• Attractive example in Sapphire Blue with Oatmeal leather
• Good documented history
• Only two owners from new
• 12 months MOT
Background
The first Jaguar XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive flagship models ever since. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had the input of Sir William Lyons, the company's founder.
With the introduction of the X308 generation in 1997 came a switch from the 'XJ6' nomenclature to 'XJ8', reflecting the fact that the X308 cars were powered by a new V8 engine available in 3.2 and 4 litre form. The exterior styling of the X308 was similar to its predecessor the X300, with tasteful styling improvements such as a change to oval indicator lenses and round front fog lights.
First registered in April 1998 this attractive Jaguar has had only two owners to date, both of whom have obviously cared for the car as it’s in excellent condition for its age. The first owner sold the car when it was just seven years old having covered about 50,000 miles and since then it has covered a further 35,000 miles.
With regular main dealer servicing up to 2018 when it had 78,000 miles it has been serviced 3 times since according to a note on file.
There is a fairly healthy and informative history folder with the Jaguar. Firstly there is a Service book that contains nine main Dealer stamps to 78,828 miles. The Owners son worked for Brighton Audi, so that explains why the last two services were carried out there!
There is a handwritten note in the file that shows 3 further “home” services in 2014, 16 and 2018 but nothing to corroborate this. There is a good stack of receipts that show regular maintenance and replacement of consumable parts, but we saw no major bills for repairs or fault rectification. There is a full complement of MoT certificates that tally the mileage to the services.
The MOT test has now been completed and is valid until 15 December 2022. The original Jaguar Owners pack is present with the full complement of books, plus 3 keys and two remotes.
I would be unusual for a car with of its age to have an interior completely without fault, but what we have here is a really well preserved example with below average miles. The seats, armrest and steering wheel are all trimmed in tasteful Oatmeal leather that is in overall good condition. There are a couple of areas to note; there is a small tear on the centre console armrest, and some wear to the driver’s seat side bolster (both pictured).
Both would be easily remedied, and apart from these it is remarkable how little evidence of use there is. The instruments are all clear, the wood veneer on the dash and doors is all perfect, and the carpets are clean having been protected by mats. The door panels show no major shoe scuff marks, and the headlining is clean.
It should be noted that the Vendor says the sunroof is not currently working, but it could be a simple fuse needs replacing. The boot area is equally clean with no sign of damp. There is the original Jaguar CD changer and a full size matching 17 inch alloy wheel with a Pirelli P6000 tyre and the full complement of tools.
On the day we visited the winter sun was out, and the Sapphire Blue painted glowed in the light. With few faults to note on the body other than some minor stone chips on the front valance we were pleasantly surprised how smart and presentable the Jaguar is.
The wheels are smart Celtic 17 inch alloys that show only very minor corrosion under close inspection, but no evidence of curbing. The tyres are part worn Pirellis on all four wheels; P6000s on the front and newer Pirelli P7 Cinturatos on the rear. We noted the driver’s side front fog light has some corrosion to the reflector.
Under the bonnet everything is exactly how you’d expect it to be, nothing out of place and no evidence of lack of expense. The engine bay is clean with no sign of leaks or stains. The Jaguar was running faultlessly when we visited, looking the business as we followed it to the photo location and purring smoothly as we manoeuvred for the photographs with no clunks from the suspension or gearbox and no complaints from the power steering.
A quick glance at the underside photographs will show virtually no surface corrosion, a sure sign that this pampered cat has spent most of its life indoors! With so much Service history we think it unlikely to give much trouble in the near future.
Anyone who has been lucky enough to travel by Jaguar will know that the XJ series has always been the market leader, featuring the best of British design and comfort and this one is a lovely example. The icing on the cake is the powerful 290hp, 290lb/ft V8, matched to a silky smooth 5 speed ZF automatic.
The attractive colour combination and condition of this example makes it a cut above the average, and exceptional value for money.
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1998 Jaguar XJ8 4 litre V8
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