Parked For 30 Years: 1965 Jaguar XKE Roadster

I admit it. The sight of a Jaguar XKE Roadster is enough to make me turn weak at the knees. While our feature car isn’t the ultimate version of the XKE, it is a highly desirable 1965 Series 1 Roadster. The owner unearthed it hidden away in a shed, a spot that he had occupied for thirty years. When he dragged it out into the light of day, he discovered a structurally sound vehicle that should make a straightforward restoration project. He has coaxed its engine back to life, so the buyer might choose to return it to a roadworthy state and retain it as a survivor. If you find this XKE too hard to resist, you will find it located in Pasadena, California, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set a sale price of $79,500 for this beautiful British gem.

The seller acknowledges that a previous owner treated this Jaguar to a repaint in its original shade of Cream many years ago. This would almost certainly have been before they placed the car into storage, meaning that more than three decades have passed since this occurred. While it appears that it retains a reasonable shine, there are enough visible flaws and defects to easily justify a cosmetic refresh. It looks like there might also be a few minor bruises on the panels, but there’s nothing that I would class as horrendous. They should be pretty straightforward to address, giving a solid and straight base over which to apply a fresh coat of Cream. The owner doesn’t mention any rust issues in his listing, and there is nothing visible in the supplied photos. The usually prone areas like the rockers and the rear valance look clean, and given that this car has spent its life in California, that opens the possibility that it may be completely rust-free. If this proves to be the case, that has the potential to mean that this should be a relatively easy restoration. The Black soft-top looks like it would respond well to a thorough clean, although the back window is cloudy. Some of the plated trim pieces would benefit from a trip to the platers as part of a high-quality restoration, while the beautiful wire wheels would benefit from similar attention.

While early examples of the XKE featured a 3.8-liter motor under the hood, the company increased the capacity to 4.2-liters in October of 1964. I previously mentioned the ultimate version of the XKE, and that honor falls to the 3.8-equipped examples. Those are the cars that command the highest prices in today’s classic market. Our 4.2-liter DOHC powerhouse churned out 266hp that found its way to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. Carrying a mere 2,756lbs, that power was enough to propel the XKE through the ¼ mile in 14.6 seconds before winding its way to 147mph. The seller admits that while the engine block of this Jag isn’t original, the cylinder heads and rest of the drivetrain is numbers-matching. He fitted a new fuel pump and performed some basic maintenance, and that glorious six roared back into life on an external fuel source. That doesn’t mean that this classic is road-ready, but it does indicate that it could be in mechanically good health. If that’s the case, the buyer could return it to a roadworthy state and drive it as a survivor.

This Jaguar’s interior is a mixed bag for potential buyers. The seller indicates that it was partially restored by the previous owner when they performed the repaint. Some aspects of the interior seem pretty serviceable, while others will require attention. The seat upholstery looks like it would respond well to some conditioning and may need no further attention. The upholstery on the doors is wrinkled, and I’m unsure whether an experienced hand could stretch this into shape. The carpet is also faded, while the dash shows some deterioration. If a buyer seeks perfection, they could perform a complete re-trim. Kits are readily available in the correct materials and colors, but this will add somewhere around $10,000 to the restoration. However, when you consider the potential value of this classic, it could be money well spent. I’ve always felt that one of the defining features of a classic British sports car is a dash loaded with toggle switches. While Jaguar would eventually change the switches on the XKE to comply with evolving design and safety regulations, this car is early enough to feature a wide array of the more desirable toggles. The wheel wears an aftermarket wrap, and the original radio has made way for a radio/cassette player, but there appear to be no other additions to this interior.

The 1965 Jaguar XKE Roadster is a thing of beauty. The XKE is widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful production cars ever built. They continue to command significant attention today, both on the street and in the classic market. The owner boldly claims that this car has the potential to be worth somewhere around $225,000 once restored, and that is plausible. However, it is more likely that fully restored to a pristine state, the price could be closer to $150,000. That figure still doesn’t represent loose change, but when you look at the work required and the seller’s asking price, it leaves a lot of room to move on restoration before its financial viability comes into question. That makes it a project worthy of serious consideration.