Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a 1960 Jaguar Mark II 3.8L
Sports Sedan with an upgraded and desirable 3.8L engine matched to
a very desirable 4 speed manual transmission with Overdrive!This
particular model was fitted with rare factory options including the
very desirable 4 speed manual transmission with overdrive, power
steering, fog lights, radio and matching steel wheels and the car
still has its original spare wheel and jack located in their
original storage compartments in the trunk.Please note that the car
was restored and had a rebuilt 3.8L engine and transmission
installed in 8/2020 at 'British Motor Service Inc' of Orange, CA
with receipts totaling over $20K in the build after the car had
been sitting for many years. Work included the following:Replace
all 5 tires with radialsRemove Engine amp; Trans and replace with
rebuilt 3.8L engineReplace fuel pump, clean carbs, tune
engine,Repair throttle shaft bearingsRebuild amp; Install rear
brake pads, flex lines amp; rotorsReplace rear KYB shock
absorbersReplace brake servo system unit with new modified
systemReplace oil pressure sender, brake light switch, windshield
washer, windshield wiper motor, bonnet release cableheadlamp
switch, all wiring for auxillary driving lamps, replace door
weather strips,Remove dash for wood repair and refinishingInstall
disc brake kitReplace front amp; rear exhaust manifoldsReplace
radiator support bushingsInstall rear disc brakesReplace brake
master cylinderReplace rear engine mountReplace choke switchReplace
brake calipers amp; bridge pipes amp; padsReplace clutch master
cylinderReplace batteryReplace brake servoReplace fuel tankReplace
fuel filter, sending unit, air filter amp; assemblyReplace steering
wheel amp; horn ringFront end alignmentRepair amp; refinish dash
panel and all 4 doorsTotal cost $19,496.40 The interior of the Mark
II boasted bucket seats in front with traditional English fold-down
tea trays in their rears. The fascia was neatly arranged with
instrumentation right in front of the driver with a row of
secondary gauges and toggle switches lined up impressively in the
leather grained center of the dash and the 4 speed manual
transmission was installed on the center console. The Mark II was
discontinued in September 1967We recently purchased the car from
its long time southern California owner with the car having been
reportedly always been garaged and so rare for these cars it has
absolutely no history of any rust and no signs of any accidents but
certainly with some minor imperfections in its striking 'Willow
Green' color paint but boasting a very nice 'Tan' color interior
with the burled walnut interior showing extremely well - not a
concourse example for sure and with some paint imperfections etc,
but a true always garaged survivor boasting true pride of ownership
since new!The car was restored mechanically at a cost of almost
$20K with an upgraded top-of-the-line date correct 3.8L engine and
obviously now drives very well and extremely rare for one of these
cars with the Moss manual gearbox correctly selecting all the
gears, including reverse, which as any enthusiast will confirm is a
lottery in most unrestored or original Moss transmissions, which
generally need a sympathetic and experienced hand to avoid wrong
slotting!The Jaguar Mark 2 (II) is a sports sedan which was built
from the years 1959 to 1967 by Jaguar in Coventry, England as a
successor to the Jaguar 2.4L and 3.4L models which were
manufactured between 1957 and 1959. These earlier models later
became known as the Jaguar Mark I following the release of the Mark
II in 1959.The Mark II is a beautiful, fast and legendary sports
saloon, or sedan as referred to in the U.S. and it came with a
120HP 2.4 L engine, 210HP 3.4 L engine or a 220HP 3.8 L Jaguar XK
engine similar to the Series I XKE or E-Type having the same block,
crank, connecting rods and pistons but different inlet manifold and
carbs, with only two SU's instead of three SU's as on the E-Type in
Europe and therefore 30HP less. The head of the six-cylinder engine
in the Mark II had curved ports compared to the straight ports of
the E-Type configuration and both the 3.4 and 3.8L cars were fitted
with twin SU HD6 carbs.Nevertheless the performance of these small,
sharp, tight sedans was nothing less than legendary with the Mark 2
gaining a reputation as a capable get away car amongst criminals
and law enforcement alike with the 3.8 L model being particularly
fast with its 220 HP engine driving the car from 0-60 mph in under
8.5 seconds and with a top speed of 125 mph, making it faster than
80% of all other contemporary two seater sports cars and with the
car still having enough room for five adults! They were employed by
the British Police to patrol the British motorways (Freeways!)The
Mark 2's body lines, derived from the Mark 1, proved sufficiently
popular over time to provide an inspiration for the Jaguar S-Type
introduced in 1999. The original S-Type has always proved less
fashionable or desirable and consequently less valuable than the
Mark II and therefore less have survived or been restored.Certain
milestone cars not only epitomize their genre or era, they create
them. So it was with the Jaguar Mark II, the quintessential sports
sedan. The Mark I had been launched in 1955 to cater to what Sir
William Lyons, known with affection as 'Mr Jaguar' and the
co-founder of 'Jaguar Cars Limited', identified as the 'Sporting
Compact Market'. He figured that there was a demand between the
larger and more excessive Mark VII sedan and the XK140 fixed-head
coupe or roadster and he was right!Demand for power in the Mark II
increased the engine size in the new models from 2.4L to 3.4L and
eventually to the awesome 3.8L engine which was the same 'B' head
model as the Mark IX producing 220HP instead of the even faster
straight port three carb version fitted to the new XK150S with
265HP and later fitted to the XKE or E-Type in 1961. With gorgeous
styling to match its performance the model was an instant hit.The
car boasted polished burl walnut trim and fragrant leather
upholstery and luxurious wool carpeting and an enlarged glass area
- particularly the side windows which lost the thicker pillars of
the Mark I and a new wraparound rear window enhanced both
visibility and aesthetics no end. The rear wheel skirts became
cutaway spats and the grille was revised with an enlarged center
rib housing the flashy Jaguar badge! As before a large leaping
Jaguar mascot adorned the hood. Lighting was improved with
sidelights atop the front fenders and larger tail-lights were at
the rear.With a selling price well into the range of a new Cadillac
sedan in the U.S., the Mk II was an affluent car to own and Mark
II's acquitted themselves in saloon car racing almost uncontested,
true to Jaguar's formidable racing heritage, until the Americans
led by Dan Gurney and Jack Sears brought their massive Chevy Impala
and Ford Galaxie V8's over to Europe. The Mark II became renown as
a real driver's car which explains its popularity as a Police car
and its reputation as a getaway car in numerous film and TV
stories! With most of these cars having been neglected over the
years or rusted beyond repair to find an example like this one is
most certainly a rare find.Such elegance, luxury, power and pace -
the Mark II is more than just the greatest Jaguar sedan ever built,
its probably the greatest British sports sedan ever built!This is
obviously an extremely rare opportunity to own a very rare mostly
all original surviving example with a full mechanical restoration
of this 1960 Jaguar Mark II with the most powerful and recently
rebuilt 3.8L engine and with the desirable 4 speed manual
transmission - a perfect addition to any British car collection or
an obvious choice for the Jaguar enthusiast!