Classic DREAMCARS Mount Dora, Fla. (352) 385-1945 www.classicdreamcars.com

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1971 JAGUAR XKE ROADSTER (SERIES II ) W/ FACTORY HARDTOP

OUR CAR IS ABOUT 1,100 FROM THE LAST BUILT AT CHASSIS # 13739. RECORD BOOKS SHOW THAT JAGUAR ONLY MADE 8630 OPEN CARS FROM 1968 TILL COMPLETION IN 1970 ( TITLED IN 1971). THEY WERE KNOWN BY MOST R.O.W. (THE REST OF THE WORLD) AS "O.T.S.'S"..... WHICH STOOD FOR "OPEN TWO SEATERS". AMERICAN'S SIMPLY CALLED THEM 'ROADSTERS'. OUR CAR IS AN AMAZING, DOCUMENTED, FREQUENTLY SERVICED AND BABIED, TWO-OWNER EXAMPLE WITH PROVEN MILEAGE BY YEARLY COLORADO STATE INSPECTION OF ONLY 23,200 ORIGINAL MILES WITH RECEIPTS !! IT IS 'FULLY EQUIPPED' BY ENGLISH STANDARDS; OPTIONED WITH FACTORY AIR CONDITIONING, THE FACTORY FIBERGLASS HARDTOP WITH GLASS WINDOWS, CHROME WIRE WHEELS, AM/FM RADIO AND EVEN RETAINS IT'S ORIGINAL EXCELLENT CONDITION SCARLET LEATHER, AND FOUR SPEED GEARBOX. THE CAR STILL 'SMELLS AND SHOWS NEW'. IT HAD THE VALVES UPDATED FOR THE LOWER OCTANE IN MAY 1998 AND RECVD. IT'S FIRST RE-PAINT (YES, ORIG. COLOR) AFTER STRIPPING TO BARE METAL IN 1989.

JAGUAR* HAS GONE THROUGH MANY CHANGES SINCE THE ADVENT OF THE XK SERIES BUT, FEW DISAGREE THAT THE LAST OF THE SIX CYLINDER MODEL, CALLED THE SERIES II XKE'S SPELLED THE CULMINATION OF THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT BY SIR WILLIAM LYONS. ONCE JAGUAR TRIED TO COMPETE WITH THE BIG BOYS; FERRARI, AND LAMBORGHINI, WITH A V-12 VERSION, THE CAR WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. IT BECAME NOSE HEAVY AND CUMBERSOME TO HANDLE. JAGUAR EVEN CONSIDERED A V8 TRANSPLANT BUT, THE COMPETITIVE ROAD POINTED TO A V12 AND THAT'S THE COURSE THEY CHOOSE TO TAKE. FOOTNOTE: THOUGH THE AUTOMATIC WAS AVAILABLE IN THE FIXED HEAD 2+2 COUPES IT NEVER SAW PRODUCTION IN THE CONVERTIBLES. 1970-71 SIGNALED THE VERY LAST OF THE SIX CYLINDER CARS SO, THE SERIES II'S MAKE AN EXCELLENT COLLECTOR'S CHOICE. THIS CAR WAS SHOWN MANY TIMES IN COLORADO CONCOURS MEETS IN THE LAST 24 YEARS INCLUDING THE ARROWHEAD CONCOURS, THE COLORADO ENGLISH MOTORING CONCLAVE, THE 22ND ANNUAL EXOTIC SPORTS CAR CONCOURS, THE COLUMBINE CLASSIC CONCOURS AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAGUAR CLUB "CROQUET AMONGST THE CATS". IT WON 943.25 PTS. (OUT OF POSS. 1,000) AT THE CO. J.C.N.A. MEET . 'STIMULUS' PRICED AT $74,000 O.N.O.

THE STORY:

