Glyn,
The NEW Beacham Jaguar MKII has fully adjustable coil over suspension so you can set it at any height and stance you want. Their upgraded chassis and suspension is way better than anything else I have seen. The have come a long way from the early versions you saw which are still very nice but their new model is WAY better.

That is very impressive as they have taken the better suspension that you and I have with the 3.8s and created an even more improved independent suspension for the MKII which did not have a great rear suspension as it had the less desirable solid axle and made it independent and taken it to a whole other level. That is a ton of work and engineering to create that in a MKII. I personally still like the lines of the 3.8s better.

 

 

Yes I know! Me too re S type.

 

Yep, basically they made a MKII have the better suspension of the S-type and it is due to the many old TV shows, old races that used the MKII that created the hype for the MKII over the lesser known S-type but on the true performance the S-type has better design and would have made a faster race car, etc. This is much like the love for the Datsun 510 box car. All of the Jaguar sedans have much better style than most other sedans but the S-type already came with 4 wheel disc brakes and IRS, etc.

 

While I know some here are purist not wanting anything changed, the reality is that the popularity of the resto-mod cars and Jaguar changing their market to a higher income level of buyers is what is helping any old Jaguar go up in value. The Beacham Jaguar MKII, with their latest version
www.beacham.co.nz/new-beacham-mk2/
is a huge leap, taking their great restomod to an even more discerning buyer as those are probably around $200K plus in US dollars. That is still a great value due to the labor of New Zealand being cheaper than the UK, as restomod companies like Callum in the UK sell their restomod MK2 for $490K to $535K USD.

To the original OP, if you want an older Beacham, buy them when they come up as they are still a good value as the new model is way more $$

 

It all depends on what you want to achieve. I have great admiration for all the individuals who do the restomods, those who do nice, working restorations and those who re-create absolute originality. What doesn’t appeal to me is anything pre-built whether it’s Beacham, Vicarage or whoever. If I had the money to buy one, I wouldn’t, I’d spend it on restoring my car in my way to my taste. Why buy a Mk2 or S type to have a ready-made modern car? It’s way cheaper to simply buy a modern car; an X308 or modern S type costs close to zilch and a brand new Jaguar costs no more than a Beacham. For me the attraction of the old cars is partly their character and partly the design, engineering and organisational challenge of making them into what we want them to be. Why let the Beecham guys have all the fun?

 

Peter,
I too enjoy creating my unique version to my individual taste and see your point.

The difference and why there is such a strong demand actually in general for high quality resto-mods is that most people are either not hands on or do not have the patience to see that process thru. What there is plenty of is people with ample money whom do not want just a modern car or X308, they want something more unique and they have enough money that money is not an issue. Look how long it has taken you and me along with others here to create their individual Jaguar dream. Peter if money was no concern and you could guide the build and have it done in a fraction of the time, wouldn't even you consider that? maybe not but when you take the money out of it, you can see why the demand for something more custom has been steadily rising today.

The other thing is not the original poster as he wants to buy a older Beacham which is less costly than buying one now. That is cool and still takes a good deal of money, but there are people whom have even bigger wallets so they go to Beacham, and others to get extremely high quality builds and they actually can customize their car to what they want enough. They are the modern coach builders. Back in the day, high end cars were mostly resto-mod custom shops not a factory and that is a growing trend today, where people have the money and want that more unique and custom car and money is not a consideration. Many people just want the end result and getting there is not their real interest. Every Jag owner is unique and there is no right way. More people used to be focused on numbers matching concourse cars but that is not growing anymore, more of the big money is high end resto-mods as you can see in the big name auctions today. Right now some argue about stock vs modified but over time all of us gasoline car lovers will be the minority as the world turns more electric based cars

 

I have farmed out most of the work on my Daimler, but the amount is not too big and so affordable (just) and the restoration is more or less to working-original unlike my Mk2, where the work is enormous and aimed more at what I think Bill Heynes might have done with a Mk2. Most certainly, if I had the wallet, I'd buy a machine shop and a body shop and one or two more cars. Still, I fear the buyers of new Beachams see the car more as a fashion accessory than a machine to love and enthuse about. In the UK, there are quite a few companies going into restore and convert to electric. Quite a lot of that is certainly at the fashion statement end of the market, especially since mobile phone use is responsible for well over twice as much CO2 production per year as classic cars. Is there a Beacham I-Pace Mk2 in the pipeline? For me, it's the same as steam versus electric railway engines: a fire breathing monster versus a soulless lump. So long as they sell gasoline (or alcohol), I will try my best to run my old cars on it.

 

I would say that Beacham buyers like all of us, they are car lovers, as they could have just purchased a more basic inexpensive car for transportation that is stock, etc. We are all different with various views on why we love cars. The Beacham Jaguars are like the original coach builders building quality custom cars to a owners desire. Jaguars in general are more cars with style and more luxury and quality so most people whom own a Jaguar are likely to be car lovers. You do not have to do any of the work yourself or manage the build yourself to be a car guy, you just have to appreciate and enjoy cars with a passion.

I too prefer the feel, sound, and enjoyment of a gasoline car. Electric cars have no sound nor give you the feel of the road and experience that makes driving fun.