In late 1997, the Jaguar ‘X300’ XJ6 became the car it should have been at launch thanks to the launch of the new AJ 16 V8 engine line-up.
Along with the new engine, the new ‘X308’ had a few visual tweaks – a new dashboard, better wood, clearer dials and rounder bumpers.
But beneath the exterior, which didn’t have an awful lot wrong with it anyway, the X308 was a thoroughly different beast, with a new V8 engine and heavily revised suspension, giving it delightful agility alongside the best ride comfort this side of a Rolls-Royce.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Jaguar, though, as early X308s were beset by reliability issues, all of which were ironed out for the 2001 Model Year facelift in late 2000. The second-generation cars had stronger cylinder liners and timing gear and were better finished, while they were also better specified in general.
This one is a 2001MY 3.2 Executive, first registered in December 2000 making it one of the first of the facelift cars. The Executive was aimed at Jaguar’s core fleet customers, with the smaller of the two V8 engines for tax efficiency but a level of specification not far behind the uber-luxurious Sovereign models.
This one began its life ferrying very important bums around on behalf of Jaguar’s then owner, Ford Motor Company, as was registered new to the Ford Executive Car Fleet at Brentwood in Essex. In early 2002, at just over a year old, it was sold to a private owner by the Guy Salmon Jaguar dealership in Northampton, who maintained it for the next three years.
In 2013, the car was purchased by a Jaguar enthusiast who used it for Jaguar Enthusiasts Club events for the following nine years, covering a low annual mileage and keeping the car maintained by a specialist during that period. It comes with a full service history up to 121,216 miles and every MOT certificate from new.
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
Original Jaguar leather wallet, book pack and service history
Large file of invoices
UK V5C
MOT until September 2023
Originally supplied to Ford Executive Car Fleet
Fully service history all the way to 121,216 miles, 15 stamps in the book combined main dealer and independent
Every old MOT certificate from new
At last MOT advisories for perished tyres and inner wheelarch corrosion were addressed, with two new tyres. The corrosion was cut out and new metal welded into the inner arches
THE INTERIOR
Lovely Oatmeal leather
Minimal bolster wear – gentle patina to driver’s seat but no damage or holes
Walnut veneer dash and door-trims
16-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat
Original factory sat nav with disc – works perfectly!
Cruise control
Factory stereo
6-CD changer
Excellent carpets and door cards
No damage to armrest
Genuine Jaguar factory floor mats
Original accessory Jaguar-branded Motorola car phone – still works with standard SIM
Headlining has dropped in places and has been pinned up – a common XJ fault
Complete, original and unspoilt Jaguar under-bonnet tool kit
Full-size spare wheel
THE EXTERIOR
Pacific Blue Mica paint
Very smart overall order
Original 16-inch ‘Corona’ alloy wheels, no kerb marks or damage
Excellent paint finish – one small patch of fading on rear scuttle
Some very minor stone chips and one coin-sized area of broken lacquer on bonnet
Factory option mudflaps
Inner front wheel arches professionally repaired and undersealed
Small rust bubbles under paint behind one mud flap and on leading edge of lower nearside rear arch (see photos)
Sills and floor appear to be in very good order
Presents superbly overall, with wonderful shine and deep, glossy paint finish
Excellent chrome and trim
THE MECHANICS
3.2-litre V8
Five-speed auto transmission
Starts on the button
Runs very well, with lively performance, smooth cruising ability and excellent ride and handling
New MAF sensor, recent plugs and coil packs
SUMMARY
The X300 and X308 generations of XJ are rapidly gaining classic appeal – the last traditionally styled, steel-bodied big Jaguar saloons and, by nature of evolution, the best of the breed. A good one is a really nice car. Eminently usable, surprisingly affordable to run and with unrivalled levels of comfort, coupled to great driving dynamics, they represent a fantastic era of Jaguar engineering that is absolutely core to the brand’s DNA.
They’re at an age now where the bad ones are rapidly disappearing and the good ones are shooting up in value. This one is certainly a good one – an original, well-presented and entirely honest car that has clearly been loved, it’s a fantastic choice of charming, usable and really quite special-feeling modern classic.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller.
More about buying with us
2000 Jaguar XJ8 3.2 Executive (X308)
About Max Bids
The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.
Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.
Anti-sniping
Car & Classic prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.
Auctions are extended by 3 minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.
Auto-bidding increments
If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.
Bid Amount
Increment
£0 to £9,999
£100.00
£10,000 to £49,999
£250.00
£50,000 to £99,999
£500.00
£100,000 +
£1,000.00
Automatically outbid immediately
When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours.
You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.
Matching max bids
When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.
Pre-authorisation
We may hold a pre-authorisation charge on your card until the end of the auction when the hold will be cancelled. If you win, we'll take a security deposit which counts towards the payment for the vehicle and isn't any extra cost to you.
What are pre-bids?
A pre-bid means you're able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.
Problem with your bid
Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.