BY 1971 JANIS JOPLIN AND JIMI HENDRIX HAD DIED. AMERICA WAS REACQUAINTED WITH THE PLIGHT OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN AND AWAKENED TO THE FACT THAT THE COWBOY MOVIES, THAT HAD BEEN DRUMMED INTO THEIR HEADS SINCE BIRTH (COWBOYS 'GOOD'- INDIANS 'BAD'), WERE A GROSS SIMPLIFICATION OF THE TRUTH. EVEN INDIAN ACTOR, CHIEF 'IRON EYES CODY' WAS SEEN ON TV (ENDLESS LOOP) THIS YEAR IN TRASH-STREWN LANDSCAPE PRO-ECOLOGY PUBLIC SERVICE COMMERCIALS. 'ALICE COOPER' WOULD SLAUGHTER CHICKENS ON STAGE, 'THE JACKSON FIVE' WOULD SCORE FOUR NUMBER ONE HITS, AND WHO COULD FORGET 'JAMES TAYLOR' WITH 'CAROLE KING' IN LIVE CONCERT OR 'JONI MITCHELL' WITH HER "LIGHT-A-CANDLE- AND CRY-STYLE" ALBUMS. THIS YEAR WOULD SADLY SEE JIM MORRISON OF 'THE DOORS' AND 'SACHMO' LOUIE ARMSTRONG DIE BUT, IT WOULD BE BLESSED WITH LOT'S OF 'BAD ASS CINEMA'. MOVIES LIKE " FRENCH CONNECTION", "SHAFT", ""KLUTE" AND " THE LAST PICTURE SHOW". IF YOU SMELL SMOKE BURNING- YOUR TRYING TO REMEMBER 1971 AND THE REST OF THE YEARS EVENTS, LIKE LT.WILLIAM CALLEY BEING ACCUSED OF KILLING 22 VIETNAMESE CIVILIANS IN MAI LAI OR FLIP WILSON, STRUTTING AROUND TV ON HIS TV COMEDY SHOW. IN FACT, TV OFFERED MANY HILARIOUS MOMENTS LIKE 'SANFORD & SON", "ALL IN THE FAMILY" AND EVEN, "SONNY & CHERS COMEDY HOUR". PEOPLE COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT CHER WAS, OR WAS NOT, WEARING. THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST YEAR OF THE SMILEY FACE BUTTON AS NG SLATER INTRODUCED THE LITTLE YELLOW SMILEY FACE. HE COULDN'T GIVE THEM AWAY IN 1969 BUT, BY 1971 HE SOLD 20 MILLION PRINTED WITH "HAVE A NICE DAY".... THE PEACE SIGN WAS FINALLY DEFEATED. SO, YOU CAN SEE 1971 WAS A VERY STRANGE YEAR. IT ENDED UP WITH THE HEAVIEST BOMBING EVER IN NORTH VIETNAM AND THEN RIOTS AT ATTICA STATE PRISON IN NEW YORK WITH 43 PEOPLE BEING KILLED. NEW HAMPSHIRES MOTTO: "LIVE FREE OR DIE" SOMEHOW SAID IT ALL.

THERE ARE BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT THE XKE'S BEAUTY & BODY CONTOURS WITH MANY STATING "THE JAGUAR XKE CAN BE BEST COMPARED TO A WOMAN LYING ON HER SIDE. THE SUBTLE CURVES OF THE FENDERS MEETING THE BELTLINE RESEMBLE THE DIP AT THE WAIST". SO, TO CALL THIS CAR "UNDENIABLY SEXY" WOULD BE A GROSS UNDERSTATEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, IT CARRIED A GOOD MANY STYLING AND TECHNICAL DETAILS SEEN ON JAGUAR'S RACE CARS INCLUDING THE D-TYPE. LIKE THAT CAR, IT CARRIED THE SAME CONSTRUCTION- MULTI-TUBE CHASSIS WITH A "BATH -TUB" STEEL BODY SHELL. THE LONG, LOW HOOD WAS WELDED INTO ONE ASSEMBLY AND HINGED AT THE FRONT SO, THE WHOLE NOSE LIFTS UP FORWARD WHEN CHECKING THE MOTOR'S VITAL FUNCTIONS. STARTING IN 1965, THE LARGER 3.8 LITER SIX WAS BUILT-UP TO 4.2 AND OFFERED WITH AN ALL SYNCHRO GEARBOX- CONSIDERED A BLESSING BY MOST .
SAFETY STANDARDS REALLY BROUGHT THIS MODEL TO AN UNTIMELY DEATH AS JAGUAR WAS THEN REQUIRED TO EVENTUALLY RUIN THE SLEEK BODY LINES WITH HUGE BULBOUS, UGLY RUBBER BUMPERS, ELIMINATING THE KNOCK-OFF SPINNERS, AND THE BEAUTIFUL GLASS-COVERED HEADLIGHTS OF THE SERIES 1.... EVEN ADDING SIDE MARKER LIGHTS WHICH LOOKED OUT-OF-PLACE OF THIS SCULPTURED BEAUTY. ALWAYS JUDGED BY IT'S BRISK PERFORMANCE, THIS SLEEK BODY STYLE GAVE WAY TO THE 'SQUARE BOX STYLING' OF THE XJS MODEL IN 1975 AND THE END OF AN ERA OF BEAUTY & GRACE WAS BENCHMARKED. THE 4235CC (DOHC) ENGINE WAS CONSIDERED "BULLET-PROOF" BY SOME PUSHING OUT 265 H.P. AS LONG AS YOU HAD THE MINDSET TO "MIND THE GAP" ON YOUR FLUID LEVELS. THE CAR WAS PRETTY MUCH HAD A REPUTATION FOR LONGEVITY. THE XKE IS STILL KNOWN TODAY FOR IT'S STELLAR PERFORMANCE DUE ITS ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT AT 2690 LBS. LEAVING LITTLE DOUBT THAT EVERY GREAT CAR COLLECTION SHOULD INCLUDE A BEAUTIFUL XKE ROADSTER...

 

* JAGUAR- IS PRONOUNCED "JAG-WIRE" BY THE ENGLISH AND "JAG-WARR" BY U.S.A. CITIZENS. WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY HOWEVER, ONLY LISTS ONE PRONOUNCIATION. WHOSE TO SAY WHICH IS CORRECT?..... TOMATO OR TOMATOE? 'PORSCHE' OR 'PORS-SHA' . YOU DECIDE.