Highlights
- Genuine two-owner car
- MoT with no advisories until 28th February 2023
- Amazing condition – almost totally unblemished
The Appeal
If you’re looking for a saloon car and want the best – something good-looking, fast and luxurious – there’s really only one option: a Jaguar. Certainly, you’ll find those qualities in certain German marques like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but Jaguars have that extra something: a timelessness, sense of tradition and quiet but assured Britishness which places them apart from the rest.
Jaguar has always stood by tradition while embracing modernity, and combined them to create cars offering the best of both. Take the XJ on the X350 platform, for example. Launched in 2003, it was visibly a descendant of the original XJ of 1968, retaining all the features which made the XJ a best-seller for over 40 years – the graceful profile, handsome chrome grille, subtle ridge running along the rear wings, and the sumptuous leather and walnut interior. At the same time, it adopted all kinds of up-to-the-minute technologies, hence the XJ8 ended up with the magnificent 296bhp 4.2-litre AJ34 V8 which, mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission, would happily push it along to 155mph. And that’s just the beginning…
Even at almost 20 years old, the XJ8 retains the qualities expected from a true super-saloon. This example has been almost unbelievably well cared for over the course of its life and, from its condition, you’d think it was closer to two years old than 20. It contains all the wonderful luxuries you’d want from a Jaguar and recent checks have given it a clean bill of health. With only two owners from new, it may be a long time before you get a chance to buy a car like this again.
The History and Paperwork
- Supplied new by Marshall Jaguar of Cambridge to Mr. Simon Turner of Dullingham, Suffolk
- Purchased by its second owner, a Mr. Leaver of Hackney, in 2012
- MoT and service records show consistent maintenance over the course of its life
- Now offered for sale with a fresh MoT, having been newly serviced and subjected to checks confirming everything on the car is functioning to RAC-approved standards
- Paperwork includes the current V5, current MoT certificate, the original Jaguar owner’s wallet complete with manual, service book and other booklets, and a service invoice and RAC checklist dating from March 2022
The Interior
- Beautifully upholstered in Dove grey leather with lots of rich walnut
- Presented in outstanding condition with minimal cosmetic wear
- Seemingly endless list of luxuries, including inbuilt navigation system, Jaguar clock and in-car phone
For a 19-year-old car, what we can we say? The condition of this Jaguar’s interior is staggeringly good, which must be something of a testament to the quality of the materials used. The driver’s seat, of course, is always subjected to the most wear and tear, but on this car you’d hardly know it. Apart from some very light creases in the leather and some of the very mildest wear at the edge of the backrest, you’d think it had not long left the factory. And if that’s the driver’s seat, you can imagine just how good all the others are.
The condition of the seats is typical of the whole car. All the door trim is superb, with a few marks near the base of the driver’s door but nothing which is obvious. Generously furnished with some of the finest, richest walnut you’re likely to see, the dash and centre console are similarly wonderful. The headlining looks to be more or less completely unmarked and every other item, from the leather-covered steering wheel down to the smallest pieces of trim, remains in showroom condition.
The condition alone is immensely impressive, but we haven’t got onto the equipment yet. Air-conditioning, a radio-CD player and power windows are all to be expected, but you also get heated power seats, a built-in DVD navigation system, Jaguar clock (unfortunately this has stopped) and – a real touch of early 2000s nostalgia – a Motorola in-car telephone.
By now, you’ll have got the gist that everything on this car is virtually like new, and that goes for the boot as well. As well as being nice and clean, the original warning triangle, spare wheel and jack are all present in excellent condition.
The Exterior
- Superb metallic paint finish
- Alloy wheels in outstanding condition
- Tasteful chrome highlights complete the picture
It might be said that elegance is the quality of standing out inconspicuously, in which case there can be no doubt: this Jaguar is a picture of elegance. The colour, Zircon Blue Metallic is, we think, one of the nicest Jaguar offered during this period in its history, somewhat reminiscent of the 1960s colour Opalescent Silver Blue, and it sets the XJ8 apart from lesser cars but discreetly so.
We are pleased to see that the paint is almost entirely unblemished. What blemishes exist are in the usual vulnerable places, i.e. the edges of the door mirrors, but even then they are very few and extremely minor. The sporty alloy wheels maintain the same high standard, with just a few minute marks and scuffs around the rim, but for their age they present incredibly well.
Coming from a time when most manufacturers had, lamentably, turned their back on chrome, it’s nice to note that the XJ8 not only proudly wears a chrome grille and bumper trim, but that it is all in spectacular condition, with a mirror-like shine. Unfortunately, we noticed some tiny scratches in the bumper trim, but we did have to look ever so closely.
The Mechanics
- Fast and smooth, with steering as light as a feather
- Very clean and well-presented engine bay
- MoTed in March with no advisories
Just in case there was any doubt, the Jaguar’s 4.2-litre V8 is a very potent engine. Although quiet and seemingly docile, a light touch on the throttle is all that’s needed to get it excited. It really is full of pent-up energy eager to be unleashed, and will accelerate like a greyhound catching sight of the hare. Although it’s on the larger side, every consideration has been given to making it easy to drive, and we were pleased to note that the brakes stop sharply. With its automatic gearbox, power steering, anti-lock brakes, traction control and more, plus parking sensors, it’s a car you can use anywhere and all year round.
Having been regularly serviced and maintained, it doesn’t look like there’s anything to fault mechanically. Certainly, that was the opinion of the MoT tester who found no advisories in March and of the person who completed the RAC preparation checklist, who found everything on their car to be to their satisfaction.
The Summary
Although the 4.2-litre XJ8 was a strong seller, with 44,000 built between 2002 and 2009, many were exported and you’ll probably struggle to remember when you last saw one. Whenever it was, we doubt it was as good as this. Blessed with two careful owners from new, this XJ8 is a truly remarkable and highly original survivor which deserves to be cherished by its next owner.
As good mechanically as it is cosmetically, you should really enjoy motoring in this car, and it’s so well-equipped for all conditions that you can use it all year round, around town and up and down the motorways. Look after it, though – it would be a shame for any harm to come to it after all this time and, if you keep it as good as it is, it’s sure to become even more desirable.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only. Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
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