• Has been welded underneath so a solid starting point

• The body has a few areas that need attention

• Should be regarded as a running restoration project with potential 

The E Type was always going to be a hard act to follow, but by the time the Series 3 finished it had evolved into a grand tourer, and the new XJ-S followed this mould, styled by the legendary designer Malcom Sayer and powered over the years by either straight 6 or V12 engines.

After a various updates the car was facelifted in 1991 after Ford brought the company into the Premier Automotive Group, and as well as updates styling the V12 was enlarged to include a 6 litre option and a new gearbox.

This XJS has been with the current owner for a couple of years, he is someone who enjoys collecting and restoring cars, working on them to improve or maintain them, but with too many projects has decided to let this one go to someone else to finish.

It has had a few areas of floor repaired in order to pass the MOT, and in April this year was serviced and passed a fresh test in May, so the car can be driven to its new home.

The car comes with its original book pack, the embossed green leather folder, handbook and other literature, and there are a number of receipts for works and service going back many years.

This year's series and MOT documents are in the file showing it is up to date.

Being a high spec model the interior is well appointed with leather and wood. The cream seats are good with no splits or tears, just some wear to the colour coat on the drivers side bolster. A treatment with a leather colour kit would have the seats looking almost like new.

The door cards are complete but slightly marked around the edges and bottoms and the carpets are missing from the footwell sections.

The wooden door and dash inserts are very presentable, the lacquer is generally good, although there is the odd crack around the air vents, and the dash top is in good shape with no cracks.

It has luxuries such as electric seats and cruise control, and a more modern Sony stern has been fitted. Up above the headlining is somewhat marked and has a small tear over the drivers door. The car will come with a £250 headliner that will need to be fitted by the owner.

XJS’s are always handsome cars, and the metallic blue paint of this one suits the shape and complements the grey interior. 

There are a few marks in the finish, stone chips and the odd scratch but the body will need preventative and remedial attention soon as there are a number of areas of bubbling, under the windows, on the boot and other areas and a couple holes that will also need taking care of, one by the rear drivers window and in that lower wing and in the front passenger wheel arch. 

There has been previous welding, £500 was spent recently on floor repairs and that area has fresh underseal. 

The lattice alloy wheels are in very good shape and the rear tyres have deep tread although the fronts have some wear from the alignment having been out, but that has been corrected recently. 

The Jaguar has been serviced in preparation for it”s MOT earlier this year and not driven far since, and had a wheel alignment around the same time in May, and a new battery was fitted earlier this year.

Although the car should be considered a project it is mechanically sound. The owner has stated that the engine is miss-firing though, and will require some work as part of the overall project!

The XJS was for too long in the shadow of the E-Type, but when looked at objectively is in many ways a better and more refined car, and values are finally starting to reflect that, so now these fast, elegant and comfortable coupes are commanding high prices.

This example has a lot going for it. It is mechanically good and has the legendary V12 under the bonnet, the floor is solid, the interior in tidy condition and it is the right colour. 

However it is by no means perfect and should be considered a rolling restoration project as the blisters will need sorting out very soon and the car does need some general tidying, but there is a beautiful car waiting to be revealed.