The Jaguar 420
The Jaguar 420 Sport Sedan has a special place in Jaguar history. Made for only two years (1967-68), it’s debut ushered in the age of the modern “luxury sport sedan,” with more room and luxury appointments than the MkII, and a bigger engine (the same 4.2 liter engine as the E-type). It was advertised as the sedan companion to the E-type: “If you love our XKE, this is the only sports sedan you will be happy with.” It’s re-designed grill and front end were a departure from the lines of the S-type (on which chassis it was based) and its new styling presaged the XJ6, and all subsequent modern Jaguar sedans that followed. With total production of 10,224 cars (of which only 2629 were LHD), 900 or so LHD cars were exported to the US, and this particular car is an example of the few that have survived.
We fell in love with this car at first sight. She is an extremely original black-plate California car that was lavished with love and attention its entire life, with complete documentation of everything that was done to the car for the past 30 years. After years of storage, we brought her back to a high driver level mechanically. Cosmetically, she needed nothing.
The steering wheel is one-of-a kind. A vintage wooden slotted aluminum wheel was fitted with a billet aluminum center, custom made to accommodate the original Jaguar horn badge. It has a great feel, with improved feedback from the road.
The wood on the dash is original and unrestored; original leather- soft and supple with the patina of originality. The previous owner religiously conditioned the leather once a month for 30 years of ownership. Repairs were undertaken sympathetically to preserve the superb original elements, with an eye toward conservation as opposed to restoration. Maybe we will look this good in forty years if we put on sunscreen every day!
On The Road
Original ad.
We feel very lucky to have found this special car. She is driven regularly (albeit with great care!) and is taken on long distance trips, often in excess of 1000 miles. While old Jags are not famous for reliability, it can be said that this car has never left us stranded, except for one flat tire. Of course, the Lucas electrics required a bit of sorting, and belts & hoses are refreshed regularly, which helps avoid the bulk of mechanical failure on the road. The worst thing for these cars is inactivity.
The Jaguar 420 is an endangered species, and we would love to hear from others that may own one, or know of other examples in existence. We would like to feature these cars on this website, and don’t forget to check out the “Jaguar 420 Registry” (see our links page for full description) at the following link:
If you own a 420, please share photos and experiences for review and inclusion on this website.
Be sure to visit my other site with other Classic British marques:
email: Greg & Jeannette
