﹒Only 28,800 miles and two owners

﹒Complete service history and original books

﹒Looked after by a renowned Jaguar specialist

Following on from a long line of XJ models that traces all the way back to 1968, the XJ8 first appeared in 1997 and was the last evolution of the XJ40 platform. Designed by Geoff Lawson – who had also penned the wonderful XJ220 supercar – it was the last Jaguar to be initiated prior to Ford acquiring the company. It was the epitome of Jaguars ethos of ‘Grace, Space and Pace’ thanks to it’s all-new silky-smooth AJ-V8 engine. This was offered in 3.2 and 4.0-litre displacements, with a supercharged XJR model also available. All models enjoyed the effortless shifting of a 5-speed ZF gearbox.

The 3.2-litre V8 developed 240bhp with 233lb ft of torque, giving confident performance and a 140mph top speed, while the 5-metre long body and long wheelbase resulted in an unrivalled level of ride comfort and luxury. The opulence of the walnut and leather interior was a soothing tonic to drivers tired of harsh riding German cars and seeking the ultimate in comfort. The X308 was a big hit with the press, too, with Motor Trend summing it up best as ‘a musclecar in a tuxedo’.

Supplied by the Jaguar Centre in Hull (now Hatfields Jaguar), this XJ8 was originally registered to a gentleman in Scarborough, who covered around 1,000 miles a year and had it serviced locally. It was then offered for sale with 12,000 miles on the clock at Mathewsons in Pickering (the auction house featured on TV show Bangers and Cash). The current owner points out that at the time Mathewsons were offering it as a direct sale, not via the auction process.

The current owner is a keen Jaguar fan and also owns an XKR. He’d been enjoying the whole Jaguar club scene and had taken part in several events organised by the Jaguar magazines. His wife had noticed that many of the other partners also had Jaguars and she wanted one of her own.

It was on a trip to Yorkshire in summer 2013 that they spotted this example and they were both drawn to the stunning Seafrost paintwork. At the time, the car still sported seat covers and even covers for the hand pulls, so the interior was in immaculate condition.

A deal was done and the car was soon heading back to Nottinghamshire with the current owner. It was then booked into renowned Jaguar expert David Marks Garages in Wilford, Nottinghamshire for a comprehensive service. David is the technical expert for Jaguar Monthly Magazine and well known in enthusiast circles.

He carefully waxoyled the low-mileage car and the current owner can supply a photographic record of this.

The car visits David every year to have its MoT and whatever servicing work it is deemed to need. The current owner says that David is very familiar with the car and happy to talk to anyone about it.

Thanks to five grandchildren and the need to run children around after school, the family now need more seats and have bought a seven-seater Land Rover Discovery Sport - what else? They’re Jaguar Land Rover fans.

As well as the V5C logbook and all the original Jaguar service books and owner handbooks, in the original wallets, the current owner has kept extensive records of all the servicing work carried out on the vehicle.

It has been serviced nine times at David Marks Garages over the last eight years in the hands of the current owner, with the last service being at 28,794 miles on September 2021. It is clear from the receipts that no expense has been spared to keep this XJ8 in tip-top condition. The odometer currently reads 28,808 miles.

The current owner will be retaining his private numberplate, so the car will revert back to its original age-related numberplate. There are two sets of keys and alarm fobs with the car, including the original green valet key.

Open the heavy door and you’re greeted by a sea of cream and light brown leather offset with extensive walnut panelling. This is British craftmanship at its very best and unmistakably Jaguar. Step over the unmarked stainless steel kickplates and nestle down into the deep, well-padded armchairs and it’s like being elevated to First Class, with everything the driver touches being either leather or walnut.

The windows, mirrors and seats all adjust electrically – as any gentleman would expect – while there’s the useful addition of a remote opening boot. Naturally cruise control is fitted to keep progress as effort-free as possible.

Purists might bemoan the odd Ford push button or switchgear, but it gives a winning combination of classic Jaguar looks and modern ergonomics to make this a very useable classic. 

Cream leather adorns the doorcards, centre console armrest and the seats, with a light brown leather used to reduce glare on the dashtop and also wrapped around the steering wheel. The upper section of the steering wheel is walnut to match the swath of walnut across the dashboard. The rev-counter, speedo and fuel gauge are neatly inset into the dashboard, with a neat Jaguar-branded clock above the centre console.

The original Jaguar stereo is in place and offers an AM-FM radio, a single-slot cassette player with Dolby B noise reduction and a boot-mounted CD multi-changer. The owner points out that the six-disc CD cartridge for this is missing – these are available online for around £30.

