1988 Jaguar Series 3 Sovereign

The current seller purchased the car from The Market around 2 years ago from the previous owner whose father purchased the Jaguar on the 27th of February 1990 as a main dealer-registered demonstrator, marking the second and final phase of its charmed life. It was then passed down to his son, the previous owner, on the condition that it was kept in good condition and the maintenance was kept on top of. After losing the storage space the car inhabited it was decided to sell. The current owner has continued the level of supreme care and attention the car has been afforded and has had plenty of fun in the car with it being a well-rounded and capable machine. They have decided now to pass along the car to another enthusiastic owner for them to carry on the level of custodianship.

Fitted with a rare factory sunroof and finished in the attractive colour of Boredeaux Red metallic, with magnolia interior trim it is the epitome of a luxurious Jaguar. It has been lightly, but regularly, used over the years by the previous family and the current owner to keep the car in good working order.

The bodywork is presented in very lovely condition with very few marks, dents or blemishes. The shut lines are tight and uniform, panels straight and the paintwork is deep and retains its shine. It has had small sections repainted over the years with the rear valance replaced too, it’s all been done to a high standard and with a family-owned history it shouldn’t have any horror stories hiding. The most notable defect is a bit of "bubbling" on the wing around the off-side front indicator repeater. The 15-inch ‘pepper pot’ alloy wheels are in a very good condition with no sign of kerbing or damage. The tyres are in good condition and all have good tread with life left in them.

The chrome trim around the car still shines and has little pitting, the rubber bits are still black and haven’t faded or cracked from what we can see, the rare factory sliding steel sunroof opens and closes as it should too. There are a few stone chips and scuffs but nothing up to the level of wear and tear you’d expect on a 34-year-old car.

The magnolia leather interior is fantastic a real treat to see, it is barely creased and the bolsters of all the seats are still holding up nicely. It’s a rare thing to have a car driven for the majority of its life sparingly by one person, the condition of the interior really does deny the age and miles of the car. The walnut veneer is in great condition also alongside the seats and the door cards and burgundy carpets. It’s still got its original Jaguar-branded headunit, and the chrome controls are as good as you could hope to find on a car of this vintage.

Even the lettering on the switches and dials is still bright and vibrant, it’s a very nice place to be inside the big Jag, reminding us that even back in the 80’s Jaguar really knew how to build ‘em.

The headlining was replaced four years ago, a big job that requires the rear screen to come out. The boot contains the complete, original tool kit and jack, plus good carpets on top of the floor.

The A/C is now working beautifully meaning it keeps you warm when it’s cold outside and cool on those rare sunny summer days. Even all the lights in the cabin work thanks to the owner replacing the bulb for the ‘Opticell’ system.

Heading underneath the bodywork of this vast luxurious land yacht and you’ll find the bodywork to be in reasonable condition, whilst there's corrosion starting to appear. The floors look to be straight and all the components (that haven’t been changed) underneath look to have some life left in them. The springs were an advisory on the last MoT so might need changing at some point but the owner reports that it still drives very well.

Under the bonnet then the big V12 takes up all the available space with most components being placed within the ‘V’ of the engine. One thing you’ll note is the A/C compressor, in the history file it states that the A/C system had a fault and despite changing valves and pipes the unit still wouldn’t function as intended, the owner then decided to change the unit for a lighter, small unit which is a popular upgrade. This not only works keeping the cabin cool but also allows more airflow around the bay due to its smaller size.

Otherwise, the bay is kept in a neat and tidy condition with all bits that needed replacing being sympathetically changed out for oem parts where possible. You’ll be pleased to hear that the aftermarket alarm, the cause of so many problems for older cars, was professionally removed in 2018.

During the current owner’s time with the car, they have kept the big cat on the straight and narrow with regular maintenance and a few bits of work here and there. The invoices from the current owner’s time are summarised below.

- MoT @ 88184 miles, with only advisories for corrosion on the coil springs – Moonwhizz – 27/08/2021

- Centre heat flap, exhaust leak and noise under throttle investigated and fixed – Copthorne Classics – 20/10/2021

- Parts to fix the A/C, replacement thermostats and wiper switch – Moonwhizz – 30/11/2020

Previous to this owner the servicing record for this car was immaculate and timely without fail, it was also truly maintained with no expense spared, a term we don’t attribute lightly to any old vehicle.

The Jaguar still has its original owner’s handbook, stamped service history booklet, book pack, and storage wallet plus two sets of keys.

The servicing is very impressive and one we think should be shown off so we have summarised it below for you.

• 10.08.1988 and 979 miles – service by Julians of Reading

• 02.05.1989 and 8,160 miles – service by Julians of Reading

• 19.04.1990 and 14,948 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 22.07.1991 and 19,212 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 04.03.1993 and 27,467 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 21.02.1994 and 33,789 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 06.03.1995 and 38,546 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 05.03.1996 and 42,983 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 18.02.1997 and 47,606 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 06.03.1998 and 53,000 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 18.03.1999 and 56,686 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 07.03.2000 and 60,023 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 15.03.2001 and 62,811 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 27.02.2002 and 64,665 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 03.03.2003 and 66,126 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 23.02.2005 and 69,025 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 09.03.2006 and 69,857 miles – service by Graysheen Garage

• 20.03.2013 and circa 74,000 miles – service by J.C. Motors

• 27.04.2016 and 80,809 miles – oil service by Auto-Design

• 18.09.2019 - service and miscellaneous repairs by major Jaguar specialist C.M.C at a four-figure cost

Cars like this are rare and a joy to behold, essentially a one-owner-from-new car with an unrivalled service and maintenance record, it’s a V12-powered Jaguar XJ you can buy with your heart without your head jumping in to spoil the party.

The Jag represents a wonderful prospect by being so good that you’d be proud to use it all the time but not ‘unusably concourse’ condition that you’d be scared to leave it unattended anywhere. If you’re a Jaguar enthusiast who wants to use their pride and joy, then this has to be one of the best cars on the market.

We estimate this car to reach within the range of £8,000 - £12,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.