Highlights
- Stunning coachbuilt shooting brake
- One of only 63 made
- Conversion no.11, one of the 5 “lost” cars
- Verified by the owner’s club
- Just 46,574 miles from new
- Never restored, completely original
- Video link available in the summary section below
The Appeal
When it comes to rarity and desirability, not much comes close to the Lynx Eventer. Coachbuilt by Lynx (based in Hastings), the conversion turned Jaguar’s gorgeous XJ-S grand tourer into a full shooting brake. The result is a luxurious and capacious grand tourer that’s capable of hauling you and all your luggage across continents at high speed and in absolute comfort.
With an extended roof, tailgate and repositioned rear seats and fuel tank, suddenly the XJ-S was genuinely capable of carrying four adults and their belongings. It’s a remarkable thing, and extremely rare too – only 67 were made. Of those, five cars have been “lost”. This is one of those “lost” cars, conversion number 11.
Finished in Jaguar Racing Green, with genuine low mileage, intriguing provenance and high specification, this Eventer is not only exceptionally rare, but has been well cared-for and beautifully preserved. Having been sat under cover in a garage for 8 years, it was discovered and brought back to life last month. Now it’s ready for a new owner to enjoy what must be one of the coolest cars on the planet.
The History and Paperwork
- First purchased from Appleyard of Harrogate by Brays Bakery (Leeds) on 17 September 1983
- Immediately sent to Lynx for conversion
- Build sheet and conversion certificate included
- Second owner purchased the car in July 1985 (bill of sale included) - at this point the car had covered 19,600 miles
- Very infrequent use until 2014 when it was sold at 46,502 miles
- Purchased by its third owner in June 2014 and garage stored. Hardly ever used other than being trailered to a classic car show in 2015
- Car has only covered 74 miles in the past 8 years
- Extensive history file including previous MOTs and invoices
- Original handbooks and service history booklet
- 17 service stamps (last service in June 2012 @ 46,451 miles)
- Sales brochures
- Current V5c and previous registration documents
- 2x sets of keys
The car has been sat in a garage for the past 8 years – dusty, but otherwise in fine condition. A Jaguar specialist fitted new fuel pump and filter and flushed the tank. It now fires up and runs for the first time in eight years. It has also been treated to a full valet and polish, bringing it back to its former glory.
The Interior
- Original black leather upholstery
- Air conditioning
- Original Pioneer radio/cassette
- Powered windows and mirrors
Internally, the car presents in superb condition. It’s no surprise to learn that the vehicle has covered less than 47,000 miles when you consider how well the cabin looks. The original black leather upholstery on the seats and door cards is intact and in fine condition, with no rips, sagging or significant evidence of wear. As would be expected for an almost 40 year old vehicle, the driver’s seat shows some minor signs of wear, but nothing that should raise any concern. It appears there has been a small repair carried out to the driver’s seat squab on the front left side.
The carpets are grey throughout and in excellent condition, with no signs of damage at all. With the contrasting black mats and gorgeous wood dash and door inlays, it makes the cabin a fine place to be. All of the instrumentation and switchgear looks to be in excellent condition, with no damage or missing trim. And the vendor assures us that, as far as they’re aware, everything works as it should.
There are certainly no noticeable signs of wear on the usual touchpoints (steering wheels, gear level and door handles). The dash itself is likewise in good order, with no warping, cracking or UV damage. Mounted on the centre console is the official Lynx build plate, confirming this as the no.11 Eventer build.
There are certainly no noticeable signs of wear on the usual touchpoints (steering wheels, gear level and door handles). The dash itself is likewise in good order, with no warping, cracking or UV damage. Mounted on the centre console is the official Lynx build plate, confirming this as the no.11 Eventer build.
At the rear, that iconic luggage space is finished with grey carpet to match the cabin, and includes a full, original XJ-S toolkit. The owner has even included a lovely picnic hamper and blanket, both completely unused and unmarked, as well as a bottle of champagne for the new owner to celebrate their new acquisition in the manner it deserves!
The Exterior
- Finished in Jaguar Racing Green
- Original grey coachline
- Original etched side windows
- Gorgeous two-tone 5-spoke alloys
- Garaged for the last 8 years
- Recent full polish
As you’d expect from a car that has such low mileage and has been kept garaged for many years, the bodywork is in extremely good condition. The owner describes the floor and sills as “remarkably clean”. Following on from a recent full polish, the paintwork now has its original lustre and gleam restored. The metalwork itself is all straight, with an original factory fit-and-finish and no signs of damage or repair we could see.
Contrasting wonderfully with the Racing Green paint, the brightwork is in superb condition too, with only some very minor speckling to the chrome on the rear bumper. In fact, all of the external trim is in fine, original condition. The lights and glass are the original items and have no signs of chips or cracks. At the rear, the side glass still proudly wears its authentic ‘Lynx Eventer’ factory etching.
As with the rest of the car, the wheels are likewise in beautiful condition. The two-tone black and silver alloys showing no signs of their age and still wearing an age-defying shine.
The Mechanics
- 5,343cc V12
- Automatic transmission
- Full service history up to 46,452 miles
Benefitting from Jaguar’s creamily smooth 5.3-litre V12 mated to an automatic transmission, this Eventer has everything you could possibly want from a grand tourer. Offering a meaty 295bhp, this drivetrain can easily propel the car along vast distances with no effort at all. Overall, the engine bay is in very good condition, looking clean and neat, with no signs of any leaks or issues. The exhaust also appears to be a fairly recent item.
Obviously, although the car starts and drives perfectly well, as it has been standing in a garage for 8 years, a light mechanical refresh is probably in order. The car does have a full service history. However, as it was last serviced in 2012 just before it went into storage, a full service and ancillary belt change is recommended by the vendor. It should also be noted that the rear brakes are binding due to lack of use. Therefore, it is recommended that the car is collected by trailer.
Summary
Many vehicles are desirable. Some are rare. Others are collectible, appreciating assets. On very special occasions, a vehicle comes along that ticks all of those boxes. This is one of those vehicles.
For many years thought to be lost, Eventer no.11 is a simply incredible vehicle. With just 63 ever made, the opportunity to get your hands on an Eventer is highly uncommon. We think this is probably the finest specification we’ve seen too – classic Jaguar Racing Green over black leather is a wonderful combination. Add that to the car’s interesting provenance and impressive presentation and what we have here is one of the most attractive classic cars on sale today.
The absolute epitome of Jaguar’s ‘grace, space and pace’ mantra, this is an opportunity that’s far too good to miss.
To see a video of this stunning car please use this link or copy and paste into your browser - https://youtu.be/bz_MGZyEMwA
To see a video of this stunning car please use this link or copy and paste into your browser - https://youtu.be/bz_MGZyEMwA
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