Built from 1975 to 1996, at first the XJS received something of a lukewarm reception. Early models had a reputation for being a bit unreliable. Stung by this criticism, Jaguar worked relentlessly to improve the XJS and, by the late 80s, it was a competitive, and in some ways class-leading, grand tourer. It’s now widely regarded as a design classic, being an embodiment of Jaguar’s “grace, space and pace” mantra.
This particular XJS is a truly rare beast. As a late pre-facelift model it’s very desirable, offering an almost perfect blend of design details, performance and understated luxury. Fitted with the now legendary 5.3 V12, it’s everything a Jaguar should be: endlessly comfortable, beautiful to look at and surprisingly powerful. The fact that this car has been dry-stored its entire life, meticulously maintained and benefits from very low mileage, a near perfect specification and full Jaguar service history just adds to the appeal. If you’ve been after a convertible V12 XJS, you’re going to struggle to find a better example than this.45HuTPjg0Y6NJis3wClcaVnYyyHnaWUtLb7SeNZK.jpeg567.61 KB
The History and Paperwork
• First registered in March 1991
• First used as a demonstrator for Doves Jaguar of Croydon
• Just 6 owners from new (Dealer, March 91, July 92, June 95, March 08, December 17)
• Completely original
• Always dry-stored
• Matching numbers vehicle
• Verified low mileage of 50,116 with less than 5,000 miles since 2006
• MOT until April 2023
• Previous MOT certificates included
• Some invoices for service items and brake replacement
• All original handbooks
• Full Jaguar Service History with 21 stamps – last service at 50,075 miles (May 2021)
• Original dark blue fabric roof with cream headlining, matching dark blue tonneau and vinyl tonneau bag
• 1992MY security system (factory fitted)
• Original Jaguar radio/cassette system
• Air-conditioning
• Trip computer
• Electric windows
• Cruise control
• Heated, electrically adjustable seats
• Full-size spare wheel
• Original Jaguar jack and tool kit
As a place to spend any amount of time, the cabin of this XJS is truly special. It’s been kept in superb condition, with only the lightest wear evident on some of the switchgear and sill-guards to betray the fact that this is a 31 year old vehicle. We are assured by the owner that everything works exactly as it should, there were certainly no issues we could see.
The seats are comfortable, supportive and in beautiful condition. As always with the XJS, there’s no shortage of room. There’s plenty of leg and elbow room in the main cabin and a good amount of storage space behind the front seats, including a lidded compartment. The boot space is huge for this sort of car – even with a full-size spare wheel and tool kit, there’s still more than enough room for a week’s worth of luggage. Unless you’re a very heavy packer…
When you examine the convertible roof itself, it looks almost completely unblemished, with thick insulation and a lovely cream headlining that contrasts very well with the deep blue outer fabric. Overall, it’s a great colour scheme and works very well with the exterior.
• Arctic Blue metallic paintwork with red coachline
• Dark blue fabric roof
• Original factory-fit Radyot Halogen front foglights
• 15” multi-spoke alloys with Pirelli P600 tyres
• Headlight wipers
Low, wide and minimally surfaced, the XJS is an exercise in restrained and confident design. If the test of great design is whether it still looks good after a few decades, this absolutely aces that test. It helps that this car is finished in Diamond Blue metallic paint, which suits the lines and style of the XJS beautifully well and that the paintwork is in the condition it’s in.
Obviously it’s not flawless, but it’s as close to that as a 31 year old car that hasn’t been restored can be. We tried to find any kind of notable fault externally, but we honestly couldn’t – the body panels are pristine, the trim and brightwork is all present and correct and the wheels are in near perfect condition.
Even underneath the car, a traditional point of issue with older XJS models, everything is straight and free from any evidence of damage or repair. There are one or two areas of very slight surface corrosion on some suspension elements, but otherwise the underside of the vehicle is very good indeed.
Jaguar’s mighty V12 is a tremendous engine when cared for properly. Offering a meaty 295bhp driving the rear wheels through a ZF automatic transmission, it’s a deceptively powerful yet smooth drivetrain. It’s clear the car has been exceptionally well cared for, the engine bay has that “so clean you could eat out of it” quality, and the engine idles beautifully. Smoothly, with a creamy thrum when you rev it.
The owner tells us that it drives perfectly, with good acceleration, braking, steering and smooth shifting. We can well believe it – with 21 main dealer service stamps over its lifetime, it has averaged less than 2,400 miles between services and therefore is in as good condition mechanically as you could reasonably expect. In fact, the owner (who has a number of XJSs) tells us it’s “as close as you can get to a new XJS”. having spent some time with the car, we’d be hard-pushed to disagree.
With a faultlessly impeccable service history, great specification and a lifetime of being pampered, this XJS must be one of the best on the road in the UK. We adore everything about it, from the crisp Diamond Blue metallic paintwork to the creamy Magnolia leather and epic V12 powerplant, it’s pretty much the perfect grand tourer.
Whether you want a gorgeous classic to enjoy on the weekends and special occasions, or a low-use daily that has the capacity to easily carry you in comfort to the south of France (or the south of Italy for that matter), not much comes close to this. And while we love to see cars being used, it’s difficult to ignore the investment potential in this car too.
While many XJSs were built, not many remain in this kind of condition, certainly not as original as this. It’s the desirable pre-facelift model, it’s got the best engine in the range, and overall it’s probably one of the best examples you’ll find. What’s not to love?
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