2002 Jaguar XKR 100

Introduced in 2001 to celebrate Sir William Lyon’s 100th anniversary, this XKR 100 is one of just 500 cars built, split equally between the coupé and convertible.

Just 160 stayed here in the UK and they can be distinguished by a mesh grille, special XKR 100 badge, Anthracite paintwork, grey-stained maple veneer, aluminium trim, a DVD satellite navigation, an R-Performance steering wheel, an uprated Alpine sound system, and rain sensor wipers.

Dynamically the XKR 100 benefits from standard CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension) plus 20-inch R-Performance BBS Montreal alloy wheels fitted with red Growler centre caps and Brembo brakes.

The supercharged V8 engine and automatic gearbox fitted offers the perfect combination of high-speed thrills and long-distance comfort while a leather Recaro interior reinforces this coupé’s luxury sporting credentials.

Its a nice registration number, so its nice to note that K28 XKR is also staying with the car.

The owner is a Jaguar man through and through and he’s turned his hobby of restoring classic Jaguars into a business, which means he actually enjoyed spending £4,000-odd on electrical components to get this one running perfectly before then using it as his daily driver for the past two and a half years.

This lengthy period was effectively an extended shakedown that left plenty of time for niggles to surface. However, he told us “it’s been brilliant and has never let me down”, so he clearly got it right first time. He’s just finished restoring his next classic road car though, which means this one is now surplus to requirements.

Black is the most unforgiving colour of them all, leaving dents and dinks nowhere to hide - so when you see one with flanks like this you know it’s a good ‘un. The shut lines are good too, as is the panel alignment.

The Anthracite paint has stood up to the years with a nice shine and an above-average condition. This looks like an XKR that’s only got a good story to tell.

We note the grill is non-standard, its an Admesh one, but we like it and if the new owners taste is to return it to original specification, then the original one is in the boot.

This impression is reinforced by the huge, 20-inch BBS Montreal alloy wheels, which are free of kerbing and other damage, but then they were refurbished about a year ago. They’re also fitted with matching Pirelli P-Zero tyres, replaced about the same 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. 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 lights lenses are good too, as are the glazing and the badges, including the unique ones that identify this as an XKR 100.

There are a few marks worth mentioning, but only a few. For example, the nearside corner of the rear bumper (#85), and the offside (#96) and nearside (#109) door mirrors. There is also some condensation inside the offside headlamp unit (#118).

The Warm Charcoal leather interior (code LEG and the colour all the XKR 100s were fitted with) includes a pair of Recaro leather seats, which might be plumper than you are used to seeing in your sportscars but there’s no doubting either the comfort or support they give. They’re in great shape too, with nothing more than very light creasing to show their age.

They’re also heated, a feature you’ll appreciate, along with the heated windscreen, on frosty mornings.

The rear seats are in an even better condition but given how little legroom there is back there that’s probably not surprising. But, you could fit your grandkids in there – and who wouldn’t want to look back on a childhood in which their grandparents drove a supercharged Jaguar?

The door cards are in a good condition, as are the carpets, walnut veneer, and dashboard.

The ‘XKR 100’ sill plates are present and correct, as is the lettering above the glovebox, the alloy pedal covers, and the R-Performance steering wheel.

The sat-nav works and we even love the tiny little display, which reminds us of the sort of thing James Bond used to us back when Sean Connery brought his brooding menace to the role.

The boot is good too, and while it could do with a bit of a clean the area under the carpets is solid. The tool kit is still there, as is the warning triangle and space saver spare wheel.

Flaws are few. There is a mark to the walnut veneer, which you can see in photo #45.

NB: An invoice in the XKR’s history file shows the headlining was replaced in 2016 and one of the seats was recovered.

As you can see, it starts and runs well – and there’s no arguing with that exhaust note, is there?

December 2022 saw the front discs being replaced and there are some old invoices for previous work.

The replacement service history booklet shows the following:

· 04.09.2003 and 17,015 miles – service by The Jaguar Centre

· 06.02.2004 and 22,141 miles – service by The Jaguar Centre

· 28.02.2005 and 32,465 miles – service

· 27.04.2006 and 39,371 miles – service by Grange Brentwood

Sadly, the rest of the service and maintenance history has gone AWOL; he knows the previous owner had it serviced at Grange Brentwood and Shenfield Motors but he’s restoring his house and the paperwork is all packed away somewhere – the only trouble is, he doesn’t know where. However, if he finds it, he’s happy to forward it to the winning bidder.

He told us that he’s spent around £4,000 on electrical parts alone including £1,200 for the cruise control module plus more on window regulators, a boot lock, door locking latches, and an ABS module. There is also a new air-conditioning compressor in the boot, as whilst the air-con does work, it is loosing gas and this was purchased to rectify the situation.

The engine bay is very clean, and while the underside looks solid, there is some surface rust that could do with treating before you apply a coat of decent underseal.

In the seller’s hands since March 2020, the XKR’s MoT certificate is valid until October 2023.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clean and the Jaguar comes with a bundle of expired MoT certificates, the book pack, and two sets of keys.

The first owner would have paid the best part of £70,000 – or £120,000 in today’s money – making this a very expensive motorcar when it was new.

Not that you’ll have to find anything like that to make this yours because we think this one, even with all that recent remedial work, will fetch just £10,000 - £15,000 - but it’s being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

And remember, cars like this XKR offer supercar dynamics allied to almost-modern dependability, so if classic cars are your thing but you’re reluctant to accept dodgy reliability, poor brakes, so-so performance, and period accident safety then a modern classic like this might be just the car for you.

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’.