Stock Take: A genuine Coombs Cat

It isn’t just in Jaguar circles that the name ‘John Coombs’ causes ears to prick up. Here was a man who could beat the factory race teams (even when he’s been told not to) and who could attract the greatest names in motor racing to do so.

He was a handy pedaler in his own right – from Formula 3 to rare Connaught sports racer – but off track and on the pitwall is where he truly made his name, largely via his Jaguar dealership in Guildford. He once left Coventry with five D-types for a snip and the series of Coombs-spec Mk2 are some of the most sought-after Jags today.

There are many Coombs Mk2 pretenders in the wild, but at Pendine’s Bicester Heritage Blast House base is the real deal. Exactly how many 3.8-litre Mk2s were fettled by Coombs is not properly recorded or known, but, depending on the depth of your pockets, the modifications on offer could replicate the saloons then being driven to victory by Roy Salvadori and Graham HiIl in the British Saloon Car Championship.

The 1964 example at Pendine, which comes complete with a letter of authenticity from Coombs himself and another from ex-Coombs employee Dave Cooper, left Surrey with many of the options boxes ticked.

It has a gas-flowed head, 9:1 pistons, a lightened flywheel and balanced crank, rods and clutch assembly, plus open trumpet carburettors, a manual choke, competition exhaust, high geared steering, anti-roll bar and an E-type steering wheel.

Originally it ran with lowered suspension, high rate front springs and strengthened rear spring location, but in 1970 it was returned to Coombs for fitment of Koni shock absorbers and flares to the rear wheelarches. Two decades later and in its 1990s restoration it gained disc brakes (Coopercraft) and a set of Competition wheels.

It remains matching numbers, and wears ​​Opalescent Dark Blue paint with Light Grey trim – as it did when it first hit the streets.

It isn’t often a true Coombs car comes up, especially with confirmation from the man himself. Find out more at Pendine.com.