The discovery of a long-dormant classic car likely stirs immediate emotions of both joy and excitement. It’s hard not to be affected by such a find, as it could represent a unique opportunity to bring home a car that’s long been on your bucket list but otherwise out of reach, or perhaps a chance to successfully flip a car for a respectable profit. Whatever the scenario, it’s happened more times than I can count where the original projections of opportunity almost always simmer down to more realistic expectations, which are typically not as rosey. The seller of this stately 1967 Jaguar 420G sedan is listing it on behalf of the owner and seems confident he’ll get his $18,000 asking price as that is a firm number. Do you think he’ll find a buyer at that price point? Find the Jaguar here on Facebook Marketplace in Murrieta, California.
The 420G was a top-of-the-line model for Jaguar way back in the day, and is closely related to the Mark X. It was believed that the model would be a home run for Jaguar, as it combined both the state elegance that car shoppers had come to expect from Jaguar with a host of technical innovations that made this model a pioneer in ways that are still relevant today. For example, it offered an independent rear suspension, a feature you simply didn’t see in full-size luxury models like this. These were also known for being both wide and powerful, with an impressive stance and originally fitted with the 3.8-liter inline-six lifted straight from the exotic E-Type. This later car features the larger 4.2-liter version of that engine, paired to a Borg-Warner automatic transmission.
Now, the seller is not incorrect in looking for a strong number for this powerful sedan, but my personal feeling is the market is slightly cool to the 420G and Mark X. While special cars with impressive engineering, it’s not necessarily a slam dunk to proceed with a lengthy restoration of a car like this, unlike for an E-Type where you can justify the expense if it’s the right model with the right equipment. That being said, production was fairly limited for a mainstream sedan, so they don’t pop up for sale often. This one hasn’t been driven in 25 years, so it will need everything – do you think it’s a worthwhile project?
One of the best looking Jags.
A friend of my Father’s had one of these
in Black,that was in near perfect shape.
It got totaled by a drunk driver who rear-
ended it.
Love the 420G but this seller is going to have to put a little more effort into it if he is going to get that kind of money. Like pull it out of the garage, hose it off (or don’t), open the hood and trunk, show the interior…use a few more words in the description…
What a beast! At the time it was the widest bodied British car ever made. At 6″1″ wide, many carried scars from owners failing to appreciate that fact on the UK’s narrow roads. I would love to be the next owner of this magnificent machine.
Verily, these things are enormous, though the curvaceous styling helps visually tone down that impression somewhat, along with a roofline relatively low for its length — barely a couple inches taller than a classic XJ6 but roughly a foot longer in wheelbase and overall, and a half-foot wider.
Jaguar did the right thing market-wise when they replaced both the Mark X/420G and the Mark 2/S-type/420 (surprisingly compact if you’ve never stood next to one) with the new XJ6, neatly splitting the size difference between them and serving them well for the next 20-plus years.
Nice car, but given all the work it’s going to need–and just how expensive redoing all the wood is–the price will have to come down.
Wood! What about the wiring…probably has knob/tube wiring while the “Big3” were already using transistors.
You can see the beauty of this car peeking out from the dust. $10 to $12 m might be realistic with a good detail and engine not being stuck.
It was listed 18 weeks ago, so it’s apparently overpriced.
I used my brothers a lot and have fond memories of the back seat and rest of the interior! Inside and the ride quality are what this car is all about.
It is thick metal and lots of it. The gas pedal was hard to push down and the auto shifted quickly to get to third as I remember. Heavy and slow. It’s probably the most dead smooth ride I’ve driven along with old Packards.
The mechanical issues were many with the 2 gas tanks and head gasket being the most memorable. The bar is very useful if you get stuck.
It is a money pit which would be OK if it was worth it and a lot more info and inspection is needed before any value can be estimated.
The car looks rust free but it is hard to tell for sure from these pictures. At one time people thought these cars were very complicated but these days anyone with reasonable mechanical skills can refurbish these cars quite easily. You’d have to do the work yourself to make the purchase worthwhile. The asking price might be too high if a lot of work is needed. It all depends on the condition when the car sees the light of day and a bit of soapy water.
