The hallmark burgundy Jaguar driven by popular TV detective Inspector Morse is to be put up for auction next month.
In the wake of the death of actor John Thaw, who played the charismatic sleuth in more than 30 episodes, the car is expected to fetch up to 80,000 – eight times its actual value. Along with his love of opera and Oxford education. Morse’s choice of classic motor set him apart from his fellows screen detectives. But the actor, who succumbed to cancer in February, once described the Jag as “a beggar to drive”.
The 1962 four-door Jaguar Mark II, which has a 2.4 litre engine, was originally won in a competition by lawyer James Went. Went had planned to keep the car but changed his mind after being contacted by the auction house.
Morse’s vintage sportscar had become a quintessential element in the gruff inspector’s persona. “There can be no other Jaguar which is so instantly recognised all over the world,” said a spokesman for auction house Coys of Kensington.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
