1989 Jaguar XJS 5.3 V12

This fully restored V12 XJ-S has been with its current owner for just over a year. He used it to complete a 2000 mile trip around Scotland’s north coast as part of the North Coast 500 (NC500) in late 2021. ‘I hope this adds to the story of this particular car – it being a Grand Tourer,’ he says.

‘I bought this (restored) as I valued the classic look with some modernised components for the driving experience [please see the History section below which talks about the work in detail]. ‘During my ownership, I've had work undertaken to address some worn suspension and brake components. However an upcoming move requires I now sell. If my fiancé and I weren't undertaking a move back to New Zealand (or if the import costs were still reasonable) I would not be selling.’

The V12 in this 1989 XJ-S is the later High Efficiency version, which feature redesigned combustion chambers to improve part throttle efficiency, and make the engine capable of around 19mpg on a run, compared with the earlier cars’ 14mpg. The previous owner of this car has spent close to £40,000 at top specialists.

The XJ-S is finished in Solent Blue with a Saville Grey interior and sensitive upgrades. The last of the original shape XJ-S (before the Ford era XJS) is often thought to be one of the most desirable evolutions of this increasingly popular classic Jaguar.

The only reason the estimate on this car is reasonably low is because the previous owner moved his attention to a new project before finishing a few of the less important details, so the car is almost perfect, but not quite. The rear bumper top has had a small patch of chrome worn through by years of polishing and the off-side rear corner bumper top is very slightly pitted, as are both door mirror casings.

But the paintwork itself is excellent, and the overall impression is of a beautiful looking classic Jag coupé that, with a little more effort could be really first class.

He says:

‘Given the restoration and mechanical work done under a prior owner, it’s understandably excellent on the road – feels planted (not floaty as I understand the stock ones can feel), plenty of refined power with the big V12, and generally just a lovely place to be on a long drive. It certainly turns heads – every time I drive it somebody comments on it! During my ownership it was used for weekend trips/drives out of London, and up to Scotland for the North Coast 500 road trip, where it performed superbly.

‘During my ownership, I've had a professional wash and polish and protective coating applied (prior to the NC500 trip), work undertaken to address some worn suspension/brake/tyre components (post-NC500), an MoT and service, and a new heating matrix installed due to that failing recently. Full details about the prior restoration work done are provided in service history documents, as well as a USB stick with extensive photos documenting the process.

‘Since late 2021 it wasn’t driven much, due to having the work above done, where I had my mechanic take his time and fit it around his other jobs whilst providing storage due to my commitments with visiting New Zealand again post-COVID lockdown. Since having the car back it drives just as well as before, especially with the front brakes and front lower wishbone bushes being refreshed.’

The ski slope is new, and some of the switches have also been replaced with new parts to ensure their graphics are fresh. The radio cassette is the original Jaguar-branded unit (complete with the Jaguar Radio Cassette Owners Guide audio cassette in its original box) and the carpets are in first-rate condition.

In the boot, the original Jaguar jack pouch is in excellent condition and the car comes with the original Jaguar tool case with all the correct tools (even the touch-up paint), beautifully Jaguar branded and looking unused.

A tiny tear in one of the seats has been professionally repaired by Aldridge Trimming, who also refinished (not re-leathered) the end of the grab handles where they are worn. The radio sounds as though it has lost connection with the electric aerial, the central locking is currently disconnected as one of the door locks would not stay closed, but it works well manually. These are all minor items that will be easy to fix.

The car is fitted with AJ6 Engineering Stainless (Jaguar tuning specialists) TT exhaust system and one of their Super Enhanced ECUs. So it sounds fabulous and driveability is improved over a standard car.

Although the previous owner lives in Scotland, he had the car transported to KWE for engine and mechanical work (twice) because they have such a strong reputation with this model. The fuel injectors have been overhauled, the engine wiring loom replaced, the cam cover gaskets replaced and several ancillaries were replaced to improve performance and reliability, including ancillary wiring.

Coupled with the uprated suspension bushes, the owner says ‘Vehicle dynamics are now excellent without significantly compromising ride quality.’

He also reports the following in the interests of absolute transparency:

‘At hot idle occasionally a “woo-ing” noise can be heard. I had my (very experienced) independent Jaguar mechanic investigate this for my peace-of-mind, with the result being deemed entirely benign and seemingly due to how the oil flows. The sound goes away as soon as the revs rise, and there is no other effect on the car.’

68,500 miles with impressive history.

£14,000 mechanical refresh with Hollygrove Jaguar at 61,000 miles.

£10,000 mechanical refresh at top XJ-S specialist KWE at 64,800 miles.

£12,000 glass-out body restoration by MV Classics with photographic record.

The car has been fastidiously maintained by the previous enthusiast owner, who had the car from 2010 – 2020. In 2018 the car was sent to MV Classics for a full glass-out body restoration, including 28 hours of welding to fabricate and install new panels, leading to invoices for around £12,000.

A new Jaguar Heritage boot lid had already been fitted. Photographs of the restoration are included on a USB memory stick. The interior was renovated in 2017. There is a new headlining in a significantly better quality material than was used by the factory, and this is continued onto the A- and B-pillars, giving a more luxurious feel than the standard vinyl. It’s nicely complemented by an E-Type style steering wheel (the original wheel comes with the car).

Invoices from KWE detail a vast range of preventative maintenance, in total exceeding £10,000. Other powertrain work includes a full cooling system renovation at 61,000 miles as part of a £14,000 package of work at Hollygrove Jaguar.

The sump gasket was replaced in April 2020 and the sump pan repainted, with a detailed photographic record of the work and the superb condition of the surrounding areas. A refurbished automatic transmission, supplied by Jaguar, has been fitted together with a new Bosch S5A08 70Ah 760A battery.

The majority of the £14,000 spent at Holygrove Jaguar (at 61,000 miles) covered mechanical work including a full suspension system and brake renewal (front and rear) with new, upgraded bushings, the removal and powder coating of the front subframe, new wheel bearings and a replacement steering rack. A photographic record of this impressive work is included on the USB memory stick.

The car retains its original registration number, giving a continuous history and comes with an enamel Jaguar key fob emblem, recently restored on a new mulberry leather fob.

A fine example of the original XJ-S V12, and with the later spec, more fuel-efficient engine. Solid and generally excellent, with areas that can easily be improved to further enhance its value.

As the owner says, ‘To sum up, it’s a spectacular vehicle, mechanically sound, a wonderful drive, looks gorgeous, turns heads wherever it goes, and a huge amount of money has already been poured into it to make it this way. And it’s a reluctant sale as I’d intended to own this for many years, but life happens, and I’m sure the new owner will enjoy her as much as I have.’

Our estimate for this car is £15,000 - £20,000.

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’.