What year was it they started putting GM transmission from the factory in these? Then people started dropping 350’s in them to get a dependable car. I’m thinking who ever posted the add for the seller was told I want $1800 for it and you can keep what ever you get over that.
Troy – they never did. MkX/420 used the BW-8. It wasn’t till the XJ-S that the TH400 was behind the V12.
Troy: the Jaguar 4.2 is a VERY DEPENDABLE engine. Being fairly exotic, it has to be SERVICED regularly according to the owner’s manual…and by a qualified mechanic who knows what to do…not some kid in a service station who only knows how to dabble in V-8s. Jay Leno–who knows a thing or two about cars–says that the Jaguar powerplant is “bulletproof”, and that it is “the English small-block Chevy”. My ’69 E Type has the 4.2, is serviced BY THE BOOK, and after 53 years it hasn’t ever been rebuilt (30 thou. original miles). It still yields 165 lbs/in compression (what it had when new in ’69!!), has no leaks or problems, and has very recently had its first tappet job (as the manual says to do it every 30 thou. miles). This is what you can expect from a Jaguar after 53 years–if all the owners were mature and did maintenance by the book. People who don’t and just run the hell out of the car get oil leaks, clanging sounds and huge bills. Would you treat a classic Ferrari–say a 250 GTO–like a VW Beetle?…
Happy New Year!
I am trying to see this in person as I only live an hour and a half away. I hate Facebook and all that sail in her so it appears that you have to have an account to contact the seller. Does anyone know if there is another way to contact the broker? Thank you.
Great car, but it won’t sell until the price is under $10k in today’s market. Even then, it would be a labor of love, not a profit generating project.
Having owned both MK10 and a 420G, I can attest to what impressive cars these are. $18k for a long dormant car is a pipe dream at best IMHO. I guess you can ask whatever you want when it’s yours but I suspect you’d be hard pressed to get that kind of money even if you could drive it home.
I have a 65 MkX with considerable documented history as an ex DC embassy car. I’d be lucky to get his asking price for mine. While its not a “one too many zero’s” thing, I’d say a realistic price (assuming the wood and interior are at least serviceable) would be in the ask $5,000 take $3,500 range max. Since it hasn’t run in 25 years, unless its been real dry where the car is/was, your looking at a $10,000 rebuild (if you pay a shop to do it) on the engine. Rebuilding the brakes will be a no brainer at $3,200 ((again shop price) the rear end has to drop out just like an E or any pre 92 XJ) and the brake booster unit was around $600 last time I checked – I know cuz I need one). The twin tanks/pumps are most likely rusted out (they don’t seal well) – tanks are $400 each and the pumps are $200 each.
I recall in 1964 General James Matoon Scott (Burt Lancaster who planned to overthrow the US Government in SEVEN DAYS IN MAY sitting in his Mark X listening to his plot fall apart on the radio. The car has been cut from several versions of the film, but seeing for the first time in 1964, its beauty was other worldly.
We saw a custom 420G in Britsh Columbia. I had a chat with the Fellow and was shown a complete GM drive train with crate motor. Super Cruiser!!
These are beautiful driving cars – very smooth but not floaty in an America kind of way, and dead simple to work on with a shop manual. 420G had a number of detail improvements over the mk10, although basically the same car. Price reality will come down to condition and how it was stored, if the wood and leather are good then it’ll come down to brakes / carbs / tanks and a gentle restart.
If its possible, A**Crack sellers are even lazier than Clist. maybe its like a striptease………if you want see whats really there you have to pay.
I’d rather have a’75 XJC with a sunroof.and that’s after having owned a 76 XJ6 back in the day………so I should know better. :)
truly a “I really don’t wanna sell” (dreamers: “gunna restore it” & others)
or
the opposite (uncle, father “just left it here”) nota ‘car guy’.
I went out to a sale where the guy wouldn’t even pull the healy-nash out of the storage locker. A combo of the 2 above (& some flippers) “No, I can’t tell U anything bout it. Just give me the price I ask’n get it out of here.”
-0- sales techniques often = zero sales, shame~
There were few of these because they did not sell. I remember seeing new ones sit on the lot, and sit some more. I owned the first XJ6 sold in Columbus, Ohio (when it was 13 years old), and knew the guy that sold it new. He confirmed that XJ6’s had a waiting list for years.