History
This car is an April 1970 model (the 268th last right-hand-drive car produced) finished in light blue, a standard colour from that time, with dark blue interior. The vehicle was purchased from Brisbane through a Shannon’s Auction, sight unseen, in November 2021 for a relatively small sum. The car came with partial service history dating back to 1998. The 420G was originally delivered by Bryson’s in Sydney where it found its first owner, after which it changed hands a couple of times (Coffs Harbour and the Gold Coast). It would appear the recorded mileage of 84,000 on purchase was probably correct.
Upon inspection after receiving the car, it appeared to be in generally good condition and very original. The bodywork seemed good and had been repainted relatively recently, the engine bay dirty and requiring some work. Although the seats had been reupholstered in 2010, a lot of other work was needed with the interior. The engine cylinder head was apparently reconditioned in 2011, so the engine didn’t need a rebuilt with all six cylinders having compression of 150 psi. Major rust was found in the engine bay firewall, caused by water leaking from the heater matrix. This prompted remedial work, requiring the engine to be removed, resulting in a full engine bay restoration.
After the engine bay, and some cosmetic external body work was completed, the cabin interior and boot were retrimmed. Internally, the woodwork, carpets (underfelts etc.) and other trim were either replaced or refurbished. The work was completed in June 2023 after 1,170 man hours over 323 days. The 420G won the Jaguar Car Club of Victoria state concours d’elegance in Nov. 2023 with a score of 99.57%, the highest score ever achieved in the history of the club. The car subsequently won the 53rd Jaguar National Rally concours d’elegance in 2025.
