This picture of a worse-for-wear Jaguar 420G posted by Benoît is the trans-Atlantic counterpart to today’s tired Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. But I wonder if it’s still able to move under its own power.
Cohort Outtake: Also Tired, But Maybe Not Soldiering On
– Posted on November 15, 2016
What holds THIS automobile together – force of habit?
Stiff upper lip
Oh dear…I think this will upset the Cookie Monster.
Poor car.
The Lion in Winter. Gorgeous. Golden Sand I believe, and if it has a red interior…
With a 420G being my dream car (well, aside from my Magnificent Elderly Ford Sierra of course) the Laurel emblem is upset too… And I concur with Don that it’s likely Golden Sand – by which I mean the exterior paint colour, not what the panels would reduce to if you gave them a good kick…
What a shame that this has been left to rot.
I would love to know the story here. Was this car perhaps inherited from a relative, where the heir didn’t have enough garage space so this 420G was left to languish in a shed with a leaky roof, perhaps, or even just out in the elements?
It always fascinates me to see a high-end car with no (or minimal) apparent crash damage that looks this corroded.
Somebody should be whipped for doing this to a car.
Jaguars self-destruct of their own volition. It’s a deliberate act.
I bet it ran when parked a long, long time ago.
“Running when it was parked” sounds like a Craigslist ad.
“I think it just needs a tuneup” is CL shorthand for slipped timing chain, blown head gaskets, dying gas tank fuel pumps and host of other myriad ills on the Craig. I’ve bought a few vehicles there, but they’ve always been running when I did so.
“Mechanics special” = I’m only good for parts, but the desirable pieces are already gone
“Ran when parked” = i managed to flog it home with no oil in the crankcase thus ruining a 3,000 engine because I didn’t have the money for a gallon of oil at wal-mart.
“Never been wrecked” means it’s a flood car
Then there is the gmail scam.
I’ve got a car bud friend named Billy. 71 years old going on 20 and crazy as a loon. He had started dating my best friends mom in 86 and I met him in the spring of 87. His father had owned a well known used car lot here in Wichita Falls during the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s and his parents had run a junk shop out of their house, so Billy has always had some old heap for sale in his front yard as long as I’ve known him. Around about 2000, he found a non-running 76 XJ Jaguar that had been sitting about 12 years and got it for $400. I helped him drag it to his place. Since neither he nor I knew anything about Jaguar’s (i.e. no fix car) he slapped a $1000 sign on it and also went down to our local “for sale” rag and put it in there too. After about three months of having people drive by, slow down, look at it, then recoil in horror and speed off, he finally had a look at his ad. They had added another zero to it! So he had it corrected and two weeks later sold it for $800 to some greaseball. To date, that has been my only Jaguar experience.
It’s a shame to see the descendant of such a proud breed to be reduced to ruins like this. Still there are not many enthusiasts that would be willing to rescue this example. The body looks to be in pretty good shape and it looks to be complete. Unfortunately these are not yet a valued model. However as the available supply of low priced Mark 2 is pretty much gone, fans of the early Jaguar saloons may be forced to turn to these 420Gs.
Maybe, maybe not. The XJ6 models that replaced these are the perfect combination of heritage and beauty, and they are available at very reasonable prices. Myself, I would like a MarkVII.
A bit of trivia here: Legend has it that Jack Webb named his production company (which produced Dragnet and Adam-12, among others) “Mark VII Limited” out of a fondness for his Jaguar.
Poor thing. Not as much of a pure beauty as the XJ6, but presence, in spades. But as a project, it looks…daunting to say the least. Sadly, the best use for this car might be for parts to save another (though part of me always insists “No! It can be fixed! It deserves better!”)
The primer in usual rust spots suggests its been bogged up at some stage the flat tyres say it hasnt been driven for some time big project these things rust in awkward to repair places and engine rebuilds are prohibitively expensive.
A great study in contrast with the Cadillac, and something that has caused me to not judge GM so harshly for its platform sharing.
The Cadillac is still roaming the streets. Just about anything that could go wrong mechanically could be fixed with a trip to any parts store in the US. Or something could be modified to work, because so many are familiar with the basic design on the engine and transmission. And sometimes, it will even continue to run – and run – with a multitude of unfixed ills. These were simple, durable beasts, even when dolled up in the broughamiest of finery.
It’s a shame, but a combination of rarity, unfamiliarity and mechanical complexity means that the poor Jaguar will likely never again move under its own power.
Ahhh Jaguars! So seductive, so frustrating! My sister and her husband had two jaguars in Los Angeles in the sixties and a used ’63 Ford Fairlane when both weren’t running!
So sad. Back across the Pond in PA with a current state inspection sticker (good till 4/170 and flying the flag
Yup, sure does make me sad. Unlike the Cadillac, which presents itself as a battle-scarred old prize fighter with an air of pride, this old Jag just looks forlorn. As much as I cringe over the multitudes of Jaguars with their hearts replaced by the ubiquitous GM 350/350 combo, at least a serviceable and hearty drivetrain makes it worthwhile to keep attending to the curvaceous body around it. I’ve recently changed my tune with respect to such transplants, as I’ve never met a Jaguar I didn’t fall in love with, but I’ve seen far too many of them on four flats moldering away because their innate mechanical frailties and money pit tendencies turn them into lawn ornaments more often than is fair.
The Mark X and 420 do have some odd proportions here and there, but they’re still pretty cars, showcasing thoroughbred bloodlines. Here’s hoping they come into vogue on the collector scene before too many more of them fall into this state. At their current value there’s probably no point in trying to bring this one back, unless an eccentric benefactor with deep pockets happens along.
Looks like French licence plates.
“No Jag parts ici Monsieur!” Hence lay up.