1984 Jaguar XJS HE V12

Details

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive 1984 Jaguar XJ-S HE V12.

As confirmed by the original Jaguar Mastercare Personal ID Card on file, this Jaguar XJ-S was sold new to its first lady owner through Southport Motors on the Gold Coast in Queensland. The car was first registered with the Queensland registration 666 PAR.

This three owner car remained with its original owner for more than 30 years. It was sold in 2017 and has had two subsequent owners since, including the current lady owner who acquired the car in 2021.

This particular car has full books, including its service book which notes an impeccable service history. The service book confirms this car has been meticulously maintained by Jaguar specialists, including RC Grieve, Grand Prix Jaguar and The Independent Jaguar Workshop from the day it was delivered new through until its most recent service which was done on 29^th of December 2021.

The ID plate on the car confirms this car was delivered new in Clarendon Blue (paint code JER) with a biscuit interior (trim code ADE), a colour combination the car still carries today.

The Jaguar Mastercare Personal ID Card and the service book confirm that his car is a ‘matching numbers’ example.

In addition to the service book, there is a very good history file with the car. There are receipts on file dating back to 1995. These invoices confirm this XJ-S was regularly serviced by all its previous owners and repairs were done when needed. Some examples of the work done include: in 2001 the front windscreen was replaced, in 2008 the power steering rack was reconditioned and in 2010 the cruise control bellows were renewed. More recently, in December 2021 a new starter motor was fitted, in July 2022 the rear shock absorbers were replaced and the right hand diff carrier was reconditioned and in November 2022 the automatic gearbox was overhauled and the torque converter was rebuilt.

Today the odometer reads 230,260 km but you wouldn’t have guessed that when you look at the car. The car presents and drives more like a car with 100,000 km on the odometer!

The dark blue paint work presents really well and it still carries a nice shine and a deep gloss finish. There are a few tiny stone chips here and there, as well as a few small blemishes and scratches, however, you need to be very close to the car to spot them. The Clarendon Blue paint colour, which is finished with a gold pinstripe, really suits this car and gives it a very sophisticated look. The paintwork is contrasted perfectly with the chrome work and particularly the wheel arch trim, which is all in very good condition. The condition of the external trim, lights and lenses is very good and consistent with the overall presentation of the car.

Overall, the condition of the interior of this car is very good and like the exterior belies the car’s mileage. The biscuit upholstery is the perfect colour choice to match the dark blue exterior of the car and it has preserved exceptionally well. Both the front seats are in good condition with no cracks or tears in the leather and the rear seats appear to have been sparingly used, if at all. The top of the dashboard is often a week point on these cars and the harsh Queensland sun can do some serious damage. On this particular car the top of the dash is in really good condition and there is no evidence of any distortion or cracks. The woodwork on the dashboard and the doors presents really well and like the top of the dash there are no cracks. The instruments are all in good condition and present well. When you look at the carpets it’s hard to believe that they are in a now nearly 40 year old car. They are most likely original and in really good condition.

After having admired how well this XJ-S has been preserved and how well it presents, it is time for its real test . . . our test drive. After getting comfortable behind the steering wheel, which is very easy to do, you turn the ignition on, let the fuel pump do its work and then we start the car. It is just so very easy and already first impressions are good. The car starts easily and almost immediately settles into a smooth idle. It is out on the road that you really start to appreciate this XJ-S. The car is just really nice to drive. The big V12 under the bonnet quietly goes about its business, the gear changes are smooth and the car feels really solid on the road. It is easy to drive and quite frankly as smooth on the road as most modern cars. The V12 XJ-S is somewhat of an enigma. Driven ‘normally’ the engine just purrs, but if you need it there is plenty of power on tap and pressed hard the engine definitely shows it has a dark side!

We did notice a few small things on our test drive. Firstly, the air conditioning is working but is not blowing the cold air we were expecting. The unit would most likely need a regas. Secondly, the electric windows are a little temperamental. We suspect that both switches may just need cleaning. We suspect that both are easy things to fix and these can be sorted prior to delivery of the car.

Other than that, this is a car you can just get in, drive and enjoy. You very easily forget that are driving a Jaguar that almost 40 years young! This car still has plenty of life left in it and it definitely stands out when you drive it.

The car comes with full books, which includes the service book and owner’s manual, a good history file, an original and complete tool kit, a jack and a spare wheel.

The Jaguar XJ-S has been a sleeper and the V12’s are now being recognised as great value classic cars that offer a huge amount of car for the money. There are plenty of ‘nice drivers’ out there, but finding cars like this example is becoming difficult.

Highlights:

• Australian delivered, factory right hand drive Jaguar XJ-S HE V12.
• Elegant colour scheme.
• Three owners from new, including the first owner for 30+ years.
• Full books with an impeccable service history.
• Very good history file.
• Ready to use and enjoy.

Price –

Background

The Swallow Sidecar Company was founded in 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsley. In 1934 Lyons formed SS Cars Limited to effectively take over the operation from Walmsley. The SS brand was quite successful, though they had a reputation for having ‘more show than go’. The Jaguar name first appeared as a model name on an SS 2½ Litre Sports Saloon introduced in 1936. For political reasons, Lyons changed the name of his company to Jaguar Cars in 1945.

Whilst the SS100 is indeed a fabulous car, it was the launch of the legendary Jaguar XK120 at the London Motor Show in 1948 that really put Jaguar on the map. The car caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production. The XK120 morphed into the XK140 and ultimately the XK150 and in total, just over 30,000 cars were built over 15 years of production.

In 1961 at the Geneva Motor Show Jaguar introduced the E-Type, which like the XK120 all those years ago, took the motoring world by storm. The body styling was simply gorgeous and technologically the E-Type was an engineering masterpiece and it set new standards in all areas.

Whilst automotive styling is somewhat subjective the E-Type is often ranked atop lists of ‘the most beautiful cars’ and in fact it has been described by Enzo Ferrari as ‘the most beautiful car ever made’. And it’s not just about the looks as the E-Type is often at the top of other lists such as ‘The best sports car ever built’ or ‘The most significant cars’. It is truly a motoring icon. As a testament to the success of the E-Type, production evolved through three series from 1961 until 1974 during which time circa 70,000 cars were built.

The E-Type was always going to be a hard act to follow. Jaguar introduced the XJ-S at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show. The world was expecting an F-Type, rather than a grand tourer, so unsurprisingly the reception to the new Jaguar was lukewarm. As a car the new Jaguar was technically advanced, it was luxurious and it was powered by a 12 cylinder engine (which only Ferrari and Lamborghini used at the time)  . . . but it was not a ‘beautiful car’ like its predecessors the E-Type and XK model range. Many were also disappointed that the car was only available as a coupe. So the XJ-S got off to a rocky start but in reality it was a great success for Jaguar. XJ-S production spanned an incredible 21 years and during that time in excess of 115,000 cars were built. As is often written the XJ-S became better and better as the model evolved where as many would argue the E-Type did the opposite.

Today the XJ-S is starting to be recognised and we think history will ultimately say was one of the finest cars Jaguar ever built.