Jaguar MkII | PH Private Area
It's not long now till Jag's new EV four-door era; time to revisit the original hero - in 260hp Coombes spec
We aren’t far away from knowing what the production version of Jaguar’s 1,000hp super GT will be called. We knew from the debut of the concept that it wouldn’t be Type 00 for the real thing, but there’s really been no hint at all about what badge the latest Jaguar will wear. Should it break with tradition, as so much of the car has, to reflect a bold new start? Or would a name that evokes an illustrious past make it appear part of the family?
Whatever Type 00 becomes, it’s worth remembering just how simple Jaguar’s naming strategy has often been. XJ worked on the flagship four-door for 50 years, after all; C-, D-, E- and F-Type were hugely more evocative sports cars than their fairly prosaic names. Then was the original super-saloon: the MkII. Many cars have had the term affixed to their second generation, but there’s only one car that can ever claim to be just the MkII. Still probably Jaguar’s most famous four-door 60 years later, the MkII really was the saloon for everybody. It made a good touring car, it made a good getaway car, it made a good car to chase the getaway car… Anything and everything a great saloon car should do, the MkII did with aplomb. A starring role in Morse did its popularity no harm. That and Mitsuoka’s hot washed take at about the same time…
In the 2020s, as for a while really, it’s easy to see the appeal of a MkII as a classic Jag purchase. Clearly it isn’t as glamorous or as recognisable as an E-Type, but you do still get the XK straight six at a fraction of the price. Their enduring popularity means specialist knowledge abounds. And it’s always going to look like a Jag, even to those born half a century later.
This one is more interesting than most, a MkII hot rod that promises a heck of a lot of fun. The 3.8 is said to be built to Coombes spec, so it benefits from a polished and ported head, a spicier cam, bigger carbs and plenty more of the good stuff for 260hp. With a lightened flywheel and modified gearbox as well, that famous engine should really zing through the revs.
Additionally, this car gets a lower ride height courtesy of a Harvey Bailey handling kit and competition-spec alloy wheels. So this MkII pulls off a neat trick; on initial inspection it looks like any other, until that more assertive stance hints at something more potent. And on top of all that, it just looks like a really nice old Jag. Good paint, good interior, good history, all the things that are nice to see when taking on a 64-year-old car. But as the advert suggests, this is very much an old car to be driven, not just shown at the local village fete. Given the spec, that would surely be an absolute privilege.
The asking price is £37,500, actually towards the lower end of MkII values on PH - anything up to £60k is being asked for restored examples. But with the manual, with the uprated 3.8 and with the chassis upgrades, this looks like the MkII that’ll really show an iconic Jag off to its fullest. Maybe the new EV should just be a Jaguar MkIII…
"Coombes"
"Competition-spec alloy wheels"
Sack the sub-editor, Pistonheads.
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