• Great body and interior condition
• Fitted with the 4.2l V8
• Just gone through a major service
• Comes with two new keys
• Full service history

Launched in 1998 at the Birmingham Motor Show, the Jaguar S-Type was a mid-size four-door saloon car, reviving the name from the early version of 1963-1968. This new S boasted a whole host of retro style, while also bringing plenty of modern refinement to the table.

As a result, it soon found favour with buyers, who delighted in driving something pure to the days of Lyons, but with modern underpinnings. And it's because of those aforementioned looks that the S Type is now finding a place as a proper modern classic.

Especially when they're as stunning and as well kept as this rare V8 version. Grace, space and with 300bhp on tap, most definitely pace.

Looking at the service history document that comes with the car, we can start to build a picture that this S-Type spent the first chapter of its life within the Solihull area, receiving servicing at well-known Jaguar dealers, Stratstone.

After its time in the Midlands, the car moved to Poole where the next owner continued with the recommended service intervals for approximately six years. From Poole, the big Jag next lived in the Wandsworth area and then finally ended up with the current owner in Maidstone.

With just 78k on the clock, this S Type should not be confused with the lesser-loved, motorway-beaten cheap examples out there. This one has been cared for; it's been a car in which the owners have taken pride, and with that V8 under the bonnet opposed to a more common diesel, they have been justified in doing so. This is a flagship car, and it has been cared for as such. You're going to have to work hard to find a better one. 

The paperwork with this Jaguar includes the important V5 document and a few assorted invoices to reference some more recent works done to the car. Within the leather-bound Jaguar wallet, you will find all of the relevant original Jaguar books such as the owner's manual, infotainment and so on.

There is also the all important service book which, has a multitude of services stamps that just goes to show how well this Jaguar has been looked after.

Within the few invoices that come with the car, there is one for the most recent major service including the changing of the auxiliary belt, a brake fluid change, all eight spark plugs and a few other sundry items. Furthermore, there are also invoices that reference rust prevention and rust repairs. The first one is for a course of rust treatment that still has a guarantee from the door sills down.

The second invoice is for rust repairs within the rear wheel arches. This was only a small patch, but it just goes to show the level of care and pride that has been lavished over this Jaguar to keep it in tip-top condition.

The interior of this Jaguar is almost as good as the day it left the factory; with the acres of unmarked black leather and beautiful wooden accents it is a great place to sit and soak up the miles. With this being a high specification car from the factory - SE V8 Plus - the list of interior features is pretty long.

A few highlights include the touchscreen system which controls the climate settings, satellite navigation, radio (with a CD multichanger in the boot) and phone features.

All of these features still work today with the touchscreen being as responsive as the day it left the factory. The aforementioned climate control is not only dual-zone in the front, but it also still blows ice cold air, which is always a great sign on an older car.

The electronically controlled and heated front seats are like sofas; huge and outlandishly comfortable, wrapped in high-grade black leather (as you would expect from a Jaguar) they are a wonderful place to sit. And crucially, these seats are also in great condition with little to no signs of their 78,000-mile usage.

There is a little mark on the rear bench seat, but this is on a removable panel that shouldn’t be too hard to get recovered if you wanted to.

Finished in Platinum Silver, the exterior of this Jaguar is in excellent condition. The panel gaps across the car are excellent, the paint - which has clearly been protected and coated in the past - shines with a uniform glow, no mismatching shades of silver here. here is a tiny little dent that you may want to get addressed on one of the rear doors, but it is so small that in most lighting conditions you can’t even see it.

The bumpers are free from any evidence of coming into contact with anything, the glass is excellent as are the surrounds. Then there is the chrome, all of which still gleams enthusiastically. Finally, all four alloy wheels have recently gone through a refurbishment. Not only have they been refurbished but they have also been shod in four, matching Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres. 

On most cars of this age, you will start to see the headlights cloud and crust as the lenses react to the elements, but as you can see the four signature headlights on this S-Type are in great condition with no signs of any deterioration in the lenses. It's a stunning car, make no mistake. 
 
In the paperwork section, we mentioned that the car has been through a course of rust prevention and also a few repairs. The current owner carried this work out for peace of mind, and during the process, the entire underside was coated some areas covered include, subframes, floor, sills arches and all of the cavities. This is still within its 24 month guarantee and can be retreated annually if you so desire. 

Fitted with the huge 4.2l V8 this is a true wolf in sheep’s clothing. The 300hp made by the naturally aspirated V8 is put through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The V8 fires up first time and without prolonged cranking, even on a frosty morning, and the automatic transmission changes seamlessly with no juddering or harsh changes. Power and pace, but with refinement.

The transmission serves to deliver that huge power smoothly and without drama. Just push down into the deep carpet, and away it goes without hesitation. Just like a powerful Jaguar should!

One important factor that may be overlooked if you're not careful is that this S-type has never been run on the newer E10 fuel. The current owner has made sure that they have always filled up with the better E5 supreme fuel. It’s a small factor, but once again it is a detail that allows you to build a picture about how much the previous owners have cared about this big cat.

The current owner has done some preventative maintenance on this Jaguar throughout their ownership, these include the recent major service, a new engine sump gasket, new rear brake pads and a new offside rear driveshaft of which the owner has a spare.

The only things left to do on the car are to fit a rear draft shaft (which as mentioned above comes with the car) as and when necessary and also potentially change a front top suspension arm. They don’t impact the drive of this car, in fact, on the road test there wasn’t any knocking present from the suspension.

The Jaguar S Type is, make no bones about it, a proper modern classic. When it was launched, it took the buying public a moment or two to come around to the retro styling. But we did, and now we love it. It's finding its feet as an enthusiast's car, and it's even becoming a more regular sight at classic car shows.

It's a car that is rapidly building a following. And why shouldn't it? It has classic looks, but modern underpinnings. It's a modern slice of classic design that you can use every day.

This one, with its thunderous V8 and incredibly high specification is arguably one of the best currently available. Cared for from the very moment it rolled out of the showroom, this one has been spared the harsh motorway life as its lesser diesel engined counterparts.

This one has been cherished, and as such, it stands today as a stunning example of one Jaguar's more recent high points. Handsome, fast, laden with equipment and with history and documentation for days, this is the one you want. But you can only have it if you bid...


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