1966 Jaguar S-Type

“I bought the S-Type from a gentleman in Preston 11 years ago, who in turn bought it from the person who had restored it,” explains vendor, Amrik. “It’s not quite a concours example – I’d say 8.5 out of 10. As the pictures and video show, it’s a wonderful example of the model and one that has been kept in top condition since restoration”.

The Jaguar has covered 21,680 miles from new with Amrik adding less than 1500 of those. “The low mileage is genuine and there are MOT documents in the car’s history file to back it up. There are also pages and pages of information about the car and its restoration. Classic Car Weekly featured it back in 1994 as a show car that had been cherished and lovingly kept by its then owner”.

During his ownership, he has spent around £4k maintaining the vehicle. This has included fitment of a new clutch, an electronic fuel pump, as well as new HT leads, and a fresh coil and spark plugs. The front end had a re-spray with a full Waxoyl treatment applied to the bodywork and chassis. 

“The S-Type starts well, sounds great and stops very well. It has been used purely for pleasure on dry days and has always been garaged in my ownership. I am now downsizing my property and losing garage space, so unfortunately it’s time to sell”. 

The S-Type is an alluring looking classic car.

Even more so in this colour, which positively zings.

The paintwork presents nicely with a good depth to the finish. It’s not in the first flushes of youth with some small cracks, chips, grazes and the like to be found. There are also some light bubbles just below the chrome trim on the offside rear door. None however, are deal-breakers, as the overall visual package remains very pleasant. 

An invoice dated 12/06/2021 for the aforementioned front-end repair and repaint, carried out by Custom Bodywork at a cost of £700, can be found in the car’s history file. 

Brightwork is generally good, with just some light pitting in some areas, including one of the rear overriderrs. You will find some light surface rust on the front bumper where the chrome finish has been penetrated. 

The chrome wire wheels lend the Jag a proper getaway car look and remain smart. A matching spare can be found in the footwell of the boot. 

The cream leather interior provides a pleasant contrast to both the exterior paintwork and profusion of walnut veneers to be found in the cabin. The wooden dashboard itself is an impressive structure and dominates the interior; it’s in aged but pleasant condition; yes, there is a scrape and a scratch or two, but these merely lend it a lovely patina. 

The front seats are well bolstered and in good nick, although it’s clear that the driver’s has seen significantly more action than the passenger’s. The former could also benefit from a good clean. The rear seats still look to present in post-restoration condition. 

The light blue coloured carpets vary in condition with those in the rear again looking to have been used sparingly, whereas the one in the driver’s foot well has a touch more wear. 

Up top, the headlining remains clea. Door cards are good with just one or two marks, here and there. 

Of course, the best thing in here is the thick wood-rimmed steering wheel – perfect with which to manhandle this manual-gearbox endowed, 3.8-litre Jag.

As our Video Review below demonstrates, the 3.8-litre XK engine ticks over smoothly and evenly. “It runs very well but as it’s coming out its winter slumber it could probably due with a tune. The passenger side fuel tank has been disconnected since I bought the car. I’ve not had the need to use it, so I have left it as is. It could be reconnected but the driver’s side tank works fine and provides plenty of capacity for long journeys. The engine has always been run on super unleaded with fuel additives to get the best out of it”. 

The engine bay is in used condition with a touch of overspray present in the radiator. A bit of elbow grease and cleaning products could do its overall presentation the wonder of good, but that’s something the vehicle’s next owner could work on at their own leisure. 

Get down on your knees and you will find an underside that looks solid and to have been well protected; there are a few areas where the Waxoyl has seen better days and has cracked, so a fresh treatment (and some wire brush work) may be sensible in the near future. On that note, there are also a few minor areas of surface corrosion on the lower sill and valance edges but, again, these should be relatively easy to tidy up. 

The S-Type comes with a nice comprehensive history folder that includes the vehicle’s V5c document, a host of invoices and a large number of expired MOT test certificates. Of most interest are the photographs documenting the car’s restoration, with the Classic Car Weekly article featuring the car also included. 

A recent online vehicle history check is present and shows no known, or outstanding, issues with regards outstanding finance, having been written off or exported/imported. 

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos to support our claim that this car is an older restoration that has been well looked after, and maintained, since. 

This is a nice example of one of Jaguar’s lesser-known models. Not that that makes it any less of a car, because in period the S-Type actually outperformed its Mk2 brethren in the handling department – and it still does!

With the 3.8-litre engine in situ it’s a bit of a brisk brute to drive and, ye gads, that’s a good thing. Allied to that are its alluring model-specific looks – part Mk2, part Mk10 – and stunning colour scheme, both of which will ensure it stands out in the world of classic Jags. 

Given all the above, its super low mileage from new and the fact that its been cherished, we think it will realise between £11,000 and £14,000. That, as they say, is not a lot of pennies for a classic car that is sure to reward its next owner with some seriously hot Sixties action.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.