Rather restore than drive?
Sometimes the behavior of bidders at auctions is astonishing. Yesterday, three Jaguar limousines from the sixties went under the hammer in Toffen. It started with a magnificent red Mk2 from 1964 with a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine, which has been partially restored again and again over the years, resulting in investments and maintenance receipts of over CHF 90,000 in the last 20 years. Offered at the moderate estimated price of CHF 28,000 to 32,000, no bidder wanted to bite, even CHF 25,000 seemed too expensive for the interested parties present for the right-hand drive Jaguar with new veteran registration (picture above).
It was a completely different story less than an hour later when it came to a Mk2 3.8-liter Saloon from 1961. It was a restoration base, the engine was not turning after around forty years of standing, and the keys were missing. At least it had Swiss papers. A real battle for the gray (left-hand drive) cat developed, the estimated value of CHF 10,000 to 15,000 was soon abandoned, in the end the car cost CHF 16,800 (EUR 14,616). Comparedto the restoration work now required, however, this should still be a mere pittance.
Nota bene, you could have bought a ready-to-drive Jaguar 3.8 S from 1968 for even less money, as it passed into new hands for CHF 15,680 (EUR 13,641).
But apparently there are also enthusiasts who value the challenge of restoring a car more than its immediate drivability.
All the results of the Toffen auction have already been documented in a results report.
