2002 Jaguar XJ8 Sport 3.2

When the XJ8 was launched, there were eight different variants, including two Daimler-badged models. But the 3.2 Sport, as here, was something a bit rare and special. While it may have had the smaller of the two engines, with 233bhp compared to the 290bhp or 387bhp of the bigger-engined machines, it made up for this in its spec. As its name suggests, it was performance-orientated, with stiffer suspension, wider tyres and wheels, de-chroming in favour of colour-coded or black exterior trim, a dark grey-slatted grille, and an interior designed to appeal to a more youthful market. Of the 126,260 X308 cars built, just 1108 were Sports.

This particular example was registered on 26 July 2002, so was one of the last ones to be built before production of the X350 successor started. It seems to have been used quite enthusiastically for the first few years of its life, having notched up 17,381 miles by the time of its first MoT in June 2005. But from 2007, it seems to have been more lightly used, notching up less than 2000 miles a year until 2016, and not being used at all between then and 2019. That accounts for its low mileage of just 38,889 miles - hardly anything for a car such as this. The current MoT lasts until 5 June this year.

Little is known of the car’s earlier years by the present vendor - so we may never know why its mileage was kept so low - but he describes it as a ‘beautifully kept car that has obviously been well-maintained throughout its life’. He also tells us that it ‘drives perfectly’ with all the equipment inside working as it should.

The exterior colour is a very smart Aspen Green, a metallic hue that suits the lithe lines of the XJ8 well. The wheels are optional 17in Celtic 10-spoke items, one of the best-looking of all Jag alloys in our opinion. The interior is Oatmeal, which is one of the descriptions that Jaguar came up with to avoid using the word ‘cream’, combined with Grey Maple Veneer. It might come as quite a surprise to anybody expecting conservative walnut, but there’s an awful lot to surprise - and delight - with this XJ8.

Green is one of those hues that has always suited Jaguars, be it British Racing Green on E-types and MkIIs or more modern metallic hues on 21st century machines. Colourful over-exuberance never really suits these XJs; subtlety is much more their thing. And it works very well here. With under 40,000 miles covered, you’d expect the bodywork to be in very good order and, for the most part, it is. There’s a deep shine across the body, and the panel gaps look just as tight as when they left the factory 19 years ago. There’s no rippling, damage or dents.

As a car that has been used and enjoyed over the last 20 years, it isn’t quite perfect. Go in for a close look, and you’ll find a few blemishes. There are a few scuffs, all grouped in the same area, on the bonnet, while the boot handle, colour-coded green to the rest of the car, is a bit faded and mottled in places. Both door mirror surrounds have a few scratches, with some touch-up paint on the nearside one, and there’s a small graze, a few inches long, on the front bumper, behind the indicator lens. But that, aside from the inevitable small scattering of stonechips, is really all that’s amiss with the bodywork, and overall, there is very little to find fault with.

There’s very little chrome on the Sport, the trend back in its day being to remove as much shiny stuff as possible on more performance-orientated machines. However, what little brightwork Jaguar did leave in place is all in fine order.

Those fantastic Celtic wheels, with their sculptured arches, are practically immaculate, aside from the odd nick here or there. There’s no kerbing or corrosion to be found. At 17 inches, in our opinion, they look far better than the larger wheels found on some XJs, which can appear just a little too big for the arches. These, though, just look right. They’re clad in Falken Ziex ZE914 235/50 R17 96W tyres which, being date-stamped 2019, are almost new and have covered very few miles. The spare, in the boot, is also a full-sized Celtic, rather than a spacesaver. Its rubber is a Pirelli P6000, which has seen some use and may even be the original item.

It’s the interior where this Jaguar truly excels. It’s very close to ‘as new’ condition, and difficult to find any flaws whatsoever. There is some light cracking to the leather seats, but it’s largely limited to the driver’s seat, and is completely in-keeping with the mileage the car has covered. Such light-coloured upholstery should be difficult to keep clean, but here, everything is still nigh-on spotless.

The Grey Maple veneer is an unusual dash finish, especially if you’re used to Jaguars with the usual walnut inside instead. And it genuinely looks fabulous, without any issues to report. Such is its glossy smoothness that you might struggle to keep yourself from stroking it on the move; it’s looks that great. The carpets are also in an excellent state, and the controls show very signs of being use - all the lettering and symbols are still bright white, not discoloured, and nothing has been rubbed away, as can happen with cars of higher mileages. Even the steering wheel barely looks touched. It makes you wonder if the previous owners were the driving gloves sort of chaps or chapesses?

All the controls work as intended and, naturally, being a Jaguar, there are quite a lot of toys to play with. The instruments and displays also behave themselves properly. Overhead, the Oatmeal headlining is unmarked.

The boot is absolutely enormous, yet despite its considerable carrying capacity, it doesn’t look like too much has ever been loaded into it; aside from a few superficial marks on the carpeting, it’s in an exceptionally fine state of preservation. Underneath the false floor, you’ll find the spare wheel and the battery. The metal floor surrounding it has no rust or signs of pooled water threatening to introduce tinworm. You could practically eat your dinner off it - although you would have to take the spare wheel out first. The factory-supplied warning triangle is still affixed to the underneath of the bootlid.

The engine bay is one of those that encourages you not to touch too much, being clothed in black plastic covers. But given the low mileage, it’s unlikely that anything major beyond routine servicing and maintenance will need to be done for quite some time. The engine bay is very tidy, and time and effort has obviously been taken to detail it carefully. All of the fluids look healthy and there are no hints of any leaks.

The underneath looks very solid. There’s the surface corrosion in places, as you might expect, but nothing more sinister. Browsing through the MoT, none of the tests called for tinworm rectification work to be done, and having had a delve around underneath, we’d expect that to hold true for many years to come.

The car comes with its all its manuals in a leather wallet, plus a service book that shows the last service in June 2019 at 33,246. There’s even a Guide to Features, Systems and Technologies: XJ Series CD-ROM, which should prove an interesting evening’s watching on your PC. Aside from the service book, there’s little other paperwork from before 2016; since then, it looks like the invoices for most of the jobs done have been retained. 

The 3.2 Sport is a rare model in the XJ8 line-up. This one has a remarkably low mileage, and, aside from a few minor blemishes, it’s obviously been cherished by its past owners. That’s especially true of the cabin, where settling down inside is almost tantamount to experiencing what these cars must have been like when new. There’s a lot of luxury and a lot of equipment. This is a car that both pampers and excites.

When new, the price tag for the Sport was £35,950. And now? Well, while there’s no reserve on this, we’d estimate it at around £7,000 to £10,000. That strikes us as incredibly reasonable for a car that offers so much, but comes with few miles on it. It’s practically worth it for those stunning alloy wheels alone. And, remember, you’ll be acquiring something that can still trace its direct heritage back to Sir William Lyons himself.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.