$80,000 Vintage Jaguar Mark 2 Emerges from the Deep—A Submerged Classic Car and a Decades-Old Unsolved Mystery.

**PORTLAND, OREGON—**In a discovery that sent ripples through the classic car community and ignited speculation among cold case enthusiasts, a beautifully preserved Jaguar MK2, a luxury sports saloon highly prized for its vintage glamour, was recently recovered from the cold, murky depths of the Willamette River.

The vehicle, potentially valued at $80,000 or more in restored condition, was found submerged near a boat ramp off Sauvie Island in the Portland metropolitan area.

The unexpected find was made by an independent search and recovery dive team, known for their work on missing person cold cases, who were initially scanning the area for vehicles connected to unsolved disappearances.

While the Jaguar’s recovery did not immediately solve a missing person case, the unusual nature of its submersion—a classic, high-value vehicle found at a relatively obscure boat ramp—immediately raised questions about the circumstances of its demise.

The Underwater Discovery

The recovery operation took place in the summer of 2019, following an initial sonar sweep.

The team, using specialized equipment, first detected an anomaly near the boat ramp.

The location was approximately 40 feet deep, a depth sufficient to keep the car perfectly hidden from casual observation and many prior searches.

“We were looking for specific vehicles tied to cold cases, but then the sonar lit up with this unmistakable shape,” described one of the dive team members.

“It was clearly a classic automobile, and when we dropped the remote-operated vehicle (ROV), we could just make out those distinctive rounded taillights and the sloping roofline.

We knew immediately it wasn’t a standard, modern vehicle—it was something special.”

Divers were dispatched to the site to confirm the identity.

Despite the poor visibility typical of the Willamette River, they confirmed it was a Jaguar Mark 2.

Manufactured between late 1959 and 1967 in Coventry, England, the Mark 2 series is renowned for its powerful engine options (including the famous 3.

8-liter capable of 125 mph) and its popular culture association, particularly as the iconic vehicle of Detective Chief Inspector Morse in the eponymous British television series.

From Luxury Saloon to River Relic

The state of the recovered Jaguar suggests it had been underwater for a considerable amount of time, though the exact duration remains part of the ongoing investigation.

The fact that the vehicle was found on its roof, resting on the riverbed, indicated it likely rolled or was driven into the water at speed.

Initial assessment indicated the car was likely reported stolen decades ago, a common scenario for submerged vehicles.

However, the presence of such a classic car, which requires meticulous maintenance and is typically driven by enthusiasts, points away from a simple joyride theft.

Theories being explored by the investigators include:

Insurance Fraud:

The deliberate sinking of a valuable vehicle to collect insurance money, though difficult to execute with a car of this caliber.

Organized Crime/Disposal:

The use of the luxury car in a crime, followed by quick disposal to destroy evidence.The river’s current and silt would have worked effectively to preserve—and hide—any secrets.

Tragic Accident:

The less likely but still possible event that the driver lost control near the boat ramp, particularly if the area was poorly lit or conditions were slick.

“This isn’t just a junk car; this is a piece of automotive history,” commented a classic car specialist brought in to evaluate the find.

“The fact that a Jaguar Mark 2, a car that now fetches upwards of $80,000 in good condition, ended up in the river is a mystery in itself.

We’re running the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), but the paper trail on older cars can be incredibly challenging.”

The Unanswered Questions

The most pressing question following the recovery remained whether the car was a simple case of disposal or linked to a disappearance.

While initial inspections did not publicly confirm the presence of human remains, the potential link to any unsolved missing persons case in the Oregon area remains a high priority for local law enforcement, who were present during the extraction.

The dive team emphasized their policy of immediately handing over potential evidence, including the vehicle, to local authorities for forensic processing.

The complexity of the investigation is amplified by the sheer volume of submerged vehicles in the Willamette River.

During the same series of dives, the recovery team located several other cars, including a Nissan and a Honda, underscoring that the river acts as a silent graveyard for forgotten, abandoned, or criminally disposed property.

For now, the regal, waterlogged Jaguar MK2 is held in secure storage, awaiting a forensic deep-dive to determine its history.

The luxury car, once a symbol of the swinging sixties and high society, now holds the potential to unlock a cold case and finally bring closure to a decades-old mystery—whether a simple insurance scam or a tragic final drive.

The true story of how this classic beauty met its dark, watery fate is yet to be fully uncovered.