The best things come to those who wait – or at least that’s how the saying goes. Sometimes, they don’t come at all, and that was exactly the case for Jaguar during its period of British Leyland ownership and the drawn-out replacement for the XJ6. 

It took 14 years and a release from Leyland ownership to finally get the XJ40 from the drawing board to the showroom, or about six times the usual length of time for a new car’s development. 

There was certainly a will to replace the XJ6 much sooner. The original plan for what would ultimately become the XJ40 was put into place in 1972, and by 1973 there were even design concepts floating around that were incredibly similar to the car the new model ultimately became, but with no money in BL’s coffers and the need to improve volume models such as the Morris Marina and Austin Allegro first and foremost, the Jaguar kept being put on a backburner. 

It’s astonishing to think that the XJ40 was the last Jaguar to see a substantial level of involvement from Sir William Lyons, or that it was originally signed off by Lofty England during his tenure as Jaguar chairman, as by the time it appeared in 1986 Jaguar had seen unprecedented changes, first through a tumultuous period of BL ownership that had seen the E-Type replaced by the bulkier, non-convertible XJ-S and the XJ saloon put through two revisions but left largely mechanically untouched when (especially near the end) it was woefully out of date. 

It took a return to independence after Michael Edwardes sell-off of BL’s non-essential businesses for Jaguar to finally crack on with the car and develop its new AJ6 engine, something that the new Jaguar boss John Egan pushed through more rapidly than BL would sign-off a new door mirror. From 1984 to 1986, the XJ40 went from being passed around as an engineering concept but rarely developed further to being the most technologically advanced production Jaguar ever.

This example is a late pre-facelift one – a 4.0-litre with the later engine and has been loved and cherished for all of its life. 

The Jaguar was supplied new by Stratstone Limited of Park Lane, London, in August 1992.

It’s first owner was The Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, where the car was the company vehicle of one of its senior directors, who was also the Director of the British Grand Prix and a well-known figures in the UK automotive industry.

He retired in late 1994, and the RAC gifted him the car as a retirement present, so until 2016 the car was only driven by him although it had two keepers. 

It was acquired in 2016 by the present owner, a Jaguar enthusiast who has a collection of older cars. He’s loved and cherished the car and it has been seen frequently at multiple Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club events as well as the NEC classic car show (where it was on display with one of our own consignors XJ40!), but he has a new project to complete and the Jaguar is being reluctantly sold to free up space and funds. 

He would very much like to maintain contact with the new owner as he would be interested in buying it back should it come up for sale in the future. 

There’s plenty of evidence that this XJ40 has been well looked after during its life, including a service book that is stamped all the way through to 2005, after which the owner has maintained it himself, but has kept receipts for all the parts he has bought for it. 

The original Jaguar leather wallet is there, including all of the books – owner’s manual, service history, audio guide, air conditioning instructions, security guide, quick guide and a warranty booklet. 

In addition, there are piles of bills documenting additional work, including one for oil and filters earlier this year indicating that the car has been recently serviced. It also comes with a selection of old MOT certificates. The current MOT runs until December 2022. 

Finished in Silver Frost, the Jaguar looks mightily handsome.

It’s totally original, too, and the original paint is in fine order, the only visible corrosion being a small patch of bubbles on the lower nearside front wing, and a tiny bleb on the end of one sill. Underneath, it’s excellent and has never been welded.

The lattice alloys are in great order and these are all shod with recent and good quality Falken tyres. The distinctive ‘fish tank’ headlamps are in good condition, and a pair of hard-to-find spares come in the boot. 

All four door handles are in good working order (any XJ40 fan will tell you this is pretty important) and all of the chrome is in good, presentable order but not perfect. 

It also has an RAC bumper badge that slots into a hole in the front bumper, the vendor has found a replacement from the original.

 

Inside, the XJ40 features sumptuous grey leather seats which are in very good order, with minimal signs of wear. The thick grey carpets match the seats and are also in excellent condition. 

There’s none of the droopy headlining often found in Jaguars of this vintage as it was refitted, and all of the dials and controls work as they should, including the oft-temperamental trip computer. 

The walnut veneers set the interior off nicely and are in generally good order.

It also comes with the original and highly sought-after original Alpine radio-cassette, which Jaguar fans go out of their way to find. 

The 4.0-litre six is a tough and reliable engine renowned for its longevity, so with 129,414 miles on the clock there’s plenty of life left in it. 

It starts on the button and settles down to a smooth and near-silent idle, something the AJ6 engine was well-known for. 

The vendor reports that it drives brilliantly, that the automatic gearbox goes well through all the gears and that there are no evident or obvious problems with the brakes, suspension or steering. It’s a lovely, comfortable and effortless car to drive.

It took awhile for the XJ40 to be accepted in classic Jaguar circles, but its time has now well and truly come with the best examples now fetching very strong money. The later models are by far the best, too, both in terms of reliability and overall build quality.

This is one of the most sought-after XJ40 models and with the 4.0-litre engine is regarded as the best one to drive, too. 

All of which makes this a great example of a rare modern classic, and one that is in totally original and very good order, with an amazing history record.