Description

1968 Jaguar S-Type 3.4 MOD

From a deceased estate; manual overdrive; power steering; good running order; a most attractive car all round

First registered in September 1968, this impressive Jaguar S-Type 3.4 Manual Overdrive comes to the sale from a deceased estate and, as is often the case with estate sales, the history file has sadly gone astray. The previous owner had acquired the car in 1995 and kept it until 2014 when he entered it into a Coys auction in Ascot which is where our vendor bought it.
The catalogue description at the time stated that it had been in dry storage for 15 years but had been recommissioned shortly before the auction at a cost of some £5,000 and that it came with "a sheaf of bills for past maintenance work". The catalogue also highlighted the "wonderful originality" of the car, commenting on its "excellent state of preservation" and stating that: "Shut lines and panel gaps are narrow and even, just as they left the Browns Lane factory, while the underside also looks to be in very good condition with no signs of any serious welding in the past" – all these observations holding good today.
An online MOT history check shows that the car had around 95,100 miles on the clock at the time of the Coys sale, the odometer currently showing 96,500 miles so it has done around 1,400 miles in the current ownership, the last MOT having expired in April 2018 with just a few minor avisories. A retired cabinet maker, our vendor was also a skilled car restorer with a well-equipped workshop and a collection of interesting classics (Alvis, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, SS Jaguar) many of which he had restored himself, and we are told by the family that he spent quite some time fettling the S-Type to bring it up to the standard he required.
The black paintwork has clearly been renewed at some point in the past and has been done to a high standard although it would look even better with a good machine polish as it is not quite as shiny as it looks in the photos. The chrome on the bumpers is acceptable but not perfect, as can be seen in the photos. The interior is pleasingly smart and original although there is a small tear on the backrest of the front passenger seat. It rides on a smart set of chrome wire wheels shod with quality Vredestein tyres which look virtually new, including the spare wheel in the boot.
The car has been starting promptly and driving very nicely as we have moved it around on site, with nicely weighted power steering, although we did note that the clutch pedal is slightly spongy and would benefit from bleeding/fresh hydraulic fluid. A most attractive car all round, it looks mighty tempting at the modest guide price suggested.

For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com
MODEL HISTORY
Soon after launching the gargantuan MkX in 1962, Britain’s widest ever production car, Jaguar set about preparing a model that would sit somewhere between this sybaritic juggernaut and the more compact and racier MkII. The result was the superb S-Type of 1963.
Aimed at Jaguar drivers looking for more comfort and sophistication than the Mk II could offer, the S-Type used a modified version of the MkII bodyshell: the rear section of the bodywork was restyled to emulate more closely the MkX (although obviously not as big) while at the front it was very similar to the MkII but sharpened up with thinner bumpers and more deeply recessed fog lights. The roofline was also extended to give rear passengers more headroom, and a capacious boot added.
The really big news was the adoption of Jaguar’s excellent independent rear suspension (as on the new E-Type and the MkX saloon) which not only gave far superior ride and handling to the old MkII live axle, it also offered a wider track for increased interior space. Burman power steering was now fitted as standard (but higher geared than in the MkII to reduce the lock-to-lock from 4.3 turns to 3.5) while a Powr-Lok limited slip diff was an option.
The cabin was also more luxurious with wider and more adjustable front seats, Belgian walnut veneer dash and door trimmings with a pull-out picnic tray below the centre instruments, more efficient heating and ventilation, extra arm rests and ash trays plus a host of other improvements. Under the bonnet Jaguar installed the familiar 3.4 and later the 3.8-litre XK engines, though only in twin SU HD6 carburettor form, with a choice of either manual or automatic transmission.
Less raw-edged than the sporting MkII, in 210bhp 3.4 guise the S-Type provided sparkling performance and could hit 60mph in just 10 seconds with a top speed of 124mph. It was also quicker cross country than the MkII thanks to its superior handling. Production ceased in 1968 when the superlative XJ6 arrived by which time almost 25,000 S-Types had been sold, a third of them 3.4 models.