• Striking Sebring Red V12

• Original book pack and service documents

• JaguarSport body kit

• Registration number not included

A 5.3-litre V12 might not sound like the obvious engine to be christened ‘High Efficiency’ but that’s what the initials stood for on the July 1981-on Jaguar XJ-S HE.

The company’s new High-Efficiency V12 engine offered much better fuel economy – albeit relative at around 18mpg. With a Fire Ball combustion chamber designed by Swiss Engineer Michael May, power output was increased 295bhp. At the same time, the XJ-S HE received changes to its exterior and interior, with HE models identifiable by their body-coloured boot trim. 

Today, the HE models are among the more collectable XJS derivatives – more efficient than the earliest cars but still retaining their classic looks. This one is particularly unusual, as it wears a factory option JaguarSport bodykit, often incorrectly referred to as a ‘TWR’ kit as it was developed with the help of the racing team behind the Jaguar Le Mans cars, which were at the height of their success when this XJ-S was first registered in August 1987.

On which note, the car will be sold with an age-relative ‘E’ registration – the previous seller retained the plate on the car.

This is a 1987 Jaguar XJS V12 Coupe, first registered on August 1st that year as E650 DTA – the registration number it is likely to be reissued with. 

It was registered on two different private numbers during its life and as had at least three longer term owners as well as a few others. The vendor has only acquired it this year to add to his vast collection which now needs reducing. This car does need some recommissioning work which his sadly engineer does not have time for, so its on the list to go and be enjoyed elsewhere.

There’s a fair amount of paperwork supplied with the Jaguar, though most of it relates to the car’s early life. It was supplied by Appleyard Jaguar in Ayrshire and spent most of its life in Scotland.

The service book is stamped all the way through to 71,434 miles In 1995, since which it has only covered 24,000 miles in 26 years. The current MOT runs until November 2022 and was passed with no advisories, but it is the first computerised record. The XJ-S has been in storage for a number of years and has only recently been returned to the road. 

Also on file are the owners’ handbook and original Jaguar wallet, containing lots of original papers. 

This is a striking car to look at thanks to both its body kit and its radiant Sebring Red paintwork, which is astonishingly bold for an XJ-S yet at the same time really suits it. 

The car sits on factory option ‘lattice’ alloys which are also a good match, though they woud benefit from a new set of centre caps. 

The paint is in good order overall and the car appears to be structurally solid, with only a few minor imperfections. There’s a small scrape on one side above the rear bumper and a small amount of rust bubbling under the paint in the same area, whilst there are also some minor scuffs on the front bumper. Overall, though, it looks fabulous and is in very smart order, with nothing to detract from its appeal. 

All of the bodykit is still there and firmly attached, including the distinctive rear spoiler.

It’s all there inside and in decent order, though from storage it could do with a deep clean. The rear seat is dusty, and the rest of the cabin is complete and tidy but would really gleam after some careful attention. 

The headlining is pinned up and would benefit from the attentions of a trimmer – the fabric itself is in good order, so careful use of adhesive would most likely fix it. 

There’s also a wonderfully retro (and functional) trip computer, along with a delightful period Clarion/Jaguar radio-cassette player that was undoubtedly a hugely expensive option when new. 

The car has only recently been returned to running condition but it starts and runs and stops, holding a steady temperature and displaying good oil pressure. 

There’s very little smoke and the engine idled ok and low speed use while we took our photographs, however the vendor reports it will require a good service as they believe it intermittently drops a cylinder.

It has finger-light power steering and engages both forward and reverse gears smoothly. The Jaguar V12 is a specialist engine, though, and after a long lay-up it would, as said benefit from a thorough service before being driven anywhere. 

Jaguar XJSs – especially good HEs with the right kind of pedigree – are in big demand at the moment, and this one is especially intriguing thanks to its period JaguarSport bodykit and unusual colour scheme.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a really solid example and quite a distinctive-looking one that’s a genuine headturner, as well as being a little more racy than your usual XJ-S. It’s not one for shrinking violets, but it’s a genuine piece of 1980s retro-cool.



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