1976 Jaguar XJC 4.2

In the care of the seller since 2020, ‘NMG 856R’ is a Jaguar XJC that was first registered during the long hot summer of 1976. Fitted with the 4.2-litre straight-six engine and an automatic gearbox, it is finished in black with a uttely gorgeous and very original red velour interior.

After lying in storage for a few years, the seller handed it to a Jaguar specialist for recommissioning shortly after buying it. Ken Jenkins went through it from front to back, righting ills and giving the old girl a thorough service for good measure.

This mechanical work builds on some welding and a respray that was carried out at the end of 2017 – but then the seller needed a strong and reliable car for a jaunt he had planned along the Route Napolean, hence the significant financial investment.

Still original – “it hasn’t been messed about with” – this is your chance to get your hands on an XJC that’s still as Jaguar intended.

The vendor thought nothing of driving the car to us all the way from Wigan (180 miles) and said "it didn't miss a beat" all the way down.

Black is a helluva colour to carry off on a new car, much less one that’s within touching distance of its half-century because nothing, and we do mean nothing, shows up ripples, dinks, and filler better; if you’ve got something to hide, black is the very last colour you’d choose to disguise it.

But when it works as well as it does here, there is no finer colour, especially when it’s offset with lashing of very good chrome, a pair of silver-and-black numberplates, and a black vinyl roof.

Throw in the shape of one of the most eye-catching and celebrated British coupés ever built and you’ve got a car that draws a huge amount of attention wherever it goes.

And while most will be drawn to the Jaguar’s sheer presence the cognoscenti will notice the shutlines, which are impressive. And the panel alignment, which is neat.

It’s also got steel wheels for the win, trimmed with some very nice and elaborately designed chrome hubcaps. The wheels are also fitted with whitewall 215/75R15 Cooper Trendsetter SE tyres, all of which have plenty of life left in them. These had just been fitted when the seller bought it, and he estimates they’d done fewer than 5-600 miles at the time.

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 lamp lenses are bright and free of damage, the chrome bumpers run straight and true, the side windows seal well in their frameless apertures, and the badges are shiny.

As for the sunroof, the seller says he “hasn’t used the sunroof in a long time but I assume it works.”

We did notice some pitting to the nearside rear corner of the bumper, a rust bubble at the bottom of the passenger door, a blemish in the finish above the offside headlamp, and the paint finish on the boot lid isn’t as good as the rest of the car.

There are also bubbles under the black vinyl roof, which is a shame because the vinyl roof covering itself is in good shape.

If the coachwork is subtly menacing, then the cabin is a riotous celebration of the colour red – and we mean that in the nicest possible way because it is fabulous.

The velour seats are much grippier and warmer than leather, so the absence of the more usual hide shouldn’t be mourned.

And the vibrant hue used is joined by red vinyl on the dashboard, transmission tunnel, and the door cards, while red carpet covers the floor.

There’s plenty of walnut veneer too, of course, plus the obligatory chromed controls.

It’s a splendid place to be.

The condition is pretty darned good too with firm and comfortable seats whose coverings are generally good. The driver’s seat is gently wrinkled but no more, and the rest are still taut and free of major wear and tear.

The carpets are in a good condition, and the ones we lifted revealed solid metal underneath.

The dashboard hosts the usual array of instruments that monitor road speed, engine revs, distance covered, the time, fuel level, coolant temperature, battery charge, and oil pressure.

A slightly later Panasonic radio-cassette player has been fitted but the retro-look means it doesn’t stick out too much.

The boot is vast and the black carpet it is trimmed with shows only minor wear. Again, lifting it shows solid metal underneath. The boot also plays host to a spare steel wheel and tyre.

As for cosmetic flaws, there are some holes and/or cigarette burns on both door cards, the offside of the rear seat, and the nearside three-quarter trim panel.

The veneer on the dashboard and glovebox lid is also cracked, the trim panel on the back of the driver’s seat is coming adrift, and the headlining is starting to droop.

Ken Jenkins discovered the cylinder compressions were all in the region of 130psi, which he says is average for the model and so there was no need to lift the cylinder head. The valve clearances were also within spec, which is another good sign. In fact, we’re told he described the car as “one of the best he’s worked on.”

The radiator did need to be re-cored though, the rear axle, hubs, and brakes were stripped and rebuilt, and all the fluids and filters were replaced. After more than forty hours of labour, the final bill came to just shy of £4,500 but as the video shows, the Jaguar starts and idles well. The seller says it drives “beautifully” with “no knocks or rattles.”

The fuel gauge doesn't work,. but as the seller points out: “with the dual tank it is hard to be caught out!”

There are plenty of receipts on file for other work too, with a lot of them dating from within the past decade, and he's just invested in a set of smart period-style number plates for it.

The engine bay is grubby but then a bit of dirt shows up oil leaks and few things raise a red flag quicker than a freshly cleaned engine. It’s not bad enough to need anything doing to it but if detailing is your thing then there’s enjoyment to be had.

The inner wings look good and solid too, and no MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion on the underside. This has had its underseal touched up recently, and there’s evidence of recent work by way of new bungs and safety wire.

Despite not needing one, the Jaguar’s MoT certificate is valid until November 2025. It was also issued without any advisories, just like the previous two.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file includes the invoices we mentioned earlier, some of which date back to the mid-eighties.

The XJC also comes with some expired MoT certificates, an old tax disc, a workshop manual, a wiring diagram, and a period photo of it.

No manufacturer balances performance and luxury better than Jaguar, and while we yield to no-one in our admiration for the XJ saloons, we must admit that the Coupé takes an already very desirable car and dials it all the way up to 11.

The trouble is, decades of undesirability mean that many have been abused and neglected, making good ones extraordinarily hard to find.

But they’re worth seeking out because a good one is a wonderful car and they don’t come much better than this; recently fettled, a lot of money has been spent with the right people.

Only for sale to help fund the spiralling cost of restoring a BMW 635CSI ‘Sharknose’, we think the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £20,000 and £25,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.