Morse Jag sold for £100k+
Famous Mk.II exceeds estimates
Image courtesy www.morsejaguar.com
The Jaguar 2.4-litre, six-cylinder vehicle became synonymous with the Inspector Morse TV series, exceeded its estimate as the auction winner plonked down between £120,000 and £150,000 in a sealed bid contest.
Buyer Ian Berg said he was "pleased that something so iconic would now remain in the UK. This Jaguar has become a real favourite with the great British public and deserves to be seen and appreciated by all – not locked away in a collector's garage." He plans to show it at events and shows in the UK.
A similar Jaguar would today normally sell for about £10,000. Since John Thaw's death in 2002, however, the car's value rocketed. Yet in 1959, when it was first sold, the car cost £1,534. The Jaguar appeared in all 33 episodes of Inspector Morse when it ran from 1987-2000.
History
The car had been stored in a West Yorkshire warehouse and was sold by chartered surveyors Walker Singleton. The company's sales manager Howard Eastwood said: "Interest in the car has been extraordinary, reflective of the high affection and recognition the car has, not just in the UK, but around the world."
In May 2002, the car underwent a "nut and bolt restoration" costing over £100,000, transforming it from the unreliable car that Morse actor John Thaw described as "a beggar to drive", into near-mint condition.
In addition, the restorers' notes prior to the job said that: "Although the Inspector Morse Jaguar was driveable when it was delivered to us and it looked reasonably presentable it was in fact in very poor condition. The bodywork had been patched and cosmetically enhanced with liberal amounts of plastic filler three quarters of an inch thick in places! Mechanically the car was tired out with the majority of components in need of replacement or overhaul."
for an old 2.4 very basic model, even if it is the Morse car that's a hell of a lot for the car. Although I see it was given a good restoration a few years back after it had been used in Morse. Wasn't it given away as a prize in a newspaper at some point? 
cerbman said:
Especially when you consider that the car was never right, the MK2 never had a roof like the Morse car.
No Jag Mk II left the factory with a vinyl roof. It became a popular add-on though after BL and Ford started to add it to their premium editions in 70's.
I knew it was a dog during the Morse years but they didn't have time to restore it. I always thought it looked rough. The guy who bought it obviously wasn't buying a car - just a piece of sentimental history.
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