1965 Jaguar MKII 3.8 Overdrive

1965 Jaguar Mark 2 3.8

A South African Jaguar Club car with 44 years of one-family ownership

Some cars are bought. Others are promised to yourself long before you ever own them.

In the early 1960s, a schoolboy in Rhodesia was offered a lift by his maths teacher in a Jaguar Mark 2. It was only a short drive from the swimming pool and squash courts back to the boarding houses, but it was enough. Within a few hundred yards, the decision was made. One day, he would own one.

That day came in September 1980. Now married with two children, he was driving home from work when he spotted a white Jaguar Mark 2 parked against the fence of a used car lot. He stopped, looked at it through the fence, and the next day drove her home.

She has been with him ever since. Built in Coventry, England in late 1964, this Jaguar was exported to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and first registered in 1965. From there, her life carried on through Lesotho, Johannesburg, family weddings, club events, concours lawns, and decades of careful ownership.

Shortly after purchase, the car was converted to negative earth and fitted with an alternator in place of the original generator. The original generator and electrical parts remain with the car, should the next custodian wish to return her to original specification. During the owner’s time in Maseru, Lesotho, the engine received attention and was overhauled by Ladybrand Motor Engineering, just across the South African border. Later, after moving to Johannesburg, the Jaguar became part of family life and was often used as a wedding car.

In preparation for a family wedding in the year 2000, the car was repainted and re-upholstered. Those are still the clothes she wears today.

The owner joined the Jaguar Club of South Africa in 1990 and has attended many club events over the years. The car also competed at Concours, where she won the “Tops Only” section four times.

Today, this Jaguar remains in full working order. The overdrive works, the car is used fairly regularly, and she comes with a Jaguar workshop manual, original owner’s handbook, original purchase invoice, and documentation for work carried out over the years. This is not just another classic saloon. It is a long-loved Jaguar Mark 2 with a known story, proper club history, and the kind of ownership timeline collectors respect.