1985 Jaguar XJ-SC V12

“The Jag is a bit of a mystery, if I’m honest, as much of the history was unfortunately lost when its elderly owner passed away” admits vendor James. “All I know is the car belonged to a wealthy farmer and was dry stored for many years. I think the mileage could be genuine, the interior condition certainly appears to support it, but I can’t verify it.”

After purchasing several years ago, James embarked upon in the region of £4000 of re-commissioning work in order to get the XJS back in fine working fettle. This included numerous electrical investigations and work (including new primary ignition coil and ignition amplifier), a braking system service and some body panel repairs (notably the boot floor), amongst many more items – these can be perused in the photographic gallery, below.

The included V5c document shows the 27th of September 1985 as the big cat’s first date of registration, while confirming that it’s had a total of four owners since that date. “I had intended this car to be a keeper,” says James. “But a lack of use means it’s time to move it on for someone else to enjoy.” 

“The bodywork has had some later paint, but it’s been done to a high standard and the ever-so-expensive bumper chromes are perfect,” says James. The paintwork does indeed have a lovely metallic fleck and a nice depth of colour.

The panels are generally good, but not perfect; there’s a crack just under the left-hand-side of the rear numberplate, some corrosion where the offside rear wing meets the bumper and more pronounced bubbling where the nearside wings meet the sill. The next owner may wish to embark on some sympathetic exterior improvements or alternatively, use the car as is.

“The hood is also in lovely condition and supports the story of the car being dry stored for most of its life,” adds James. It does generally present very well, with just a few loose stitches along its lower rear edge where it meets the body. The Cabriolet hood frame looks good, with just a touch of discolouring present on the B-pillars.

The alloy wheels are in very good, almost mark-free order and wear fresh-looking Pirelli P4000 rubber.

“The interior is in phenomenal original condition,” says James. It is a lovely, place with fresh looking grey carpets and matching door-cards; the leather seats have a pleasing patina, are relatively free of wear and provide excellent support. The only interloper is a Jaguar Walnut Classic steering wheel, which the previous owner added in 2016 at a lofty cost of £396; it is, however, perfectly in keeping with the cabin and a lovely thing to both grip and use.

Up front, the instrument glass is nice and clear, and the walnut veneer remains in good condition. Lifting the carpets reveals nice solid metal, while looking up reveals the underside of the cabriolet top to be just a touch stained here and there – albeit, simple marks associated with general use.

Pop the boot and you’ll find a similarly nicely finished interior space; the carpet remains excellent, and the spare wheel still wears its cover. An almost complete toolkit is also in place.

The Jaguar XJS is a smooth deliverer of its wares and this example is no exception. All electrics work, which they should given the James carried out just after purchase.

Behind the wheel you get gloriously refined V12 punch, elegant handling characteristics and the ability to drop the top whenever you wish. Brakes are strong and there are no untoward drivetrain or suspension noises.

The engine bay is a touch aged here and there, but generally presents well. The under-bonnet heat insulation has seen better days, so we’d personally look at replacing it to smarter matters up.

The underside appears nice and solid but there’s a touch of surface rust lurking under some of the underseal, so it may be worth having that tidied up and resealed soon.

The lower bottom edge of the radiator has seen better days (it’s a touch corroded and has seen an impact or two), so, while it’s functioning now, replacement should again be factored in.

Although much of the car’s documentation disappeared prior to James’s purchase, there are still some items present in the car’s history file. These include the original handbooks, a raft of expired MOT certificates and tax discs, as well as numerous invoices. The latter include quite a few from Orchard Garage, Lincs, for various works during the period 2010-2016, as well as a two-page typed list for the re-commissioning works (mentioned earlier by James) carried out in recent years.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

This model has the ultimate seal of approval: The Royal one, of course; Princess Diana schlepped around in one for many a year, lending it a kudos and image that it carries to this day. Watch a Dallas re-run, and you’ll likely see one pop up in that, too.

One man’s decision is another man’s (or woman’s) opportunity; so, James’s choice to sell means that this XJS-C is now up for grabs. It’s had significant outlay on recommissioning in recent years and can either be driven and enjoyed as is, or sympathetically improved at the next owner’s pace of choosing.

We think it’ll sell for somewhere between £15,000 and £25,000, which demonstrates just how up and coming these big cats are. That mileage could well be original, too!

If you’re a lover of smooth V12 action, allied to wind-in-the-hair motoring, then this could be the big cat for you.

Viewing is always encouraged and this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’