Description
Jaguar XK8 4. 0 1997 Mot Dec 2025, 72k miles, good running order.
I bought this XK8 from someone I know who had the car for about 6 years and used it regularly for most of that time. It’s such an attractive shape and with the glorious V8 soundtrack I’ve always coveted it and don’t really want to part with it but needs must…..
It runs and drives well, is comfortable and sounds great. It is has not been modified or messed with and looks pretty good for a 28 year old car, but obviously it’s not perfect hence the price, which is attractive for a pretty decent low mileage early XK8 and gives scope to make improvements if desired.
Or else, with Mot til late December, just buy and enjoy it as is. Being pre 2001 it is cheaper to tax than most and also qualifies for classic car insurance.
The car has had fairly recent brake pads and 4 x Continental tyres fitted, exhaust and battery are all perfect so there is nothing needed here for the forseeable future.
During last summer I had a replacement gearbox fitted (with fresh fluid of course) a transmission control module and an alternator, since then it’s been fault free.
Over the winter I’ve kept it in dry car storage, kept the battery charged and run it regularly so it’s avoided all the salt and horrid weather and is ready to go now spring is here.
Spec:
Engine: 4. 0 V8 290bhp (glorious!)
Gearbox: 5 speed auto
18” Impeller wheels (from a later facelift car, much nicer than the originals)
Sony CD/ Radio with Bluetooth
Electric seats with electric lumbar adjustment
ABS / traction control, fully functional
Climate control (fully functional except A/ C not cold)
Trip computer & vehicle info centre, fully functional
Sports type interior with oatmeal cloth/ leather, attractive black birds-eye maple wood veneers, black steering wheel, carpets, dash top and door cards etc, much nicer than some of the all-cream jobs.
Ice blue metallic paint, great colour on this car.
Body condition:
Basically sound with just a small bit of non structural rust behind the RH rear wheel. Paint is a bit tired but not disastrous and the overall impression is still good. The colour is very attractive and the 18” genuine Jaguar wheels are a big improvement over what it would have had originally.
Interior condition:
A non-smoker car with the cloth/ leather seat option & black carpets all in good condition and very attractive black wood veneers also in good order. Fitted with a smart Bluetooth radio/ CD all working, the only thing to mention is the typical saggy Jag headlining, but still it’s a really nice place to be.
Mechanical condition:
Starts runs and drives all correctly, sadly no service history (lost) but the MOT history supports the mileage of 72k as being correct. There are no warning lights or messages on the dash, no untoward noises from the drivetrain etc, the only thing to mention is a slight and slow power steering fluid leak somewhere between the reservoir and pump which I have been meaning to do something about.. but it’s not really an issue as it’s not in the high pressure part of the system so I just top it up now and again.
Quirks:
The climate control system & display are fully operational but AC doesn’t blow cold.
There is only one key & remote.
The steering wheel is off centre.
Whilst the drivers door window correctly drops a few mm when you open the door (and goes back up when you shut it), the passengers window goes all the way down when you open the door. The electric winder is all fine, you just have to put it back up if you open that door, it’s not an issue for me and is probably just a microswitch that wants fiddling with.
Overall:
A tidy early low mileage classic XK8 with MoT til Dec 2025 in perfectly useable condition that drives fine, doesn’t actively need any work doing to be used regularly, but could be fettled further if desired (as could they all at this age).
It’s a lovely thing to drive and own and I hope it finds another good loving home.
