1997 Jaguar XJ6 Executive

Jaguar, keen to increase the appeal of its cars among the younger demographic, unveiled the Executive in 1997. Aimed at drawing in those who might not have traditionally considered buying an XJ6, the model featured leather trim, a wood ‘n’ leather steering wheel, wider wheels, and air conditioning.

First registered on the 4th of April 1997, this wonderfully original Jaguar XJ6 Executive has been a local Worcester car from new. With just one former owner and in the hands of the vendor for the past four and a half years, the boss describes as being “bloody spotless”. High praise indeed.

Having seen regular, albeit limited, use it has a solid run of MOTs, none of which have drawn the testers’ attentions. Still showing just 13,779 miles, this is as close to a new X300 XJ6 as you’re likely to find, making it one for the Jaguar and British modern classic enthusiast.

The Sapphire Blue Metallic coachwork is nothing short of stunning and its condition puts paid to the urban myth that Jaguar suffered from quality issues in the 1990s. Practically unblemished bar a few stonechips, the fit ‘n’ finish is stunning. There are no ripples along the flanks either, and no car-park dinks, dents or other damage to mar it.

Tight, even shutlines and perfect panel alignment speak of a life gently led, the paint work speaks of an uncommonly diligent pair of owners, and the chromework gleams beautifully. Even the sills and the wheelarch lips, areas where the XJ6 is notorious for rusting, are free of corrosion. It really is a delightful old thing and makes you appreciate just how fabulous and timeless the X300’s design is.

The 16-inch alloy wheels are just as elegant and, in this case, unmarked. Shod with very good, matching 225/60R16 Pirelli P7 tyres too but then you’ve probably have guessed that would be the case, haven’t you?

Because, as we will never tire of explaining, our 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.

Blemishes? Well, aside the sort of stonechips even the most carefully conserved car will collect over the years, the only thing we can see that needs doing is inside the driver’s door aperture where someone has removed a sticker and left a gooey residue. Still, two minutes with a spot of WD40 and a cloth would see that sorted.

The Oatmeal and Antelope leather interior is in a stunning condition, and while we’d normally start by describing the condition of the leather seats the first thing to grab our attention was the lettering on the switches, which is so bright and vibrant that they could be brand new. The lettering gleams wherever you look, and it all works as it should. Obviously.

Not that the seats don’t deserve a round of applause. Almost completely unmarked and showing only miniscule creasing to the driver’s side, even the elasticated pockets on the back of the seats are still taut.

The walnut veneer trim is also unmarked and free of chips, scratches and peeling lacquer and the door cards are excellent, as are the headlining and carpets.

The boot is very clean and well organised. Home to the spare alloy wheel and toolkit, a pernickety owner (yup, that’s us…) might like to take everything out and spend five minutes vacuuming it out before giving it a quick clean but that’s very much nit-picking rather than a genuine concern.

Genuine work to do is insignificant. If we’re being picky then the driver’s side overmat could do with a wash, and if we’re being even sillier then the colour of the wooden gearknob jars a little. Still, it is the original but if it were ours we might be tempted to buy something that matches the darker walnut trim a little better.

As you can see, the AJ16 inline-six engine starts well and ticks over and revs beautifully. We’ve driven it too, and can report that it drives exactly as it should, feeling taut and lithe and powerful. Exactly like a very good, low-mileage XJ6, in fact.

The engine bay is decently clean and well presented but we can see the new owner might like to run a damp cloth over some of the paintwork if for no other reason than everything else on the car is spotless.

The underside is as good as you’d expect, being solid, free of rot and corrosion. Hell, the front suspension crossmember and steering rack still have their factory part numbers on them. It really is in a fabulous condition and a testament to the care it has received over the past 23 years.

The Jaguar’s MOT certificate, which is valid until October 2021, was gained without a single advisory point, something it’s been doing, well, forever.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

The stamps in the service history booklet are as follows:

• 26.03.98 and 2,375 miles – service by Paramount Stourbridge

• 12.04.99 and 4,323 miles – service by Paramount Stourbridge

• 05.04.00 and 6,176 miles – service by Paramount Stourbridge

• 30.09.02 and 10,522 miles – service by H.A. Fox

The vendor is a garage owner, and as it has been in his personal classic car collection since April 2015, he had it serviced it ‘in house’ so there are no receipts for this work. That said, its condition and advisory-free MOT history suggest that his chaps did a bloomin’ good job of looking after the boss’s motor.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, stamped service history, book pack, and storage wallet plus three sets of keys and even the original handover video!

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

A car like this is very rare. Staggeringly original and beautifully preserved, it has made us yearn for a 3.2-litre X300, which isn’t something we feel very often.

And, the trouble is, it isn’t going to sell for much, so we can’t even use poverty as an excuse to pass it up - and it’ll be cheap not because it isn’t a great car but simply because the classic car market hasn’t started to appreciate the Jaguar X300 in the way we’re sure it will eventually.

So, we think you’re only going to have to find between £8,000 and £15,000 to make it yours. Not the cheapest you’ll find for sale by a long way but a ridiculously small sum to pay for what might well be the best preserved Jaguar XJ6 X300 in the world.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.