SOMERSET & bATH CONSTABULARY TRAFFIC CAR, JAGUAR MK2 3.8, TYC 766G, IN RESTORATION, PRESERVATION AND SERVICE.

For a lot of people, the MK2 Jaguar was the Police car of the 1960s. Of the many forces that abounded during that decade, most seemed to run MK2s as Traffic patrol cars. They were fast, nimble saloons and British made. 

TYC 766G joined the Traffic Department of the Somerset and Bath Constabulary on 11th November 1968. The MK2 should have been replaced by the XJ6 in 1967 but its introduction was delayed. Jaguar continued its presence in the market with the introduction of the 240 and 340 models which lasted until late 1968. 

These were slightly cheaper versions of the MK2, with thinner bumpers, vinyl trim rather than leather and deletion of the 3.8  litre engine from the range. This particular car served at Weston-Super-Mare Traffic Garage and was assigned the call-sign “Tango Two”. 

The 3.4 litre 340 was officially deleted from the range in late September 1968 leaving just the 2.4 litre 240, but some forces, including Somerset and Bath, wanted the extra power that the 3.4 litre offered. This became effectively a special order and the Jaguar Heritage Certificate shows this to be a 240 model with a 3.4 litre engine – a model which didn’t actually exist in the range! 

With the amalgamation of the Somerset and Bath force with the Bristol Constabulary in 1974, the car became redundant, having served around five years.  It can only be imagined how dated the car looked at the time of its retirement. The car then passed into the hands of several private owners, being repainted blue at some stage of its life, before being bought by its current owner in 2000. Several 

The car is still fitted with its original engine  which has covered around 220,000 miles since 1968. With the Police service such a large  customer, Jaguar had a special trim level for its patrol cars. Viewers of this car will notice that the door cards are plain black vinyl, with no arm rests or map pockets. In many patrol cars the polished wood dash was replaced by a black painted fascia. In som