2006-07-05 20:43:27 | pauls writes:

Car profiled at:
www.sportscarmarket.com/profiles/1997/May/English/index.html
Note that the Chassis number provided in the commentary is not appropriate. Its an educated guess that the first digit should be 1 rather than 4 and 1R7581 would be appropriate for a '70 car. Body numbers begin with 4 and 4R7581 would also be appropriate for a '70 car. If someone finds conflicting numbers for this car please contact the webmaster.

Commentary:
1970 Jaguar Series II XKE Roadster
* Chassis #: 4R7581
* Engine #: 7R11451-9
The roadster pictured here was purchased new in 1970 by Mr. Douglas of South Carolina from a Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach dealer as a birthday gift for his wife, who requested a model with factory air conditioning. It remained in the same careful ownership for the following 23 years until they sold the vehicle on to a good friend who lived about 30 miles away. The second owner kept the vehicle for two years and put the mileage up from 45,000 to 47,800 before selling the car in February 1995 to the current owner.

While intending to just enjoy driving the vehicle, after a couple of months there were some items that needed fixing or correcting. Having met the Jaguar historian and contributor to Jaguar's US Archives, George Camp, who has a passion for congeniality and making sure a car is "correct," it was decided a proper restoration was in order. This superb roadster than underwent a meticulous ground-up restoration documented at $75,000. No expense was spared. The restoration was documented by photographs and the work was done to Pebble Beach standards.

The automobile was trailered to four JCNA shows, Boca Raton, Boone Hall (Charleston), Hilton Head and Atlanta with a score that averaged 99.950, good enough to achieve top national honors. The car also did well in non-JCNA shows, winning a special award from the Atlanta Jaguar Society.

While the car was restored to concours condition, the owner stresses that the Jaguar was built to be driven. When not touring, the car is kept in a special climate controlled display room. Attention to detail included brand new correct Dunlop SP sport 185VR15 tires specially ordered from England. The vehicle also has custom-installed rear stereo speakers and a specially-designed stereo unit and console which can be installed by simply sliding out the center console and inserting the stereo unit.

With just three owners from new, limited use and being subject to a concours-winning restoration this vehicle may be considered by some to be one of the finest Series II roadsters in the world. The present owner, who originally purchased this car to drive says of the subsequent restoration work: "I went overboard in every minute detail in my quest for the perfect Jaguar and this is the result."
The SCM Analysis

On 26 April 1997, at the Christies Tarrytown auction, SN4R7581 sold for $57,500. This is a price not seen since the late '80s for an SII roadster.

Hampered stylistically by open headlights and clumsy U.S.-legal tail lights, and forced to endure the indignity of power-sapping Stromberg carburetors, SIIs will always lag behind SIs in price. However, given the quality of the automobile, this car was well bought. – ED.

2009-02-18 01:09:08 | Bart writes:

I do not believe that 1R7581 is the correct chassis number for this car, as that number would indicate that the car was manufacured in the October 28-30, 1968 three-day time-frame, and delivered in 1968 with a 1969 title date, contrary to the narrative above [1970 title and delivery year]. Additionaly, the engine number of 7R11451-9 does not match up with the 1R7581 car number and October 1968 engine placements.