Beschreibung
HIGHLIGHTS
Desirable top specification Sovereign
4 litre AJ6 straight six engine
‘Coffee and Cream’ factory specification interior in excellent condition
Immaculate bodywork
Very well-preserved example of the increasingly popular X300 Jaguar
12 months MOT to February 2024
Dry stored since 2016 until recommissioned in 2023
THE APPEAL
In the early 1990s Jaguar faced a challenge. It was ready to replace its mainstay saloon car but new owners Ford didn’t want to pay for it. The solution was typically Jaguar. The firm took the front and rear ends of its proposed new car and grafted them onto the existing car, at one stroke cutting the cost of launching a new car by millions.
The result of that inauspicious start was the excellent X300 Jaguar. It was mostly a XJ40 but looked like a new car. And, crucially, it looked like a Jaguar. Where the XJ40 had smoothed out the Jaguarness of the XJ6, the X300 built those curves back in, from the fluted bonnet to the svelte boot.
The X300 shape was so good that it stayed in production until the early 21st century. Inside there was a refreshed XJ40 interior with better plastics and veneers to go alongside the improved build quality. Under the bonnet was Jaguar’s superb and ultra reliable AJ6 straight six engine. Buyers loved them.
The X300 was only available for three years before the V8-engined X308 came along. This car is from the final year of production and has the larger capacity 4 litre engine combined with luxurious Sovereign specification. It has avoided the curse of X300s – rust – and looks particularly good in Topaz metallic with unmarked cream leather interior.
It has just been recommissioned after being in storage since 2016 and now as 12 months MOT. There are a few small jobs to do if the buyer wants perfection. Otherwise it looks ready to deliver some serious Jaguar style.
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
Recommissioned in 2023 after being in dry storage since 2016
MOT until February 2024
First registered on 30th August 1996
Original Jaguar dealer plates
THE INTERIOR
Cream leather interior in excellent condition
CD multi changer
Electrically operated front seats
Sovereign specification with better leather and veneers
Carpets in very good condition
Original Pirelli P4000 space saver spare tyre
For Jaguar, how a car looks is not just about the metalwork. Step into a classic cat like this XJ6 and you could be only be in a Jaguar. Low, wide and trimmed in swathes of cream leather and wood veneer, it is all about luxury and indulgence.
Jaguar lacked the funds to make over the XJ40 interior for the X300 so they concentrated instead on improving the quality of the materials. Sovereign was the top trim specification and the most popular: it is easy to see why because the higher quality leather and wood nudges this car a further notch above its rivals from BMW and Mercedes.
This car is finished in a factory ‘coffee and cream’ combination – darker coffee finish for the dash and door tops and cream for the lower parts and seats. This combination, with the burr walnut veneers, gives this Jaguar an airy, open feel that suits its relaxed style.
The front seats are electrically operated. The leather is in very good condition, just the driver’s seat showing the early signs of wear in the base and backrest that might be expected of a 27-year-old car. Some hide feed and a good valeter would likely be a worthwhile investment to preserve the condition of these lovely seats.
The rear seats are in excellent, unmarked condition.
The extensive wood veneer across the dashboard, door trims and centre console of this car is in very good condition. Only a tiny crack on the veneer around the gear selector detracts. There is also a small mark on the leather of the gear selector surround. Even the catch on the ashtray in the centre console, a notorious weak point of these cars, works correctly.
The headlining is sagging in places, a common fault on the X300. Kits are available and can be fitted without specialist skills.
THE EXTERIOR
Unmarked Topaz metallic paintwork
Reconditioned alloy wheels in excellent condition
Pirelli tyres, front tyres close to wear limit
No indications of rust, including in the rear arches
Underside appears solid and no MOT advisories
No MOT advisories for vehicle structure
The X300 continued the Jaguar tradition of long, low and louche designs established by the first XJ6 of 1968. Enthusiasts rate it as one of the best-looking Jaguar saloons, which is quite an achievement considering that the firm also made the Mk2.
Lovely as the styling is, it does have one significant weakness: rust. The X300 was spun out of the XJ40, a car that was launched in 1986 but was engineered in the 1970s. Unlike most XJ40s, the X300 was galvanised but the design weaknesses remained.
This XJ appears to have avoided those problems. The Topaz metallic bodywork is in excellent condition, with no obvious signs of deterioration, particularly in the rear arches and sills where X300s tend to suffer. This is likely due to the low mileage and dry storage from 2016 to 2023.
Close attention indicates only a couple of minor cosmetic issues, both limited to the front and rear bumpers. There is a slight scrape on the base of the rear bumper below the offside rear light and a scuff on the nearside front bumper corner. The car is fitted with a ‘4 litre’ bonnet badge which is a later addition, although this style was adopted for subsequent Jaguars sports cars.
Pirelli tyres are fitted all round, P4000s on the front and P6000s on the back. The MOT shows advisories for the front pair as they are close to the limit.
The 16inch teardrop alloy wheels are in very good condition. They appear to have been refurbished as Sovereigns were usually factory-supplied with diamond cut alloys, which can be difficult to replicate during refurbishment.
THE MECHANICS
245bhp AJ6 4litre straight six fuel injected engine
automatic gearbox
Covered 1, 500miles since 2016
MOT history supports mileage
The AJ6 straight six engine fitted to X300s is one of Jaguar’s best and the 245bhp 4litre provides extra power for this effortlessly quick saloon. The engine was designed to be smooth and silent, in the Jaguar tradition, and has the added advantage of being particularly durable and reliable. The 4spd automatic gearbox is similarly well regarded.
The car has only covered 1, 500 miles since 2016 and was dry stored until being recommissioned in early 2023. It comes complete with both keys and fobs plus an original sales brochure , full book pack including a stamped service history exclusively by jaguar main dealers and specialists
The MOT runs to February 2024. There were a small number of advisories on the last one that the buyer may wish to attend to. All four coil springs are showing signs of corrosion as is a fuel pipe, although there are no leaks. The steering rack also has some play.
SUMMARY
The X300 is the ‘in between’ Jaguar that enthusiasts are beginning to really value. It combines the proven six cylinder mechanicals of the earlier cars with the improved quality, galvanised build and more classic aesthetics of the later cars. There are plenty about, but this very presentable Sovereign a particular find.
Looking good in unmarked Topaz metallic, it has the desirable 4litre engine and is luxurious Sovereign specification, topped off with that lovely ‘coffee and cream’ interior. There are a few minor jobs on the horizon but it looks ready to wow the new owner with some Jaguar wafting.
