1994 Jaguar XJ 6.0 V12

Finished in the ultra-rare colour of Moroccan Red, ‘L521 DUE’ is a Japan-market XJ81/XJ40 fitted with the mighty six-litre, 318bhp V12 engine – and having spent its entire life in Japan, it is still in an extraordinary condition.

It’s only covered 63,000 miles for a start, and that figure is backed up by a mileage verification certificate. It’s also totally original with its factory paint and panels intact. It is said to have “no rust to the body panels, sills, or bulkhead” as it has “never used on salted road surfaces.”

It sits on 20-spoke alloy wheels that are fitted with brand new Nankang tyres, and is ULEZ-compliant for London and seven further cities.

Grace, Pace, and Space has never been more tempting, reliable, or budget friendly.

Establishment types would have chosen black coachwork. Maybe silver, if they were feeling bold. But never Moroccan Red.

No, Moroccan Red was the preserve of bounders like Mike Baldwin – and don’t we all want the sort of life in which we get to pour a glass of whisky from a cut-glass decanter on the sideboard before walking away without bothering to replace the stopper?

No? Just us then – but I think we can agree that almost all of us want a classic 90’s Jaguar with bodywork this good.

Original and unrestored, Jaguar’s build quality is laid bare for us all to inspect, and despite the Internet trash-talking the XJ40’s QC, cars like this show any problems are more likely to be down to poor quality curation than poor quality control because the shutlines and shine are both excellent, even now.

There are no dents or dinks to worry about either, nor ripples along the flanks. There are no scratches either, and there’s even a distinct lack of stonechips; they are a few there for sure, but there are far fewer than you’d expect.

The leaper on the bonnet is present and correct, as is the gold Jaguar emblem on the top of the radiator grille. The red and silver pinstripes also still run straight and true – and their colours are as vivid now as they ever were.

The chromework might be limited compared to that of the outgoing model but what there is still presents very well indeed; it might come as a shock to some of you that a car built in 1994 is now thirty years old but it is and the fact the shiny bits on it are still as shiny as they are says a lot about the care with which it has been looked after in the past three decades.

(In case you were wondering, Wet Wet Wet had that year’s best-selling single with Love Is All Around – you can thank us for the earworm later…)

The 16-inch alloy wheels might be diminutive by the standards of today’s cars too, but they’re in a fantastic condition with not a scuff or scratch on them.

The 225/55R16 Nankang Noble Sport NS-20 tyres are brand-new, so they’ve still got oodles of tread left on ‘em.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

Other treats include power washers for the quad headlamps, plus front foglamps.

Speaking of lamp lenses, while the exterior is very good indeed the fastidious among you might like to source an offside front indicator lens as the one that is fitted has a few light cracks in it.

The offside rear lamp unit isn’t perfect either, but this last point is nit-picking of the first order.

Of more importance is the paintwork. As you’d expect given its age, it isn’t perfect and is starting to develop a light patina. As you can see in the photos, it’s not at all bad and the seller points out that a polish and detail would make a huge difference.

However, because a car is only original once he’s erred on the side of caution and has decided to leave it as it is so potential bidders, or the new owner, can see its condition for themselves. They will then be able to make an informed decision on how to proceed.

The leather ‘n’ burr walnut interior is every inch the Jaguar – and it too has survived the passage of thirty years with impressive aplomb.

The wooden veneer, for example, is shiny and free of chips and other damage. The lacquer that protects it and gives it its shine is still intact, and the resulting trim is every bit as good as you’d hope.

The front seats are excellent too. Leather covered, electrically adjustable, heated, and featuring a three-way memory function for the driver’s seat, Jaguar even thought to fit an ‘entry’ mode that slides the seat back to make access and egress even easier.

Barely creased they’re still nicely firm and very supportive. They also feature pronounced side bolsters to keep you firmly in place during spirited driving but fear not; they’re still discreet and in no way ruin the luxurious-but-understated ambience.

The rear seats, as is usually the case, are in an even better condition. The reading lights in the back of the front seats still work, and the elasticated pockets beneath them are still firm and taut.

The leather-covered ‘Randle Gate’ and gearknob are in great shape, as is the steering wheel. All seem to have been handled with kid gloves, metaphorical or literal.

The lettering on the XJ40’s distinctive trip computer to the right of the steering wheel is also still bright white and vivid, the headlining is remarkably clean and taut, and the carpets are very good indeed.

The headunit is the factory fitted Jaguar radio-cassette, and this also controls and channels the boot-mounted Jaguar CD-multichanger.

The toys continue inside with electrically adjustable and heated seats in the front, twin front airbags, automatic climate control, cruise control, electric doors, windows and mirrors, and rear screen blinds.

This might not sound like much and, truth be told, it isn’t compared to modern cars but then this is a Jaguar that dates to a time when luxury was engineered in rather than bolted on, and we promise you won’t feel shortchanged when you drive it.

We are told that everything works as it should, including the four Jaguar puddle lights that are built into the bottom of each door card – and details like this really do matter as they’re what separates the great cars from the merely good.

The vast boot’s capacity if somewhat taken up by the presence of a full-size spare wheel. But the carpets that cover it all are in a very good condition, and it does mean that if you have a puncture, you’ll be able to fix it and be on your way in minutes; try that with a modern Jaguar and see how long you have to wait for the RAC or AA to tow you to a garage.

Lifting the carpet shows only solid metal underneath.

As with the exterior, there really isn’t a lot for the new owner to do. There are two thin cracks in the veneer in front of the passenger and these run through the ‘V12’ lettering, which is a shame, but that’s all we can find to criticise.

NB: The mileage you see displayed on the dashboard is in kilometres.

The seller says it starts and runs as it should and does it all without illuminating any dashboard warning lights. He also tells us that it “rides exceptionally well, and even puts modern Jaguars to shame in some ways.”

But don’t just take his word for it. He’s so confident in the quality of his car that he’d love you show it off to you in person.

The engine bay is nothing short of magnificent. Clean and very nicely presented, the fact that magnificent V12 engine is fully exposed instead of being shrouded in bits of plastic helps; call it your stand against single-use plastics if you like…

There are signs of aging in places like the valve covers but we think its charming rather than problematic – but if you disagree then rectifying it would be the work of an afternoon.

The factory stickers, in Japanese of course, are still there too, as are the ‘Jaguar Japan Limited’ window decals as well as a couple of others for services undertaken.

The Jaguar’s MoT certificate is valid until April 2025, and it was, of course, issue with no advisories. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following the seller’s previous cars because he’s as meticulous as he is a pleasure to deal with.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported vehicle. It also comes with three keys.

As is so often the case with imported cars, the paperwork has gone missing, so you should base your bids on its condition as you see it in here. Or, preferable, in person.

Like so many, we struggled to see the appeal of the XJ40 for a long time. And yet, we’ve started to warm to it, not least because of examples like this.

In a genuine time-warp condition and freshly fettled for UK roads, it’s being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

We expect that bidding to run out of steam somewhere between £8,000 and £12,000, but given its rarity and condition, we’d expect the residuals over the medium- to long-term to be somewhat better than you think.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Lyne, Surrey. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.