2005 Jaguar XK8

We are delighted to offer this silver XK8, dating from the last year of production. It has a few standout features, as the first owner specified some XKR upgrades. These included upgraded seats and a carbon fibre dash. This was later enhanced by the fitting of a mesh grille.

The first owner, an elderly gentleman in Leeds owned the car until 2012. Our seller, a serial Jaguar owner, flew his private plane up to Leeds Bradford airport to buy the car.

He then enjoyed a lovely drive back to his south coast home, whilst his co-pilot drew the short straw and had to fly the plane back.

At the time of purchase the car had covered some 53,000 miles, our seller adding less than 10,000 to that during his ownership.

At his disposal was also an XJ Executive belonging to this wife and used formerly for Royal duties. He was also lucky enough to own a collection of classic Jaguars.

The XK8 has been lovingly cared for by both its owners, being safely dry stored for periods when not in use. We are also delighted to report that the car comes with a raft of paperwork, detailing works carried out.

The most recent expenditure was last November, when main dealers Harwoods in Chichester carried out some extensive works, the invoice amounting to a heady £4,089.29.

The silver paintwork positively gleams, as befits a low mileage car that has been properly cared for.

We do note some small areas of bubbling paintwork on the rear below the taillights. There are also scratches to the rear bumper and the passenger side door.

The fuel filler flap also shows some signs of degradation on the inside, and the area around the filler neck itself could do with some attention.

There are also some minor rust spots starting to appear on the rear wheel arches and these will need nipping in the bud.

The alloy wheels show some signs of kerbing and could do with the attention of a good specialist.

We rather like the cherished number assigned to the car. Just in case anyone was in any doubt that you were driving an XK8.

A more luxurious and comfortable interior would be hard to find. The leather clad front seats are both cosseting and supportive, essential if you are exploring the car’s performance to the full. They are heated too.

The driving position is near perfect, with plenty of adjustability and the leather clad steering wheel a delight to hold. The gear selector falls easily to hand, ideal if you want to exercise a little control over the gearbox.

Equipment count is high, with a quality sound system and a satellite navigation system. It’s not the biggest screen, but it fits nicely into the bespoke carbon fibre dash and doesn’t distract unlike many of today’s offerings.

Those XKR seats are in good order but would undoubtedly benefit from a good clean and treatment with hide food. There is a blue mark on the passenger seat.

The rear seats look unmarked, not uncommon as there is very little space back there, so they are generally just used for extra luggage space.

In the capacious boot expect to find the CD stacker and satellite navigation hard drive.

An emergency space-saver tyre sits beneath the boot floor. There is also a bulb kit and first aid pack.

Rather unusually the boot struts have corroded, and these will want refurbishing or replacing.

We would also comment that the car has been little used in the last few years, so the interior is a little dusty in places. Nothing a few hours on a Sunday morning will not sort out.

The engine compartment is certainly full and that powerful V8 engine is a veritable delight to behold. Clean, tidy and with no signs of any leaks, drips or erroneous fluids, it all points to careful maintenance.

There is some signs of corrosion to the top of the suspension mounts.

There are signs of surface corrosion to the Jag’s underside, and we would suggest taking time to look through our pictures. We would entrust the car to a Jaguar specialist for attention, the final task being to apply a good coat of underseal to protect from the ravages of time. Catch it early we say.

There is also a little corrosion beginning to appear on the underside of the boot lid.

We note that the car is a tad reluctant to start without a battery jump pack, so our best guess is that a new battery is required.

The car comes with a large number of MoT certificates, which confirm the car’s low mileage. There are a few gaps where the car was safely tucked up in a warm garage, quietly resting.

The last MoT does mention the rust on the car’s underside, but we are sure that this will be on the new owner’s to do list.

We would also mention once again that the car was consigned to Jaguar main dealer Harwoods in Chichester last November for general maintenance and refurbishing. The invoice total was £4,089.29

Work done was as follows:

30,000-mile service

Brake fluid service

New wiper blades

Welding to offside rear sill

Welding to offside front floor pan

Replaced front Simplex suspension bushes

New pads and discs

2 new premium Toyo tyres fitted

We are told the XK8 has been mostly main dealer maintained, not always the case with older Jaguars. As a result, it should have been on the receipt of the very best of care from the people who know the car best.

The car still retains its original book pack with handbook and assorted literature. There are also two sets of keys.

Jaguar has recently announced that it is to be a solely electric car manufacturer by 2025, so gone are the days of fast, elegant coupes with V8 firepower.

The XK8 still looks modern today and is more than capable of keeping up with the very latest batch of sports cars but will also gently waft you along the highways and byways if you are that way inclined.

This two-owner car has covered a modest mileage in the hands of Jaguar enthusiasts and has clearly benefitted from much recent expenditure.

We estimate it will sell for between £10,000 and £15,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’