When Jaguar bolted a supercharger onto its already brilliant X300 saloon, it created one of the finest cars in the world – or in the eyes of former BBC Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the BEST car in the world. That’s an opinion. He stands by to this day, over quarter of a century since he owned an identical black XJR himself.
It’s easy to see why. With a screaming supercharger and 385bhp (or over 400bhp in the case of this example) it’s a phenomenal performance car as well as a grand and luxurious one.
This one’s even more special being a manual – rare at the best of times with only 30 known survivors, and one of only two black ones. It has been enthusiast owned for most of its life and is presented in stunning condition.CWe0cmLNVsrRJ93niEzhuUOljKz0G5sDoqStzME5.jpeg1.91 MB
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
Every old MOT certificate
Service invoices
Receipts for recent major work
Show certificates
UK V5C
Old tax discs
Correspondence from previous owner
MOT until March 2023
The last owner of the XJR owned it for over a decade, acquiring it from a fellow enthusiast who maintained it regardless of cost for eight years. It was given a comprehensive overhaul including a full respray in 2013 and has had a number of performance enhancements added – see below. 5tpWjxRpg49tgnF3uV5kct92OfO5ain4MZGZTW6P.jpeg1.04 MB
THE INTERIOR
Pale Ivory leather
Charcoal carpets and door cards
Dark maple veneer
Original tool kit
OEM stereo
Headlining needs regluing
Official XJR over mats
The XJR is as stunning inside as it is out, with near-immaculate leather seat facings, drilled alloy pedals and a black leather-rimmed XJR steering wheel.
The manufacturer’s stereo and CD changer are fitted and the under-bonnet tool kit is complete. The only snag is the headlining, which needs to be glued back – a very common fault on this era of XJ and not a disastrous job to sort out on a non-sunroof model such as this one. YbTyZIDHj0U0BqU3KrZcfrWyC6MR0tKFvIxNQhWU.jpeg1.13 MB
THE EXTERIOR
Rare black paint
Restored and repainted in 2013
Excellent overall condition
Refurbished brushed aluminium alloys
Stealthy and stunning – that’s this XJR. It looks absolutely phenomenal in menacing black and is in fine condition, having been extensively refurbished and treated to a respray in 2013.
It has clearly been looked after since as the paint is pretty much flawless. There’s a tiny bubble on the bottom of the nearside rear window surround and a couple of very minor paint chips, but nothing noticeable or that detracts from its overall appearance.
10psi boosted supercharger from Torque Developments
Putting out well over 400bhp
The XJR has seen several performance upgrades, detailed above, which are well-known in Jaguar circles and increase the power output from the standard 385bhp to well over 400bhp. The car hasn’t been dyno-tested but the previous owner reports that the supercharger mods alone give an extra 20-30bhp.
This is a terrific car and looks absolutely amazing, while its extensive history file courtesy of its past two enthusiasts shows a lifetime of care and gradual improvement. Those are the basics.
The core to its appeal, though, is that it’s a manual XJR from the first full year of production. It’s a proper collectors’ item that will surely appreciate in value and is an absolute beast to drive. It has a huge amount going for it and is sure to attract a lot of interest.
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