In late 1997, the Jaguar ‘X300’ XJ6 became the car it should have been at launch, as it was slated to have a new V8 engine that ultimately wasn’t ready in time.
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. The most significant changes were under the bonnet, for while the engine displacements remained the same at 3.2 and 4.0-litres, the straight six was replaced with the AJ16 V8 engine, first seen in the XK8 the previous year - the 3.2-litre V8 being all-new. The units were built for Jaguar at Ford’s engine plant in Bridgend and were trucked into Coventry for final assembly.
This one is a properly rare beast – a 1998 ‘Sport’ spec, which was one-up from the entry-level car and was aimed at younger customers. But in late 1998, it was canned as Jaguar didn’t want XJ prices to overlap with the new S-TYPE executive saloon, making it one of the rarest XJ variants, on sale for only nine months. It’s also one of the most desirable, as the Sport specification meant it got the wheels and suspension from the flagship XJR.
The XJ8 has four recorded owners, having been supplied new by Gatwick Jaguar in 1998 and having spent most of its life in London, other than a brief period in the care of an owner in Leicestershire.
As pictured in photograph, the invoice is present for the upgraded chains and tensioners - this is a must for a XJ8 X308 - of this era. There are also invoices for the gearbox filter and maintenance that has been carried out.
As well as the original book pack containing all the security codes and a service book stamped up to 67,345 miles, the XJ comes with a folder full of receipts and some more recent invoices along with a selection of tax discs and all of its old MOT certificates. it's a pretty comprehensive history file and shows a lifetime of care.
The unusual interior of the Jaguar marks this car out as something a bit special as the vast majority of XJ8s, even Sports, were equipped with leather trim. This one has an extremely rare and also very smart combination of leather and Ivory Alcantara, the suede-like inserts offering suppleness and comfort as well as looking really quite smart.
The cabin is in excellent order overall with very good veneers and only a minimal amount of wear to the driver’s side seat bolster. The headlining has dropped slightly and would benefit from glueing back up, but otherwise it's in fine order and all of the dials and controls work as they should.
In the late 1990s, Jaguar offered two different shades of British Racing Green; one pearlescent and one a more traditional solid colour. This is the latter and it's seldom seen, making this car even more of a rarity. The British Racing Green 1753/HGD is extremely rare with only a handful of the X308’s having ever been painted in this colour and even fewer still in existence on the road today. These are becoming a rarity to find.
The colour really suits it and it is in terrific condition overall, with excellent sills and wheel arches, a solid boot floor and no major marks or damage. There's a tiny rust bubble on the bottom of the nearside front wing, but apart from that, some minor scuffs and a small amount of lacquer peel on one rear door, it's in fabulous condition and presents as smartly as it looks in the pictures.
The 3.2-litre V8 starts on the button and sounds great, while critically it has had the timing belt tensioners changed in the past – an essential check for an XJ8 of this vintage.
It’s a low mileage car and shouldn’t present any major problems. We were able to drive the Jaguar a short distance and can confirm it performed well on test, with no untoward noises or rattle, strong brakes and a flawless, typical Jaguar ride quality.
This is a really lovely and unusual variant of the XJ8 – a really rare spec in an equally rare colour, with a fab history and in great working order.
It’s now ready to go on to a collector, someone who appreciates its rarity in X308 terms and recognises it for the striking, unusual and thoroughly lovely low-mileage example that it is.
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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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NO RESERVE - 1998 Jaguar XJ 3.2 Sport
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