Keeping occupants cool is climate control, with individual air vents located in the rear to keep back seat passengers comfortable – remember many Jaguars were chauffeur driven, so rear seat comfort was a priority.

The driver's seat and steering wheel would benefit from a deep clean to get out some ingrained marks, but are not damaged or frayed and will clean up well. The rest of the interior is immaculate with little evidence of wear or marking, while the headlining is unmarked.

All four door cards are in immaculate condition, with only a minor tear in the nearside rear door pocket detracting from them – this looks like it could easily be removed and re tucked into hide it. Each of the doors seems to be free from rust with evidence of waxoyl around the drain holes.

Overall, the interior needs only minor detailing to be in near concours condition. Quite exceptional for a 20-year-old car.

This car has clearly been garaged most of its life and it was carefully waxoyled and undersealed at the start of the second owners tenure in 2013. This accounts for the excellent condition of the underside which looks in fine order.

The door bottoms, boot and bonnet all appear rust-free, while the wings all appear original and undamaged, indicating no crash damage.

Lifting the large boot reveals a cavernous space that can easily accommodate at least two sets of golf clubs and is fitted with unmarked grey carpeting. Under the carpet, the paintwork is immaculate and the space saver spare wheel appears unused and still has the original bobbles on the Pirelli tyre.

Minor scrapes are evident at the nearside corner of the rear bumper and the offside corner of the front bumper. These have been touched in but would benefit from a professional chip repair. There’s also a pressure dent on the nearside rear wing, that hasn’t broken the paint and could possibly be massaged out by a dent specialist.

The bonnet is remarkably free from stone chips, while the wheel arches are crisp and true. The Seafrost metallic paint is an amazing colour – a rich silver with just a hint of blue to make it stand out.

The paintwork itself is in impressive condition with the clear coat lacquer being undamaged and the panel gaps and shutlines being arrow straight. Together with the chrome detailing around the windows, grille and bumper edges it really does have presence. A leaping Jaguar has been neatly added to the bonnet and looks like it was factory fitted.

The original wheels are in good condition with only very minor marks on a couple of the rims (from wheel balancing weights), while the Pirelli Cinturato P7 225/60-16 tyres are dated 2012 and were fitted by the current owner in 2013. They all have good tread and are free-from cracks.

The doors are hefty and shut precisely with a click – there’s none of the horrible clang you get on modern vehicle doors. It still looks and feels like a £50,000 motorcar.

Under the bonnet, the original 3.2-litre 24-valve V8 looked leak free and idled with a silky smooth precision. All the original clips and fixings appear to be in place and the warning stickers and VIN plate on the leading edge of the bonnet are the factory-applied ones. The bonnet is in excellent condition and the sound-deadening material is fully intact and free from rips. It lowers down on gas struts and shuts with a solid thud.

Moving the car around on the photoshoot, it started without issue, didn’t smoke and seamlessly purred along. The original 5-speed ZF gearbox is said to shift smoothly and the current owner knows of no mechanical faults other than the minor bodywork blemishes.

Given the low mileage and extensive money-no-object service history, it’s clear that this car will delight it’s new owner for a long time to come. The XJ8 engine is famed for its durability and is known to cope with interstellar mileages with ease. The current owner has enjoyed trips to France and Northern Ireland in it and comments that ‘it’s an amazingly comfortable car that just glides along and gets many admiring glances.’

This is an original, unmolested Jaguar XJ8 that has been well cared for in the hands of just two owners. For it’s age the bodywork is in exceptional condition and it has clearly benefited from being garaged and pampered by a Jaguar specialist. It’s arguably the last of the true Jaguar-designs, before they were entirely developed under Ford’s wing and has a winning blend of pure Jaguar design allied to the practicality and good ergonomics of a modern car.

But it’s the handsome looks and the emphasis on comfort and luxury that is the real appeal here. With sumptuous leather armchairs for five people, it’s not just the front seat occupants that are spoiled, either – you get to share the luxury with all your passengers. This has long been the appeal of full-size Jaguars – comfort for all.

XJ8s with bodywork this good and in original condition are hard to find and this one has appreciating classic written all over it. And there’s no awful diesel clatter to spoil the party either, rather the subdued burble of that silky smooth V8. The icing on the cake is the unusual Seafrost paintwork, which has to be the best colour to emphasise the handsome understated elegance of this saloon. Space, grace and pace, without a doubt.