It’s often a pipe dream that there is an abundance of mothballed classic Jaguars, which are dry-stored around the world, that simply need a little air in the tyres, some fresh petrol in the tank and a fully charged battery to bring them back to life. The reality of discovering such a barn find, as they are called, is much worse, but it’s not entirely a case of doom and gloom.
Let’s assume that not every barn find is in immaculate, time-warppreserved condition. However, selling such a vehicle as having been stored away, instead of simply abandoned, helps to raise its profile and thus its price. A desirable detail to look for in this case is the claim that it has a low number of owners, which helps to suggest it has been put away and not simply handed from owner to owner, all of whom have been unable to fix an ongoing problem. At the time of writing, we found such an example in Greece, where an XK120 from the early Fifties was for sale at almost £84,000. The advertisement claimed the Jaguar had two previous owners and that the first owner had the car for 65 years.
NEVER RESTORED
A car that has never been restored is good news and perhaps bad. If there’s plenty of corrosion to be found, then at least the seller has been honest, but it also means that wear, tear and worn out can all be excused under the umbrella of adding to the patina and retaining originality.
It is highly likely that a vehicle will have had some work done to it during its lifetime and so some parts may be newer.
