Jaguar FT Coupé by Bertone

Bertone presented an extraordinary Jaguar at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. The FT Coupé was based on the S-Type of the time. This sporty upper midsizw sedan debuted at the 1963 London Motor Show as a model between the Mark II and the Mark X. Thanks to its choice of 3.4 and 3.8 liter inline six-cylinder engines, the car found favor in many countries. As with the E-Type and the Mark X, independent suspension was used all round. However, some potential customers disliked the close visual resemblance to the smaller Mark II. A total of 25,171 of these cars were built.

Elegant Coupé from Bertone

In 1966, the Jaguar 420 appeared as the final variant with a front end based on the Mark X and a 4.2-liter engine. For the concept study at the Geneva Motor Show, Bertone used an S-Type 3.8, which arrived at the Italian workshop as a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kit. This saved most of the work of separating the body from the chassis. The new body is not at all reminiscent of Jaguars of the time. Onlookers are more likely to associate it with BMW (front) or even Opel (rear). Around the four round headlights runs a radiator grille, which is centrally crowned by the typical Jaguar grille. Above it sits the leaping Jaguar as a radiator mascot. The remaining shapes are smooth and elegant.

Jaguar planned a small series

Why is the FT Coupé hardly known? The reason was placed on the Bertone stand right next to the converted Jaguar. With the world premiere of the Lamborghini Miura, the design house provided the absolute star of the Geneva show. The Jaguar FT Coupé had to wait in line behind this success. Nevertheless, the four-seater vehicle caught the eye of those people who were important to Bertone: Jaguar’s decision-makers. They liked the shape, finish and quality so much that they immediately ordered a limited edition of 1,000 units. The start of the series production was scheduled for the winter of 1966/67.

It remained with only two copies

Shortly after the motor show, Jaguar delivered seven CKD kits of the 420 to Bertone. It is not quite clear why, but in the end only a second car with the body of the FT Coupé was produced. The exhibition car from Geneva was bought by the Italian Tarchini family, and in 1969 it was approved for road use. Rumor has it that Ferruchio Tarchini had originally instigated the project and thus also provided the name ‘FT’. At Bonhams’ The Zoute Sale, this car was sold at auction in 2014 for 59,800 €. The second car received a green livery and originally went to Madrid. Over the years, it was repainted to black. The second owner found the car in a corner of a large Spanish garage and had it auctioned by Bonhams in Paris in 2012. The third owner carried out a minor restoration including repainting to the original emerald green. Guikas GTC Collection Cars is currently offering the rare Bertone Jaguar for sale.

Images: Guikas GTC Collection Cars, Rémi Dargegen Photographies