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Preservation Grade: 1968 Jaguar XKE Roadster

It is astonishing to see once special cars abandoned to neglect, but it is even more amazing to find ones which have been so well cared for by their owners that they look like new after forty or fifty years. This 1968 Jaguar XKE is one of those cars. With just one owner and only 46k miles on the odometer, this is the one to get if you are looking for an original E-Type.

The exterior does look stunning in this light shade of green. It is called “Willow Green” and is claimed to be “mostly” original without any crash damage. We assume that means there has been some touch-up done here and there. We did spot a little corrosion forming on the underside of the doors though which is very common because the drain holes can get clogged trapping moisture. The next owner will want to get that treated right away to prevent any further rust and to maintain this car’s survivor status.

The 4.2 liter inline six looks just as good as the outside. No obvious issues here and the sale includes a stack of maintenance records to prove it. This engine was good for 265 horsepower when new and they were all feed through an all-synchromesh four-speed gear box. This combination made for a good looking car which was also good to drive.

There is plenty of wear on the driver’s seat to prove our point. We miss the toggle switches of the earlier dash, but this interior has nothing to be ashamed of. We would want to replace the seat foam and see if an upholstery shop could rough the leather up a little to match the passenger side. There isn’t anything better than slouching down into a nicely worn leather bucket seat.

This Roadster has been well cared for its whole life and we hope the next owner will appreciate its originality enough to keep it as such. The $68k asking price may eliminate most buyers who might be likely to let it fall into neglect, but you never know. We have seen more expensive cars fall into disrepair after a short amount of time because of careless owners. If you think you have what it takes to keep this preservation grade investment in tip top shape, then you can contact the guys over at Fantasy Junction.

Comments

  1. Avatar paul

    SWEET at any price!

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  2. Avatar Robert Janca

    What a find! One of my favorite cars for sure.

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    • Avatar Robert Janca

      I’m going to go have a look at it next week. I love working down the street from this place!

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  3. Avatar Jimbosidecar

    $68K is pretty expensive for this car. It’s a 68; not a 67 which would be worth closer to what the seller is asking (2 carbs instead of 3 and rocker switches instead of toggles)

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  4. Avatar scot c

    ~ i like it. maybe find good black or tan seats while you genetically engineer a breed of Willow Green bovines.

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  5. Avatar MarkS

    In 1979 I bought a 1970 willow green XKE very similar to that one. Mine is a series II, that one is a series 1 1/2. the interior kit is still available and I changed mine to black. I still own the car after 33 years and only 51,000 miles.

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  6. Avatar Britdick

    Interesting car, it’s a very late series 1 which would make it a ’67, has the recessed headlamps (also late ’67) but smogged-out Stromberg carbs of a ’68, dropping the BHP to 245. Note the lack of side marker lamps that were required on all ’68 and newer cars in the US. Could it be a Canadian import? Regardless, it will make a new owner quite happy.

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    • Avatar paul

      If this car was Canadian then the speedo would be in kilometers, also the front corner lamps were amber & odd about the lack of side markers??? Still very nice.

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      • Avatar Chris

        Canada didn’t go metric until the 70s so the speedo on this car would be in miles per hour

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  7. Avatar Britdick

    Yes, Mark S is correct, it is a series 1 1/2, I’d forgotten about that designation. Seems to me that one could find variations of that vintage as they tooled up for the series ll.

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  8. Avatar Stewart

    Cheap for an S1.5 roadster, pity about the strangled engine though

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  9. Avatar Sam

    The color is delightful, a nice alternative to the oft-seen British racing green

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  10. Avatar Stu

    Wow, a stunner. Fix the rust on the doors, and rebuild the driver’s seat and drive.
    What is purpose of the 1/4 inch headphone jack to the left of the speedometer?

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  11. Avatar FRED

    I’M WITH STU THE GUY ABOVE ME.FIX THE LITTLE BIT OF RUST,REDO THE SEAT AND DRIVE AND SHOW IT. THE NEW OWNER IS A VERY LUCKY PERSON ….IF THEY TAKE CARE OF IT LIKE THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID..

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  12. Avatar Gene Poor

    I owned a similar 69 E type in the same color. Bought it new for 5200.00. Loved it! Owned it for three years and sold it to a friend. He had it for a few years and sold it to someone in Detroit. It came back into our area and I almost bought it back for 10k. I have had dozens of sports cars and still hold the E as the best adventure in just pure sexiness and cool drivability. Nothing ever came close! If i could find someone to follow me around when it breaks down – I’d buy another one.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Curtis

    Stu, That is not a headphone jack. It is the headlight dip switch.

    Like 0

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