Introduced in 1975, the Jaguar XJ-S was a high-end, luxurious performance GT car available in coupé, convertible and fixed-profile Targa body styles, with a fantastic 5.3-litre V12 engine up front and boasting arguably one of the best bodies to come out of Jaguar since the iconic E-Type.
For those that were living lavish in the 1980’s and who didn’t find a 5.3-litre V12 engine enough, Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) produced a number of cars in partnership with Jaguar under the ‘Jaguar Sport’ banner.
These cars were fitted with distinctive body kits, unique alloy wheels, upgraded Bilstein suspension, and numerous other performance upgrades.
This XJR-S was purchased by the vendor’s father during the early 1990’s, with the car had passed through a total of six owners before coming into the hands of the vendor’s father, who cherished and maintained the car for around 25 years of ownership.
Interestingly - and of particular note to any potential bidders - the car resided in the sunny, dry climate of Marbella for the majority of this time, totalling up around 20 years of life in the sun and kept garaged both during its time in Spain and in the UK.
Whilst in the care of the vendor’s father - the registered keeper of the vehicle - this example was used sparingly as a ‘second weekend car’ and also taken to numerous Jaguar Owners Club meets, of which the owner is a member.
Re-imported into the UK in summer 2021, the car remains on its Spanish plates, though the original registration can be seen in the photographs below. Since then, the vendor has occasionally driven the car to keep everything ticking over nicely, and - following an examination by a family mechanic - the car is reported to be in good mechanical condition.
Included with the vehicle is an extensive paper trail from both the UK and Spain, with service records, invoices and documentation showing that the car was kept in excellent shape regardless of the mileage accrued.
In addition to this, there is also plenty of paperwork from the car’s import process and registration in Spain, numerous invoices from Jaguar specialists and dealerships both on the continent and in the UK, the V5 and other miscellaneous paperwork.
As part of the Jaguar Sport upgrades to the XJS, TWR installed an even more luxurious interior, made up of Connolly Autolux leather and walnut wood trim, which took the already well-equipped interior of the XJS to the next level.
This particular example has been well-travelled and enjoyed, and as a result the interior has seen more usage and life than the vast majority of other XJ-RS’.
The high-traffic areas such as the steering wheel, arm rests, shifter, door cards and carpets all wear various levels of patina and staining, in line with the car’s age and usage. The seats, too, have seen better days, though we cannot see any rips or tears to the material, so no doubt an extensive valet, conditioning and feeding would go a long way towards ‘bringing back’ the leather inside the car.
Elsewhere, the walnut trim is complete but wears plenty of patina and marks from years of service - most notably around the shifter/central console - and the dashboard looks to be in good shape.
Our vendor reports no known faults with the vehicle’s interior or electrical systems, and the car even retains its original Jaguar stereo.
Aggressively styled yet still managing to retain an air of grace and style that is typical of a Jaguar, this XJ-RS is a handsome beast indeed, and will certainly turn heads wherever it goes.
The bodywork looks to be in good order, with no major dents or impacts that we can see, and no obviously missing trim pieces or parts. There is, however, an indentation visible in the drivers door, and several ‘pin’ dents elsewhere on the body.
The paintwork is in decent shape, though there are numerous marks, scuffs and scrapes visible, particularly on both front bumper corners and on the offside rear bumper corner. There are also several scraps on the lower front bumper ‘dam’ which are often seen on these cars, along with wear to the central grille surround, a distorted front number plate (likely from a slow front end impact) and a distorted central grille.
Whilst the dry climate of Marbella has served the car well from a mechanical point of view, it has taken its toll on the paintwork, as the rear bumper has numerous cracking and peeling areas of paintwork along the middle, and there is also signs of corrosion around the boot edge.
According to our vendor, the car is in good condition mechanically, and has always been kept in top shape by his father.
Since coming back to the UK, the car has been occasionally driven and warmed through to keep everything circulating and avoid any extended periods of sitting, and it has been kept garaged both during its time in Spain and in the UK.
Naturally, the car will require an MOT when in the hands of the next owner, if it is re-registered for UK roads.
Representing the pinnacle of the XJ-S of the era and boasting a connection to the legendary Tom Walkinshaw Racing, these XJ-RS’ cars are the epitome of 80’s excess, style and celebration, and are all the better for it.
This particular example looks to be in wonderfully original condition throughout, even down to the original stereo.
In need of some sympathetic restoration to bring it back to its best after years of enjoyment, this is a usable, well-travelled example of the classy V12 GT car. An excellent aesthetic project, or simply a usable head-turning classic - you decide!
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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.
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1989 Jaguar XJR-S TWR 5.3 V12
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