Owner Of $100K Jaguar Scorched In Cajon Pass Wildfire Still Plans To Restore The Classic

TORRANCE (CBSLA.com) — Car enthusiast Malcolm Croxton was waiting at his Torrance home on Friday for a very special delivery.

After about a half dozen trips to scope out a classic Jaguar roadster in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Croxton parted with a good chunk of change and became the proud owner of a 1962 E-type.

The two-seater convertible was supposed to arrive by carrier on Friday, but it never came.

"Then I got a call from a friend of mine who said, 'There's an E-type in the Cajon Pass in a car carrier, and it's on fire,' " Croxton said.

Sure enough, it was Croxton's car.

Less than a month ago, he bought a '64 Jaguar E-Type that looks very similar to the one damaged in the fire, only in a different color.

Croxton says that his original E-type, an icon of automotive design in the 1960s, had all its original parts and was rust-free. Because of its condition Croxton says it was worth an estimated $100,000.

But has the coupe's value gone up in smoke?

Croxton believes it's still worth saving. Once restored, he says he can sell the Jaguar at twice the price he paid for it. It's just going to take some time.

"The trim, the steering wheel, the electrics and stuff that will probably all be gone. I can make it good again, but I can't make it original again," he said.

Whoever ends up buying it will have quite the story about how their Jag' emerged like a phoenix from Friday's fiery mess.

Croxton is awaiting word from his insurance company before he can retrieve it from a tow yard in Hesperia.