1991 Jaguar XJS

The XJS went out of production entirely in 1996, so this 1991 example is a relatively late one. That’s a good thing in British car circles – the last cars were usually the ones that had all the kinks worked out. With 91,072 miles on the clock, it’s certainly proved reliable enough to knock on the door of a six-figure mileage for one.

That’s no doubt helped by its under-stressed 5.3-litre V12 engine and three-speed automatic transmission. It’s also seen very little use in recent decades, with a glance at the online MoT history showing fewer than 3000 miles covered since 2011. This helpful checker also revealed an excellent, unblemished scorecard for previous MoTs, having passed every single one first time since 2006.

Now, this Jag has been owned by a father & son pair and its visuals reflect both young and older tastes and importantly, all of these upgrades are easily reversed or kept depending on your personal preference. Better still, in most instances, the vendor has even retained the original equipment. That’s a relief, as despite excellent parts support, no one enjoys trawling through websites to find expensive period parts.

The slightly less frequently seen shade of Solent Blue covering this Jag certainly scrubs up well and shines beautifully in full sunlight. The panels look straight and have good even gaps all round, suggesting this car’s escaped knocks over the years. The history file, which is really extensive, backs this up – only highlighting a few minor ‘paint-less’ dent corrections carried out back in 2018.

The chromed wheels are a custom set of split rims and in great condition and really make the car stand out from the average XJS but the correct, original lattice-type Jaguar rims are also included in the sale, though these could now benefit from some cosmetic refurbishment. A near new set of Falken tyres are fitted all round and naturally they appear in top condition, which is perhaps unsurprising given how few miles this car’s covered in recent years.

As for any imperfections in the bodywork, we looked hard but couldn’t find very much to note. There were a few light chips on the bonnet’s leading edge. Being highly critical, the stripes are also peeling a little at their edges. Some more light scratches can be seen on the nearside front wing and there are a few general swirl marks. Other than a few more touched-up paint chips and scratches on the rear edge of the driver’s door, that’s all to note.

The custom touches continue in the cabin. The expensive wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel adds considerably to the overall ambience and a later high quality Alpine unit has also been fitted. The factory fitted goodies from Jaguar are reported (by the vendor) to still be fully functional. Unusually this includes cruise control, electric memory (and heated) front seats and an on-board computer – the latter by no means a common sight even in 1991.

Cabin fabrics are looking good but the seat bolsters could perhaps benefit from re-dying. There’s some mild staining visible on both bolsters (worse on the driver’s) and the vendor reports that they’ve already had a deep clean. The headlining (non-sunroof model) remains looking good, but we couldn’t help but notice the cover trim on the nearside is hanging down a little. The seatbelts have also become slightly stained – most noticeable at their bottoms. The usually damaged wood, is all good in this car as are the door cards, whilst the extensive use of chrome in the cabin, remains looking fabulous. Switchgear also appears to have remained near factory-fresh, however we did spy a tiny bit of staining to the leather just above the stereo.

The floors and sills look very well protected. Having seen the vendor’s maintenance spreadsheet printout – always a good sign by the way – this was apparently topped-up recently. Without clearing it all off, we can’t be sure of the state of the steel underneath but the MoT tester certainly seems to have been satisfied. There are some light rust bubbles on the underside of the bonnet however, in the hinge area, though we struggled to find any more anywhere.

The trim in the boot looks remarkably clean and there’s also some valuable spares in here, including another pair of fog lights, the standard lattice alloy wheels and the correct non-airbag steering wheel. It was also reassuring to discover a complete Jaguar tool kit with spare bulbs. While at the back, we had a look at the exhaust and despite the backboxes being made from mild steel, there’s a naughty middle silencer delete that’s made from stainless-steel. That explains why this XJS sounds so good. We also spotted yellow Spax adjustable suspension, so this XJS should be a little more driver focused now than it was new.

Speaking of which, this XJS was delivered new to Jaguar Newcastle on the 30th of August 1991, where it remained in Jaguar main dealer care until 1995. It has stamps in the service schedule up to 2000. There are plenty of invoices for care taking place after this. For example, Minster Jaguar’s big bill for work from 2002. This catalogues the replacement of a load of sundries including bushes, hoses, brakes and an exhaust system all costing a whopping £2845. The washer system was treated for algae in 2018 and the engine was serviced at the same time by West Riding Jaguar at a cost of £243. Also, in 2018, Dentless UK carried out the aforementioned dent removals.

Going back a bit further, there’s evidence that the radiator was re-cored in 2011 when an oil leak was traced to a split in its oil cooler. Before West Riding Jaguar reconditioned the radiator, the firm also swapped a pair of shocks and added a new front panel at a combined cost of £1187.42 back in 2006. The same year, a secondhand front subframe was fitted and repairs were also made to the front inner wings and the chassis legs at a cost of £710.88. The rear trailing arm bushes were replaced with poly alternatives in 2013 and were paired with Spax adjustable shocks. All the wheel bearings were replaced in 2005, along with the rear gearbox mount, at a cost of £293.75. The water pump was also replaced in 2004 at Minster Jaguar for £312.14 and the air-conditioning compressor overhauled in 2003 by GB Air Control at a cost of £86.95. All ignition components were renewed in 2002.

The vendor’s notes report plenty of work carried out as recently as 2021 – including the spark plugs, notoriously challenging to replace on a V12. In 2021, the vendor also apparently replaced the HT leads, changed the oil, had the air-con recharged, plus added some TWR coil springs and a pair of front shocks from Moss. The vendor is also keen to point out that, in his opinion, the car wants for nothing; ‘It does everything expected of it and runs beautifully. It pulls great and the V12 sounds fabulous.’

Mildly modified and very easy to reverse to standard, this car’s condition, history and mechanical health seem to ensure that it’s worthy of serious consideration.

There’s hardly a wealth of V12 coupes out there, sadly – and we’re certainly not going to see any more in the future – so, if you’ve always promised yourself an ultimate 12-cylinder GT, then now’s the time to make it reality. We estimate that this 150mph Jaguar will likely find its new owner for between £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 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’.