’68 Coupe, so I don’t think the asking price is far below ‘book value’ (what book?) for this car.

    I think this listing is a case of hard sell, unfortunately. Go and look at the car if you are interested, but have a trusted E-Type expert go along so you don’t have to rely on what the JC Judge says.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Horse Radish

    Stunning car, however it is still a Jaguar….

    $41k asking price.
    What mindset is behind that ?
    It is just $1000 better than a $40k car , or it is not quite 45 ???
    Or is it a $40 k car but asking 41 gives it some wiggle room.
    I don’t get this.

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    • Avatar Charles Henry Pospisil

      I’ve been in the business for 45 years at British Motors in CT, and know that it’s not a conv but to find one with no rust in the one piece tub is what you want in a JAGUAR!! My advise to stop the sale on craigslist and put it up on auction and see where it goes!! Also call dealers or prominent Jag establishments to see if they want to buy it. If the bottom is as clean as the top shes selling too low. Go for it!!!

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      • Avatar paul

        I am with Charles, go find a 6 E type original & unrusty very clean interior, as for the tires being wrong that’s what a tire store is for & no they didn’t offer these in auto & the solid wheels came later.

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      • Avatar paul

        as for the inacuracys, the owner has died & some one is helping them get rid of it & that someone, probably has his facts a little off, so what.

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  10. Avatar FRED

    MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR IN GREENWOOD LAKE NEW YORK HAS ONE OF THESE IN HIS GARAGE THAT IS GREEN AND HAS BEEN THERE A LOT LONGER THAN I HAVE BEEN HIS NEIGHBOR.I HAVE TRIED TO GET IT FROM HIM SINCE 1998 WHEN I MOVED IN.I TOLD HIM I WOULD DREDGE THE LAKE IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE TO 20FT. LIKE I DID IN FRONT OF AND ON THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE AND PUT IN A NEW RETAINING WALL IN EXCHANGE FOR THE CAR.ONE HELL OF A DEAL FOR HIM BUT HE ALWAYS SAID HE WAS GOING TO BRING IT BACK TO LIFE ONE DAY YET IT STILL SITS COLLECTING MORE DUST EACH YEAR.MAYBE ONE DAY YOU GUYS FROM BARN FINDS WILL SHOW UP AND TALK HIM INTO DOING THE RIGHT THING WITH IT BEFORE IT ENDS UP IN THE HANDS OF A PROBATE JUDGE WHEN HE DIES AS HE HAS NO FAMILY TO LEAVE IT TO..KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK I ENJOY ALL THAT YOU FIND.

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  11. Avatar twwokc1

    Nit pick all you want..don’t touch a thing on this beauty!

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  12. Avatar Dolphin Member

    Enzo Ferrari called the E-Type “The most beautiful car in the world”. And he knew something about beautiful cars. When I’ve driven Series 1 E-Types I’ve been impressed by the smooth straight-6 engine, the looong first gear—-and the engine torque to handle it, and the exotic look and feel of the car. But there can be issues……

    Peter Egan owned them and wrote about them in his column. He had to replace a clutch in one, and to do that the engine had to come out. For that to happen most of the bolted-on stuff on the engine had to come off first to allow the engine to clear the front space frame. And once you R&R the clutch you will want to go easy on it because it’s not that strong, and you don’t want to go through the R&R process too many times or your ownership experience will tank. Egan spoke about how expensive it was for owners to have a clutch job done and how many of these cars ended up being sold cheap to techs because the owners didn’t want to spend a large chunk of the car’s value just to have the clutch replaced.

    I once checked out an E-type out for a lady friend. She brought it to me only after she had paid for it, unfortunately. It had a slipping cliutch and very low oil pressure, so I advised her to take it back to the dealer she bought it from. The dealership did take it back, but they kept a chunk of her money. Shame on you, XXXXX XXXXX (name deleted to protect the guilty—NOT a Jag dealer, BTW). This was some decades before anyone ever spoke the words “Used car buyer protection law”.

    These are wonderful looking cars, but they are really hand-built exotics, and unfortunately they can be harsh mistresses. From the photos this car seems to have been kept well, but get a thorough PPI done by a genuine E-Type expert. It will be the best—and cheapest—insurance you can buy for these cars.

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    • Avatar paul

      The faster way to take a jag motor out is raise the cowl high enough to sneak the engine out of the bottom. I knew a Jag shop owner who had a huge wheeled A frame, he would drop the whole unit on a dolly & slide the body off & away, saw him do it many times.

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  13. Avatar Dave

    Funny…what goes 150 MPH any more? My 2006 Dodge SRT-10 RAM. and it weighs 5600lbs. And its american SMILE SMIRK!

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  14. Avatar Horse Radish

    @ fReD

    thEre is A liTtLe bUtTOn wItH tHE lABel “Caps Lock” on ThE rIghThAndSidE Of YoUR keYbOaRd.

    PuSh tHaT aNd YoU wIlL bE FrEe oF tHe cUrSE oF ScREmInG ALL tHE tIMe….

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    • Avatar paul

      At it again Radish, I’ll bet your an English teacher.

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      • Avatar Horse Radish

        My hearing is just now recovering from fReD’s screaming bout.

        If you don’t TRY to communicate effectively how would you be understood correctly, unless, of course, you don’t care to be understood.
        Sorry, but no. I teach, but not English, Sports instructor.
        I take that as a compliment, although, Paul, you may have hated your English-teacher (?)
        English is my second language……
        Le francais, je me débrouille
        Yo habla un pocito espagnol.
        Sadly, my Portuguese is all gone….

        Sorry, off topic, but there is nothing bad to write about this Jaguar XKE.
        It’s perfect in my eyes, would love to have it, but cannot afford it.

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      • Avatar paul

        I captn., am with you all the way. Hated my English teacher & wish I could afford this E type!

        Like 0
  15. Avatar Rancho Bella

    Radishman,
    dat’s funny. fRed must be really mad……………

    Like 0

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