1988 Jaguar XJS V12 Convertible
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Highlights
• Beautifully presented
• Low mileage
• Excellent history
• Original example
The Background
The late 1960’s and the design for project XJ27 was initially started by Malcom Sayer. The design was never finished and was taken over in 1970 by the in-house Jaguar design team, headed by Doug Thorpe. The 5.3 litre V12 finally made its debut on the 10th September 1975, and was named the Jaguar XJ-S, with a top speed of 143mph and a 0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds.
Development of the V12 engine saw a new model released in 1981, the XJ-S HE. Whilst not making any more power, the engine dramatically improved the fuel economy, hence the HE (High-Efficiency). Two years later a targa convertible was produced, firstly with the 3.6 six cylinder engine until 1985 when the V12 was also an option. The targa model was never a great success for Jaguar, and after failing sales a rethink was on the cards.
It was in 1986 when a full convertible was available through some dealers. The full convertible was modified by Hess & Eisenhardt located in Ohio, USA, who were under contract from Jaguar to convert the cars into full convertibles. This was until 1988, when the official full convertible XJ-S, like the one we have here today, became available, and as expected it was a huge success.
The History
The vendor of this 1988 Jaguar XJ-S has owned the car since 5th June 2021. A big fan of classic cars, the temptation of another couldn't be missed when the big cat showed its face, simply because of the stunning condition the car was in. Even more of a deal clincher was the amount of paperwork the car came with, plus the regular service visits to Jaguar main dealers to carry out any required work.
Completing most of the car’s 59,269 miles through the mid 90's, it looks to have got up to around 58,000 miles in 2007, and was then put into storage for some years up until 2019. It was then brought back out and had an MOT carried out, but has only covered 8 miles until the most recent MOT in May 2021.
Unfortunately, with a love of classic cars and some bikes, the Jaguar takes up the room of a couple of bikes and a car, and with space limited, the vendor has made the decision to let someone else have the absolute pleasure of owning this stunning classic XJ-S.
The Paperwork
The V5 is present and shows 8 previous keepers for the Jaguar.
The history for the XJ-S is excellent, with plenty of bedtime reading to satisfy you. These include handbooks, service booklet, radio instructions, and invoices dating back to the mid 1990's. It's clear that the car has been truly cared for by the previous keepers.
There is an MOT on the car which was carried out on 5th May 2021, where it passed with no advisories.
The Interior
Inside, the Jaguar is in lovely condition and in no way would you say the interior matches the age of the car.
The colour of the interior is code LDY Savile Grey. As you open the door, the seats are a sports style, similar shape to a Recaro. There is no obvious wear to the bolsters on the driver’s or passenger side, just a few very light creases. This is another good sign someone has taken care getting in and out of the low seated tourer, as these are usually the first things to wear.
Sitting in the driver's seat, the dashboard is finished in black, which is in good condition and with no splits. The Elm wood facia is free from any crazing to the lacquer and is in excellent condition across the dash. The instruments are nice and clean with no obvious scratches to the faces of them. Everything is reported to work correctly and the odometer has a reading of just 59,269 miles.
The switches are nice and ledgebale with no signs of heavy wear to them. The trip computer is reported to be working and just below it, which is nice to see, is the original radio cassette head unit, but there was no cassette to test this. The wood trim around the gear lever does have some very slight cracking, but quite an easy thing to replace if desired.
The switches are nice and ledgebale with no signs of heavy wear to them. The trip computer is reported to be working and just below it, which is nice to see, is the original radio cassette head unit, but there was no cassette to test this. The wood trim around the gear lever does have some very slight cracking, but quite an easy thing to replace if desired.
The carpets are excellent. Having rubber mats over them has kept them protected. Behind the driver's seat is the storage area for the tonneau cover or maybe a bottle of champagne for a picnic lunch in the countryside. In the boot, we have again excellent carpet, with the spare wheel and cover present. Also in place is the original tool kit, still in the original storage bag which matches the carpet.
