HIGHLIGHTS
- Rare S-Type 3.0 Sport from late in production run
- Late 2005 car, so avoids higher road tax rates from 2006
- Unusual solid British Racing Green with black leather trim
- Never welded and no MOT corrosion advisories
THE APPEAL
It may have been a deliberate anachronism when launched, with its fusion of retro styling and traditional mechanical layout, but by the time the Jaguar S-Type reached its final incarnation it had evolved into a thoroughly modern car.
The S-Type received three facelifts during its nine-year life, each time as an answer to the model’s critics. First to go was the original dashboard, followed by the shiny leather seats, droopy back end and plasticky switchgear. By the time of its final nip and tuck in 2005, it had been the car it should always have been – far better built, much more refined and better rust-protected, yet retaining the wonderful dynamics, great performance and old-school silhouette of the original.
Today, that modern-retro styling is core to the car’s appeal. A good S-Type is a cool thing, as nostalgia for the late 1990s and early 2000s develops apace.
After all, it’s a car that’s rapidly emerging as a classic, loved by a band of dedicated enthusiasts who will preserve the best survivors as the rougher examples fall by the wayside.
This one falls into the latter category – a really smart example of the final generation S-Types in ‘Sport’ trim, which was more youthful interpretation of the model, colour-coded and smartly presented, with 18-inch alloys and sports seats, in the case of this example in perforated black leather. It’s wholly more modern than old S-Types, too, with the LCD displays superseded by touchscreen technology, Bluetooth and softer, chunkier controls.
But arguably the best thing about this car is its colour – solid British Racing Green. Not to be confused with the sparkly pearlescent alternative, this is the same shade as used by the legendary Le Mans D-Types. And it’s achingly cool.
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
- UK V5C
- MOT October 2023
- ULEZ compliant
- Supplied new by Guy Salmon Jaguar, Gatwick, in September 2005 – the first of the 2006 Model Year vastly improved cars
- 10 stamps in the service book up to 77,985 miles
- Original owner’s handbook
- Jaguar wallet and book pack
- All radio codes and manuals present
- Sat nav disc
THE INTERIOR
- Black leather sports seats with perforated inlays
- Maple veneer inserts
- Electrically adjustable seats
- Barely any bolster wear
- Fully functional touchscreen with sat nav, audio, climate and Bluetooth phone control functions
- Leather-trimmed sports steering wheel
- Excellent carpets, door cards and headlining
- Black-themed dash and carpets, far more subtle than earlier S-Type cabins
- Cruise control
- Trip computer
- CD player and boot-mounted changer
- All electric windows work as they should
- Leather armrest and twin cupholders
- Stainless steel Jaguar kickplates
- Vendor reports that airbag light flickers on and off – perhaps suggesting a poor connection in the under-seat wiring
THE EXTERIOR
- Rare, unusual and gorgeous solid British Racing Green paint
- Very good overall condition with deep shine and all original paint
- Never welded, appears very solid underneath and no MOT corrosion advisories
- 18-inch alloys with minor kerb marks on rims, all tyres over 5mm of tread
- Colour-coded grille and gloss black door mirrors
- One tiny area of bubbling on nearside quarter (see photos)
- Two areas of paint lacquer damaged by bird lime, both very small and barely notable
- Front fog lamps and twin sports exhaust pipes
THE MECHANICS
- 3.0-litre V6
- Later six-speed automatic, shared with the XJ6 and considered much more reliable than the original ZF transmission
- 240bhp
- 0-60mph in a lively 7.1 seconds
- Starts and runs well
- Fantastic engine note under acceleration
- Sports suspension shared with S-Type ‘R’
- No known or apparent faults with steering or braking systems
SUMMARY
Now’s definitely the time to buy an S-Type, as collectors are already snapping up the best examples of what was one of the most important and significant Jaguar models of all-time.
And this is as good as the S-Type got – sharing its suspension with the S-Type R and with subtle, sporting styling features, a vastly improved cabin, a six-speed auto gearbox and wonderfully comfortable sports seats, but with realistic running costs and compliant with most emissions zones (unlike earlier S-Types), it has a lot to recommend it. And then there’s the colour, which is utterly lovely. The perfect retro-styled daily driver.
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