Black’s a helluva tough colour to pull off when a car is new – and it doesn’t get any easier as a car enters its third decade.
And yet, when a car is as svelte in its design as this one there are few better colours; with a hint of discreet menace laid over an air of cabinet-minister-success, we can’t think of a better shade to finish your Jaguar Sovereign in.
This one has also batted away twenty years and 84,000 miles with the sort of nonchalance that only comes from pampering your new car like you did your firstborn.
And, while that’s easy to write, the reality is that curating a car to this level is an awful lot of hard work, but then it’s worth it when you can still demonstrate factory-quality shutlines, superb panel alignment, and a distinct absence of dents, dinks, and ripples.
The door mirror casings are free of scrapes and scuffs too, as are all four corners of the bumpers. The exhaust tailpipes are also shiny and bright, the sunroof fits the aperture well, and the paintwork is all but flawless bar the usual stonechips and minor marks every car accumulates over the years.
If you’ve browsed the photos it probably won’t surprise you to learn the seller paid extra to have his new car treated with a Diamondbrite coating – and then spent the next ten years polishing it with the special polish they provided to conserve it.
“I’m not a fanatic,” he protested, before adding, “but I am probably close!”
This top-flight curation extends to the 20-inch, split-rim alloy wheels, which are unblemished by any signs of careless parking. They’re also fitted with matching Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres too, and 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.
The rest of the details stack up just as well with bright and undamaged lamp lenses, unblemished badges, and excellent chromework, including the mesh grille that’s such an important part of the Sovereign’s understated elegance.
Heck, even the numberplates still have the supplying dealer’s details on them, as do the stickers in the windscreen and rear window.
This is a very original example.
So, the only people who are going to be disappointed with its condition are those looking for a project car to get their teeth into.
Sure, there are a few jobs you could do if you want to keep yourself busy, like refurbishing the alloy wheels if the peeling lacquer bothers you. You could maybe give the chrome window surrounds a polish too, as they’re a bit tarnished. And the tyres, while legal, are getting on a bit, so you might like to consider changing them while the wheels are being refurbished.
That’s pretty much it though.
