1996 Jaguar XJR Supercharged

Welcome to our latest auction, this time for a Japanese-market, right-hand drive Jaguar XJR6. The Old School, straight-six, supercharged version, not the later V8 that might be a tad more civilized but isn’t half as much fun.

MOT’d until January 2023 (and gained with no advisories, obviously because few folk pamper their cars like the Japanese…) it’s finished in British Racing Green with an Oatmeal leather interior. In genuinely stunning condition, this is the chance you’ve been waiting for to buy the model Jeremy Clarkson called “the best car in the world” when he drove one when they were new.

Being offered with a very sensible guide price, it’s also under the hammer with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

We’re huge fans of Japan-market cars; the combination of unusually diligent owners and a salt-free environment means that cars from there tend to be above-average in condition. The seller is a Jaguar specialist and he’s given up buying UK cars because they inevitably turn into rolling restorations due to rust.

This isn’t the case with this one. It is sporting ripple-free flanks, unscuffed wheels, and absolutely no trace of the sort of parking damage that is becoming increasingly common over here. It’s a testament to both Jaguar’s build quality and its previous owner.

The British Racing Green paintwork looks almost black in some lights, brightening to the hue we all know and love in others. It’s in great shape too, still gleaming and shining as nicely now as it’s ever done.

The 17-inch OE alloy wheels are, as you can see in the detail shots of each one, in great shape and still have their red ‘growler’ centre caps. They’re also fitted with matching 255/45ZR17 Pirelli P-Zero tyres

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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The sunroof opens and closes as it should, and it seals tightly against the elements. The rest of the rubber door and window seals look excellent, too. Even the door latches are almost unmarked (#94 and #102, for example), which is remarkable.

Jaguar itself says the XJR has “no unnecessary spoiler or trim to compromise their sporting integrity”, which might be a touch flowery but does sum up the XJR’s lack of embellishment.

The boot lid has been changed to a UK-spec one with the full-size numberplate plinth (the front numberplate plinth has been changed as well) but the rest of the panels are the originals.

Work to do? Aside from a few (very) minor marks and stonechips there’s nothing to do other than to enjoy driving it.

Look, we could waffle on for ages about the interior but what is there to say other than it is very clean, utterly original (bar the installation of a twin charging point) and way, way better than 99% of examples out there you’ve been tormenting yourself with.

The seats look barely used, the door cards, headlining, and carpets are pristine, and the wooden veneer is remarkably good with only a few very light scratches marring its finish on the centre console (#147).

As part of the car’s conversion to full UK specification, the radio has been changed and the speedometer face changed to show miles per hour. The original radio has been retained.

The boot, which is completely solid under the trim, contains the space-saver spare wheel and what looks to be an unused tool kit. It’s also got excellent carpets and trim and a Jaguar CD multichanger. (There’s also a Jaguar-branded Electronic Toll Collector in the cockpit too, which is a fabulous piece of Japan-market automobilia.)

Faults? Well, there are a few odd marks here and there (i.e. #15, #97, and #162) but nothing we don’t think wouldn’t come off with cleaning. The only damage is a barely noticeable mark on the nearside front door card you can see in slide #108 and some yellowing to the rear armrest (#129).

It’s all so trivial that the only thing in there we would be tempted to sort out is the gearknob, which doesn’t look original. That that is the extent of the issues is high praise.

The straight-six fires into life, emitting a whining howl as it’s revved. As you can see, there’re no warning lights on the dashboard, and no untoward smoke or noises. This really is one of the all-time great engines – and that’s without it moving so much as an inch…

The seller tells us that the XJR6 “runs and drives very well. It doesn’t overheat and the gearbox changes smoothly. There’s no smoking, and no rattles from the suspension.”

The engine bay is as close to pristine as you’re going to find on anything this age that isn’t a concours winner. That the only flaw is some colour loss from the red ‘XJR6 SUPERCHARGED’ lettering and some flaking paint on the rocker cover says it all.

The underside is, as you’ll have guessed already, very good.

MOT’d until January 2023, the XJR comes with a full book pack plus a lot of paperwork from Japan. This seems to show a very good service history from new (the presence of the paperwork is itself a bonus as the shippers usually remove anything with anyone’s name, address, or phone number on) but not being fluent in Japanese, we can’t confirm this.

Jeremy Clarkson concluded in CAR magazine in 1995 that the Jaguar XJR’s “steering is perfect, weighted so well that you can feel exactly what the front wheels are doing, and you know precisely what the back end is up to, almost as though it is in telepathic contact. And if you choose to ignore the signals of impending doom, the traction control gently pushes the accelerator pedal upwards. It does this rather a lot, because the six-cylinder, 4-litre, supercharged engine is sublime”.

Strong words and yet we can’t help but agree with him that the XJR really is something very special indeed.

Which means the £9,000 to £13,000 you’ll need to find to make this one yours is an absurdly small sum of money. With a brilliant service history, no rust whatsoever and driving exactly as it should, XJR6s simply don’t get any better than this.

Even so, the seller has such faith in you lot that he’s agreed to sell it with no reserve, trusting that you will recognize a good ‘un when you see one. So, play nicely, eh?

This Jaguar XJR6 is offered from the trade.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.