HIGHLIGHTS

Rare S-Type 3.0 SE with manual transmission
Really early launch-specification example from June 1999
‘Rustbuster’ treatment with sills, doors and floors Dinitrol wax-injected
Factory sat nav and cruise control

THE APPEAL

The Birmingham Motor Show in 1998 was one of the most important ever, with major launches of four important British-built cars - the Rover 75, Land Rover Discovery 2, Vauxhall Astra and Jaguar S-Type, each one a critically important model in its own right.

Jaguar got its fair share of the column inches with a spectacular reveal, where the S-Type was revealed on a plinth in front of a giant leaper hologram, flanked on both sides by 50 separate video screens, each showing images of the car and its predecessors. There was no mistaking the fact that Jaguar was playing on its rich heritage to seed the car in the minds of potential customers.

Today, that modern-retro appeal is retro in its own right. A good S-Type is a cool thing, as nostalgia for the late 1990s and early 2000s develops apace. After all, it’s a car that’s rapidly emerging as a classic, loved by a band of dedicated enthusiasts who will preserve the best survivors as the rougher examples fall by the wayside.

Whoever owned this one previously cottoned onto that early. In 2011, it was given a ‘Rustbuster’ treatment, where Dintrol wax was injected into the sills, doors and body seams and the underside coated in a rubberised underseal. It has ensured that the car has survived in remarkable condition – most early S-Types were killed by corrosion.

It’s also a launch-spec car, registered three months after launch but built in March 1999, right near the beginning of S-Type production. Plus, it’s a manual. That means astonishingly lively performance and 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds…

THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK

UK V5C
MOT October 2023
Supplied new by Rybrook Jaguar in Warrington in June 1999
17 stamps in the service book (13 main dealer), to 85,372 miles
Original owner’s handbook
Jaguar wallet and book pack
All radio codes and manuals present
Sat nav disc
Separate pile of invoices documenting annual servicing and regular work in 2010s
Invoice and certification from Rustbuster documenting comprehensive wax and rustproofing protection in 2011

THE INTERIOR

Cashmere leather trim with matching tow-tone dash
Light Maple veneer inserts
Electrically adjustable seats
Fully functional factory sat nav
Sunroof
Electric steering column adjustment
Factory-option wood-rimmed steering wheel
Original Jaguar floor mats and carpets
Spacesaver spare wheel
Cruise control
Trip computer
Air conditioning
Original Jaguar radio-cassette
6-CD auto changer (untested)
Minor wear to driver’s seat
Headlining dropping slightly in rear corner
o/s/r electric widow non-functional
Minor damage to o/s/r door shut trim
Age wear to steering wheel rim and gear lever
Boot storage bag containing detachable tow bar

THE EXTERIOR

Rare ‘Seafrost’ Metallic
Very good overall condition with all original paint
Described by the MOT tester as “the best S-Type he’d seen in years” in reference to the underside
Never welded, comprehensively rust-proofed
Unmarked alloys, with no kerbing
All original chrome and trim in good overall order
Good tyres all-round
Tiny bubbles on one door, under the paint at the top of the door
Two small areas of faded lacquer on the roof (see photos)
Amazing condition for an entirely original 24-year-old S-Type

THE MECHANICS

3.0-litre V6
Five-speed manual
240bhp
0-60mph in a lively 6.9 seconds
Starts and drives really well
Clutch and transmission operate well, with no slipping and decent bite point
Fantastic engine note under acceleration
No known or apparent faults with steering or braking systems

SUMMARY

Now’s definitely the time to buy an S-Type, as collectors are already snapping up the best examples of what was one of the most important and significant Jaguar models of all-time.

This one is a rare find – a superb early example, a sought-after manual (boy, are they quick…) and specced to the nines with all of the period extras, including a gloriously retro but fully functional LCD sat nav screen. It’s a real snapshot of end-of-the-millennium technology and luxury, presented in extremely straight and sound order and – unusually for an early S-Type – with its original, strong and unwelded floors and sills. You’ll struggle to find another T-reg S-Type that comes close.

Notice to bidders

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