‘Jaguar Mk II’ expected to fetch £1.5-2.5k – but there is a catch

Is it a Jaguar MK II? Not quite

Barons Classic Car Auctioneers are putting a car under the hammer on 27 October which, at first glance, appears to be a Jaguar Mk II. But it’s not what it seems.

When is a Jaguar MK II not a Jaguar MK II? When it’s a Nissan Micra, is the answer.

Once thought of as a disposable old Jaguar, the Jaguar Mk II has gone from being the car of choice for villains in the Sweeney to roll and wreck, to being a properly desirable classic in its own right.

Values have gone from scrap to six figures in the last decade or so, and even Jaguar’s Ian Callum is so enthralled he built his own very special Mk II.

So with Mk IIs now starting to reach values out of the each of most of us (although there are still a few real ‘projects’ around), what do you do if you covet the looks of a Mk II but only have beer money? Simple, you head of to Barons Auction on 27 October and put your hand up for a 1997 Mitsuoka Viewt.

Three decades younger than a Mk II, the Mitsuoka Viewt hoved in to view in 1993 as Mitsuoka created a new car from the Nissan Micra, crafting on a Jaguar Mk II nose and titivated interior, and it was a bit of a success, staying in production and getting modified as the donor Micra was.

Mitsuoka went on to produce more convincing takes on British Classics – including a Roadster that looks like a Jaguar XK120 and the earlier Himoko Roadster which looks like a Morgan. But it was the Viewt which started it all, and got Mitsuoka recognised as a Japanese car maker.

Rare even in Japan, this Viewt was first registered in 1997, has done just 79k miles and comes with red ‘leather’ interior and an MoT until next summer.

And it’s estimated at £1,500 to £2,500.