When it comes to classic Jaguars, there’s almost a boredom that sets in with regards to the models you’re apt to find lingering in barns and sheds. Almost always, the E-Type pops up as the usual suspect, followed by the XKs and of course, the always not-running XJS. This is a rare find, however, with a 1965 Jaguar Mark X, or Mark 10, appearing for sale as a highly original specimen requiring restoration. The seller has listed it here on Facebook Marketplace for $19,500 in Paducah, Kentucky. When’s the last time you saw a long wheelbase model like this hiding out in a barn?
The Mark 10 was Jaguar’s flagship for many years, later known as the 420G. This was a seriously cool car, featuring striking bodywork, a cavernous interior, and the 3.8-litre, triple carb’d mill lifted from the contemporary E-Type. Jaguar had big plans for this model, as most manufacturers do with flagship cars, but it didn’t achieve the lofty goals the company set forth. It was a bit of a swing and a miss, as Jaguar certainly put all of its weight behind it. While the S-Type tends to get all the love in terms of being the most desirable of the vintage Jaguar sedan, I’d go for a Mark X in a heartbeat.
One of my personal favorite features of a vintage or project car is a sports car engine dropped into a sedan. That’s a lot of the motivation behind diving into my most recent project, which I’ll unveil soon, as it features the drivetrain from a Supra dropped into a plain-jane vanilla sedan. Seeing the E-Type engine in a four door just feels right, and while this big body sedan will never be a handler, the Mark X did come standard with an independent rear suspension (ironically, much like the project car I’m about to dig into). Even cooler? You could specify a manual transmission if you wanted to make it even more of a Q-ship.
The seller claims the bodywork is in good shape, and at least with what we can see in the photos, there’s little reason to dispute him. The chrome even looks surprisingly nice, and according to the description, it comes with every piece of its original exterior adornments. To me, that indicates the Jaguar was disassembled at one point in time, as most sellers only mention this if it looks like some pieces have been removed. The listing also claims the cardinal red leather interior remains in excellent condition, and what a pretty color combo that must have been when it was showroom new. It still can be, with the appropriate amount of TLC. Would you restore this rare Mark 10?
A co-worker of my Dad’s had one of these in black.
Drop dead gorgeous car!A drunk driver rear-ended it,&
totaled it.
I’d give it a 500hp dual motor EV conversion….aggressive stance..fatter custom wheels that maintain the vibe of the era.
I think you’re getting confused with this statement…” While the S-Type tends to get all the love in terms of being the most desirable of the vintage Jaguar sedan” – do you mean the stubby tailed MkII ? That’s the one with the saloon-car racing heritage. The S-type is one of the least sought after, was a bit of an odd duck styling wise with the front end like the old MkII but the tail more like the 420 and MkX style to accommodate the new independent rear suspension.
Totally agree – Mk II all the way. The S gets zero love from me – and most Jag enthusiasts. Mk II prices are always about double an S, all else being equal.
while being the “ugly duck” as said, it was the hotrod between the two. Front had the Mk2 styling, butt was the bulbous MkX/420 styling. BUT, underneath was the E Type independent rear suspension that gave the car excellent handling. Problem was, it weighed about 300lbs more than the Mk2 because of the rear end which makes them a bit more tail happy than a 2. Still a very balanced car tho.
I absolutely love the look of this model. I looked at one for sale about 9 years ago in great condition, they sure seemed to have gone up a bit in value since then. But IMO nothing beats the style, prestige and comfort of a Series 1 Daimler while you are stuck on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck.
Now Jaguar purist please don’t roast me here. I just think that 3/4 view somewhat resembles what a stretched Henry J sedan they never made might have looked like. I realize the cars are in two totally different leagues.
These are rare because they were a very hard sell when new. Used prices tanked when the XJ6 began arriving in 1969/70. A lot of these were scrapped when the oceans of leather got nasty, and the 3 SU carbs were used on Stromberg equipped XKE’s
The BorgWarner three speed auto really hurts performance, but could easily be replaced with a TH 350.
Louisville KY Craigslist has a 420G which is a similar car with a new name for asking price $10,000. Claims much money was spent on a previous restoration.
But thats RHD in Kentucky. Those are ca 1/2 cheaper than LHD, you can find quite a lot of LHD in a good shape (UK, AU) and if youre lucky, you can buy a nice piece in UK auction for ca 8000 pounds. But its true, that this advertised piece is oveprized a lot. My guess is 10-15.000 USD will be apropriate, depends on a reall overall condition. But for 20.000,- USD, you can buy a realy nice drivable car, not a barfind….
I always loved these because when I was a kid I had a matchbox one that had crystals for headlights. I still have it.
it was unloved back then, but I think it’s uber-cool. I dream of dropping a V12 in one of these.
and this is a car that seems to be so wide that I wonder if four people can comfortably sit in the rear seat.
MkX’s were used as the testbed for the V12 so its a fairly straight forward swap.
These were the largest cars produced in the UK at the time. Re the Mk 2 vs S Type, the S has the independent rear which makes it a better driver than the Mk2 and I believe the 420 is better again.
No interior shots. It’s up on a rack, but no pics of the underside. What a shame.
$19+k is a bit optimistic me thinks. A fairly nice RHD example was available locally about a year ago for $1,400. Sat for a few months on CL even at that price. I almost went and bought it just to get it off the listing.
I have a 65 MKX grdB limo – served the British Embassy in DC from 65 to 69. Have the logs and all related paperwork as well including her HMS logbook. Wonderful car to drive even if it is a tank.
If the interior is good, these are so fantastic.If it’s a mess it’s incredibly expensive to get right. The wood is unbelievable. Nice cruising !