1994 Jaguar XJS 4.0 Manual

The Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club has confirmed that this is one of only 28 coupes built to this specification, benefiting as it does from the extremely rare manual gearbox. Finished in Silver Frost metallic silver with a black leather interior, boot-mounted rear spoiler, and sports suspension, this is a true gentleman’s express that goes every bit as well as it looks.

Sparingly used for over a decade from 2006, the current owner has treated it to a full professional respray in its original colour. He also took the opportunity to replace a lot of the exterior chrome, meaning it looks very nearly as good now as it did when it left the Jaguar factory back in 1995.

A recent professional respray and replacement of some external chrome parts, which the seller claims cost around £6,000 (although there is no receipt), has left the car looking utterly fabulous. The paint has been applied to a high standard and the silver coachwork suits the car’s lines perfectly, leaving it looking thoroughly modern and very sporting, something the boot-mounted spoiler and new chromework reinforces.

The four alloy wheels are in good condition and are free of scuffs, kerb rash, and other damage. The underside appears to be solid following some remedial work following its last MOT inspection.

There are still a couple of minor jobs to do: there appears to be a leak to the boot area of the car, possibly via an unfinished fibreglass repair to the base of the nearside flying buttress (please see photo). The cabin carpets also show signs of having been damp at some point, so there might be a leak somewhere for the new owner to trace.

While the XJS was never intended to be a full-blown sportscar; it might be a tad sombre in there, but the wood trim lifts the interior nicely and the whole ensemble is purposefully sporting in a way that we haven’t seen in the XJS before. We like it a lot.

The black leather seats are lightly creased and worn and wear their patination well; while some might prefer a factory fresh look to the leather, we appreciate cars that wear their history with pride. These certainly live up to that, especially given that they are free of rips, tears and other damage but recolouring the worn patch on the side bolster would be an easy DIY job should the new owner want to go down that route.

And that’s the story for the whole of the interior; the wooden veneer and door trims and headlining are all in good (rather than perfect) condition for their age and mileage, although we think that the car deserves new floor carpets given how good the rest of the interior is.

While it’s lovely to see that the original Jaguar radio headunit is still in place, sadly it doesn’t work. Nor does the nearside mirror adjust electrically, but this might just be something simple. The electric windows are good, and the central locking does work – but not every time…! There is a slight crazing to the instrument cluster front cover.

We’ve taken the XJS on a short test drive, during which it drove well. The sports suspension certainly made its presence felt, but we think it’s in keeping with the nature of this particular model and certainly acts in concert with the manual gearbox to give the XJS a more sporting feel than any other we’ve driven.

The only fault we can see is a coolant light, which remains on even though the coolant level itself is spot-on. The vendor claims that the A/C works well too. However, we would strongly encourage potential bidders to come and examine the car for themselves as we haven’t had the opportunity to look it over in full detail. The history states that the clutch was replaced about 10,000 miles ago.

The underbonnet area is fairly clean but there is the odd spot of rust here and there, which will need catching before it deteriorates further.

The car comes with a number of old invoices and bills as part of its service history, along with a stamped service history book (regular servicing through to 2013), all of which strongly support the car’s recorded mileage.

The XJS will also be supplied with three keys and the original owner’s wallet containing the service history book for the car.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

Offered with a reserve that is a fraction of the investment the owner has made in the car, this is a rare opportunity to buy a six-cylinder XJS with a manual gearbox and the optional sports suspension.

One of only 28 ever built (and who knows how many of those have survived?) this XJS offers the enthusiast the chance to get their hands on an ultra-exclusive model with reasonably low mileage and good history, albeit in need of a little TLC.

And the need for TLC (it is a 23-year-old Jaguar after all!) means that this won’t be an expensive car, either. Currently owing the vendor almost £20,000, we think that it will sell for less than half that, which is a real bargain given its rarity.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.