The Exterior
Finished in paint code PDH Jet Black, this 1988 Jaguar XJ-S looks stunning right from the first moment you see it.
Starting at the front, the classic XJ-S front end is in excellent order with both the brightwork and the paintwork. Stone chips are minimal, and the lights are all in good order with no cracks to them. The grille is nice and straight with the V12 badge in good order. The bonnet aligns as it should with the grille and wings. There are a couple of small blemishes on the bonnet which do look like they could be polished out by a professional detailer. Above the bonnet is the windscreen surround, which is in excellent condition and also the windscreen with no noticeable scratches to it.
The smooth flanks of the XJ-S don't disappoint on this one, they are near enough straight as a die with just one very small indentation to the passenger door. This looks like it could easily be removed by a paintless dent removal company. The door angles and chrome window trim is in good condition with no tarnishing.
The passenger side rear wheel arch, towards the front edge, has some slight blistering, approximately 1½”, but other than that the arches are all in excellent shape. There does look to be some evidence of some paintwork on the driver’s rear quarter and sill, which we would say was carried out a number of years ago, as the paint condition is in keeping with the rest of the car, although it must be said that this is being quite picky and it is only noticeable from a faint line in the door shut.
The convertible roof is in lovely condition and operates as quickly as it should going up and down. There are just a couple of wear marks where it folds up on the corners, as you normally get with a hood.
The passenger side rear wheel arch, towards the front edge, has some slight blistering, approximately 1½”, but other than that the arches are all in excellent shape. There does look to be some evidence of some paintwork on the driver’s rear quarter and sill, which we would say was carried out a number of years ago, as the paint condition is in keeping with the rest of the car, although it must be said that this is being quite picky and it is only noticeable from a faint line in the door shut.
The convertible roof is in lovely condition and operates as quickly as it should going up and down. There are just a couple of wear marks where it folds up on the corners, as you normally get with a hood.
The rear of the Jag is as good as the rest. The boot aligns with nice and equal panel gaps, the lights are free from any splits or cracks, and the bumper has a nice bright finish like the rest of the brightwork, together with the boot handle. The tailpipes from the V12 exit on either side and the rear valance looks in nice order with no obvious corrosion issues.
The wheels on the car are all original and in excellent condition with no real areas of corrosion, just some age related marks as you would expect. The tyres are matching and do have a few miles left in them, the rears would probably need replacing first.
The Mechanics
Powered by the Jaguar V12, the XJ-S produces a healthy 295 bhp, certainly capable of putting a grin on anyone's face.
Turn the key and the V12 fires into life with ease and sounds fantastic purring away from all 12 cylinders. Give it a gentle blip of the throttle and it awakens just nicely with no unwanted noises. The transmission is automatic and the car is reported to pull well through the gears with the change being nice and smooth.
The XJ-S sits just as it should and looks as good as it handles, the car effortlessly soaks up the bumps on today's roads with ease. The seller reports that the car comes to a halt nice and straight without any juddering from the brakes.
The Appeal
The perfect British tourer capable of munching up the miles with ease, thanks to the 5.3 litre V12 and automatic gearbox. Even better in the summer months with the roof dropped.
What looks to be an extremely original car is certainly something of a rare sight. Together with all the history and low mileage, it makes it something that, if you are looking to buy an XJ-S convertible, then this is one you won't want to miss out on.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
Vehicle specification
- Year 1988
- Make Jaguar
- Model XJS Convertible V12
- Colour PDH Jet Black
- Odometer 59,269 Miles
- Engine size 5343
Auction Details
- Seller Type Private
- Location Merseyside
- Country United Kingdom
30
bids
- da•••• £22,750 26/08/21
- jc•••• £22,500 26/08/21
- jc•••• £22,250 26/08/21
- da•••• £22,000 26/08/21
- da•••• £21,750 26/08/21
- jc•••• £21,500 26/08/21
- jc•••• £21,250 26/08/21
- da•••• £21,000 26/08/21
- jc•••• £20,750 26/08/21
- da•••• £20,500 26/08/21
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