[ MONTH IN CARS ] Barn finds
Highly original Jaguar surfaces in France after more than 60 years of use and storage
Ex-medic-owned E-type might not need major surgery
This 1962 Jaguar E-type 3.8-litre FHC was bought new by a young doctor in Paris, who used it for regular trips to his clinic in Tours. He seems to have enjoyed putting plenty of kilometres under the car’s wheels because he also drove it down to Morocco – a 5000km round trip – to see his grandparents in Meknes. In the history folder is a Sixties receipt from a Moroccan body shop for dent correction, after the owner forgot to engage the handbrake when parking on a slope.
Family cat used to prowl around the garden!
Other cars then took the E-type’s place as daily transport. After the owner bought a property in Vexin, north-west of Paris, the Jaguar went into storage in 1972. By the mid-Eighties, the idea of using it again became appealing, so it was recommissioned, and used into the Nineties. By the end of that decade, its use had dwindled to touring the garden paths around his property, giving the grandchildren a first taste of driving!
It survived these adventures unharmed and has spent the decades since then locked away again. Still the property of the original owner, it is up for sale at Artcurial’s Retromobile auction in early February, after we go to press, estimated at €50,000-€70,000 (£42,000-£59,000), with no reserve.
Not too much attention required here
The overall state is remarkably good for an unrestored E-type with perhaps 126,000 or even 226,000km on the clock – the odometer displays 26,285km – although it’s not clear when the car last ran. It retains its original Paris registration number, which is bound to be attractive to French buyers, and the grey over red leather colour combination is original.
With only a tear in the driver’s seat and a missing footwell carpet to spoil the interior, there’s a case for restoring the mechanicals while making a feature of the car’s current cosmetic condition, should any body or panel repairs not dictate a respray. Despite the UK E-type market suffering a bout of feline influenza, the higher values seen on the continent should be reflected in a strong sale for this unrepeatable lhd survivor.
Original 3.8 six-cylinder: 26k or 126k?
Object of desire or a bargain project DBS?
Not up to gold standard, but this Silver Birch DBS6 shows potential
More than 45 years of storage seems guaranteed to give the next owner of this 1970 Aston Martin DBS6 manual an expensive restoration to fund, but the upside is less than ten years of use since new. These produced an odometer reading of 64,333 miles, partially backed up by early receipts for work carried out at 8225 and 21,622 miles. The car was parked in a garage in 1979 by its second owner for reasons that have now been lost – the car is an estate sale – until 2012. It then moved to a proper car storage facility, before its recent journey to Anglia Car Auctions for its January classic auction. However, delays in acquiring probate meant the car could not enter that auction so it remains available as we go to press.
Fifty-five years, only 64,000 miles
The history file is slim, containing only a copy of the original build sheet, a 1979 tax disc and some fuel receipts, but a new AM Heritage certificate adds detail. There’s no V5C, so the registration will need applying for. The desirable plate may be recoverable, though it’s no longer on DVLA records.
With rust bubbles behind one front wheel, it’s likely more corrosion will be discovered in the floors and sills but it’s far from a rough example. The black interior should avoid a retrim and the Silver Birch paint could be seen as a come-on to Bond fans. ACA’s estimate of £20,000-£25,000 seems pessimistic, but as shown by recent low sums achieved for project-condition prestige classics, soaring restoration charges can put the brakes on the bidding.
‘Come and take a seat Mr Bond…’
Rubies in the rough
Nothing fishy here, just a special Saab 900 Turbo
The last 150 Saab 900 Turbos offered through UK dealerships were the run-out Ruby models, which had some very appealing special features: the 185bhp Carlsson-spec engine, three-door bodies, colour-coded bumpers, their own three-spoke alloy wheels (painted grey, not silver), and a distinctive interior with half-leather seating, all of it finished by Ruby Red paint on the exterior. They’ve long been sought after in classic Saab circles and now two have turned up in project condition after being off the road for more than a decade. We spoke to John Palmer, who has been helping a friend move on some of his 40-odd Saabs from a large field in Cornwall.
Rubies were UK-only run-out models
‘The gentleman is 80 now, and he’s decided to reduce his business – he was an independent Saab specialist near Redruth. These two Rubies have come out of indoor storage and are resting outdoors, and it would be better for them to find new homes. There is an L-registered car with 158,000 miles and a K-registered one with a genuine 68,000 miles on it. Both need a fair bit of welding but the K-reg car looks to be in better condition and it still has the correct wheels. The other is on Minilites.’ Interested parties can email classic.cars@bauermedia.co.uk and their message will be forwarded.
Opportunities to buy a low-mileage…
…or even high-mileage Ruby are rare
SEND US YOUR BARN FINDS – BEST ONE WINS £100 classic.cars@bauermedia.co.uk
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