Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Jag has, according to its seller, been sitting in storage since 1985, meaning it will take some work to bring it back to life. Let’s see if we should be sitting on its price.
The honor for the creation of the world’s first factory pickup—as well as coining the term “pickup”—goes to the Ford Motor Company, which in 1925 introduced a Model T derivation with a so-called pickup bed in the back. That model traded a back seat for bed space, meaning it only offered room for two. This limitation was solved with the introduction of “crew cab” trucks, models that split space between the bed and an elongated cab that affords two rows of seating.
The 1991 Volkswagen T3 Doka we looked at last Friday was just such a model, not only evidenced by its three-door cab but acknowledged by the Doka name, a shortened version of “Dopplekabin,” the German word for double cab. Unfortunately for its seller, you all considered our Doka to be more crude than crew, which made the $16,000 asking price unpalatable for most. Ultimately, that came up way short with an 85% No Dice loss.
Enzo’s envy
There’s no argument that Enzo Ferrari is a very influential individual in both the automotive industry and auto racing. Just look at the Movie “Ford vs. Ferrari” as evidence. On second thought, don’t look at that, as its interpretation of historical events is wildly inaccurate.
The thing is, Ferrari’s decisions in racing, his road cars, and how he ran his company were also influenced by others. If tractor-builder Ferruccio Lamborghini hadn’t introduced a grand touring car with a four-cam V12 and independent suspension in 1965, Ferrari probably wouldn’t have been forced to move beyond two-cam engines and leaf-sprung live axles on its road cars until much later than it did.
It wasn’t just home-grown competition either. The story goes that upon its unveiling at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, Enzo Ferrari begrudgingly claimed the Jaguar XKE to be “l’auto più bella mai realizzata“—the most beautiful car ever made. Admittedly, there’s no documented history of how Jag’s XKE influenced Ferrari’s road cars. Still, the performance of the six-cylinder Jag being comparable to that of a V12 Ferrari GT at only a third of the cost must have caused il Commendatore more than a few sleepless nights.
Series II
Jaguar was in its prime in the 1960s. The XKE in coupe and convertible form proved to be an instant hit, while the company’s saloon cars enjoyed healthy sales influenced by the halo effect the sports cars imbued. The XKE’s racing heritage didn’t hurt either. The car’s front-mid-engine semi-monocoque layout was derived from the Le Mans-winning D-Type and was one of the most advanced designs on the market. The car carried through for 13 model years and three distinct generations until it was replaced by the underwhelming XJ-S in 1975.
This 1969 XKE (or E-Type, to us Yanks) is a Series 2 car. The notable factors that make that evident include the raised, coverless headlamps, below-the-bumper rear lights, and the dashboard rocker switches, which replaced the earlier editions’ toggles. These features and more were required for the car to meet the increasingly strict U.S. safety regulations, but to simplify production most were adopted for all models regardless of where they were sold.
One big change for the U.S. edition, not adopted elsewhere, was the switch from an intake featuring triple SU carburetors to one saddled with a pair of Zenith Stromberg carbs. That dropped the 4.2-liter DOHC six’s output from 265 horsepower and 283 lb-ft of torque to 246 horses and 263 lb-ft.
Well rested
According to its ad, the original owner of this Sable over black leather FHC two-seater purchased it new, but in later years suffered health issues that made getting in and out of the low and lithe car too difficult. Because of that, they parked it for good in 1985. That was apparently an inside job since there seems to be no evidence of the car sitting fallow, save for some crumbling rubber trim and the license tag in the back that expired in August of 1985.
At present, that means the car is now a non-runner, but it is remarkably complete and in really decent shape for its age and lack of attention. Obviously, any new owner will need to go through the car, replacing fluids and anything made of rubber. Additionally, the engine shouldn’t even be turned by hand until some lubricant is dribbled down each cylinder in an attempt to free up the rings. It might be a good idea to replace that weird coil with a more-original one, too. Still, none of that work seems overly daunting for someone willing to take on the mantle of Jag ownership.
Aesthetically, it seems solid as well. The seller says there is a bit of rust in the driver’s floorboard but calls it “No big deal,” so it’s not like someone could Fred Flintstone the car. There are a modest 87,000 miles on the clock, and it comes with wonderful wire wheels (and their Un-Do tool) and a clean title.
Here, kitty, kitty
When it comes to E-Types, prices can be all over the place. The rarest of the rare, flat-floor Series 1 cars, or the handful of alloy-bodied cars, can go for hundreds of thousands of dollars each. This one, in what even the seller admits to be a common color combo and the later, less powerful U.S. form, asks a mere fraction of that, at $32,500. Yes, this car will require some sleeve-rolling and some spanner-wrenching, but actually, that sounds like a lot of fun.
What do you think about this Jag and that $32,500 price tag? Does that seem like a fair deal for the opportunity to wake up Rip-Van Kitty? Or is that too much for a car with so many unknowns?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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