02 Jun 09
Jaguar Mk 2
Inspector Morse's Jaguar Mk 2
The producers of Inspector Morse had a conundrum. They needed a car to suit the character - a stubborn, rumbustious beast with little regard for fad or fashion. They wanted a car with authority. Then someone spotted an old Jaguar 2.4 MkII at a scrapyard. A hundred quid was handed over and after a bit of spit'n'polish Morse had some wheels to pootle around Oxford in.
After 15 years of filming the car was on its last legs. Its refusal to start meant that it often had to be pushed or towed into position before filming commenced.
When the show came to a close, 248 RPA was given away in a competition. The winner, an Oxford law graduate, sold it on with some bodged repairs. Then in 2002 the car was auctioned for £53,200.
The new owner was the director of a property company who recruited respected classic specialist David A C Royle a Co to carry out restoration work. Sadly, the owner's firm collapsed. The car went into the hands of administrators, who deemed that finishing the restoration would yield the best price - so work on the car resumed.
Once the work was complete, the car went up for auction again and this time the winner was Ian Berg, a Yorkshire businessman.
Mr Berg won't reveal exactly what he paid for it but he put down between £120,000 and £150,000 in a sealed bid contest. Berg said the car, 'deserves to be seen and appreciated by all - not locked away in a collector's garage' and he regularly displays it at events and shows in the UK.
