1986 Jaguar XJ-SC V12 HE

The seller of this stunning matching numbers 1986 Jaguar XJ-SC V12 Targa top has enjoyed the car for a few months, and in that time it has been given a new lease of life thanks to the enthusiastic vendor.

Prior to the vendor's ownership, it had been owned by the previous keeper for around eight years, and seventeen and half years prior to him. It’s clear to see the XJ-SC has been well cared for over the years. There were just an odd few jobs which needed completing to turn it into the stunner that we have here, which we will read about as we move on.

With the car now extremely well presented, it’s time to let another enthusiast take over the ownership of this quite rare Jaguar XJ-SC V12 Targa top.

Finished in Tudor White, the XJ-SC is in wonderful condition. It has recently had a lower half respray carried out by a classic car restoration specialist, whose task was to freshen up the already good 1986 paintwork.

Starting at the front, the classic XJ-SC front end is in excellent order with both the brightwork and the paintwork. Stone chips are minimal, and the lights are all in good order with no cracks to them. The grille is nice and straight, with the V12 badge in good order. The bonnet aligns as it should with the grille and wings. Above the bonnet, the chrome windscreen surround is in excellent condition, and also the windscreen has no noticeable scratches to it.

The smooth flanks of the XJ-SC don't disappoint by any means. They are near enough straight as a die with just a couple of very small indentations to the top of the driver’s wing, possibly caused by someone leaning into the engine bay over the years. It’s quite possible that these could be removed by a paintless dent removal specialist, but it obviously would need assessing by them first. The doors look to align nicely as Jaguar intended, and the gold pinstripe sits well on the Tudor White paint. The side windows are in good order, with the chrome trim matching the rest. The special part about this XJS has to be the Targa top. Removable in three sections if required, (and let's face it you would if you could, especially on a nice crisp morning with the sun out). With the roof removed there is also the soft top, just in case you got caught out with the hard sections removed, an easy fix solution.

The rear of the Jag is as good as the rest. The boot aligns with nice and equal panel gaps, the lights are free from any splits or cracks, and the bumper has a nice bright finish like the rest of the brightwork, together with the boot handle. The tailpipes from the V12 exit on either side, and the rear valance looks in nice order with no obvious corrosion issues.

The original Starfish wheels have been given a full refurbishment and fitted with new matching tyres, ready for the new owner.

Inside, the Jaguar is in lovely condition and in no way would you say the interior matches the age of the car.

As you open the door, the comfortable leather seats look to be in excellent condition, with just a little age related creasing to them. They have recently been re-connolised, which has given them a nice fresh look.

Sitting in the driver's seat, the dashboard is finished in black, which is in good condition and with no splits. This matches the door cards, and is finished off with the Elm wood trim that runs in the door cards and across the middle of the dashboard. It looks to be free from any cracking to the lacquered finish. The instruments are nice and clean with no obvious scratches to the faces. Everything is reported to work correctly, and the odometer has a reading of just 73,248 miles. The switches are nice and ledgebale with no signs of heavy wear to them. The trip computer is reported to be working, and just below it, which is nice to see, is what looks to be the original radio cassette head unit. To the left of the centre console there are some screw holes, possibly from a mobile phone being mounted there in the past.

The carpets are excellent. Having a mat on the driver’s side has prevented any excessive wear. The headlining on the targa tops has been replaced, and the rest has been glued back in place as it had sagged a little in places. In the boot, again, we have excellent carpet, with the spare wheel and cover present. Also in place is the complete original tool kit, and still in the original storage bag is the jack and wheel brace.

During the light restoration, the underside has been given a coat of stone guard to protect it. This hasn't been applied so thickly that you can't see anything, instead you can see everything and it shows that the Jaguar is hiding nothing.

Powered by the Jaguar V12, the XJ-SC produces a healthy 295 bhp. Turn the key and the V12 starts on the button with ease, and sounds fantastic purring away from all 12 cylinders. Give it a gentle blip of the throttle, and the big cat awakens with no unwanted noises. The transmission is automatic, and the car is reported to pull well through the gears with the change being nice and smooth. It has had a new gearbox mount fitted which was in need of replacement.

The XJ-SC sits just as it should and handles just as well, so well in fact that it is a true joy to drive, and probably not much different from when it was new. There have been new shock mounts fitted, and the car effortlessly soaks up the bumps on today's roads with ease. The seller reports that the car comes to a halt nice and straight without any juddering from the brakes.  

Being sold from the trade, this matching numbers and extremely well presented rare Targa top Jaguar XJ-SC has a fantastic history file.

There is plenty of paperwork, which shows previous servicing, parts and jobs carried out on the stunning Jag. Indeed there is a very recent invoice (photo 339 in gallery) totaling £10,405 carried out by the vendor's own workshop in September and October of this year. This included a bottom half re-spray to freshen it up, new front upper shock bushes, 4 x new tyres, rear brake pads, all alloys refurbished, gearbox mount bushes replaced, new headlining, interior leather fully reconolised, plus a few other items he felt would further improve the car.   

There are also plenty of MOT certificates which show just how little use the car has had. Since 2007, the Jaguar has covered just 1,835 miles.

There has been an MOT carried out on the car which passed with no advisories. This expires on the 8th September 2022.

We also need to let you know that the cherished registration, XIJ 681, is staying with the car as part of the sale. It has been with the car for 25 years therefore the vendor felt it would be a shame to separate them.

The perfect British tourer, capable of munching up the miles with ease, thanks to the 5.3 litre V12 and automatic gearbox. Even better with the Targa top roof sections out, or even the rear window section removed completely in the summer months.

Being the Targa top, it is definitely one of the rarer XJ-SC models, which together with the overall condition of the car, is something that makes it much more appealing to own as a classic Jaguar.

If you are looking to buy an XJS then this matching numbers hard top convertible XJ-SC is one that should go straight to the top of your list.

We estimate this classic Jaguar XJ-SC will bring in the region of £18,000 - £23,000.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and 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’.