2014-03-11 19:25:13 | pauls writes:

Car was at auction 3/14
www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2014-03-08/car/1976-hyper-sport-jaguar-xjs.a ...

Auction description:
Registration JAG63L
Chassis Number 2W1840
Engine Number 8S4510SA
Odometer reading 76,440 miles
Estimate £22,000 - £26,000
Hammer Not Sold
Hyper Engineering is owned by Paul Hands and in the best traditions of those before him when it comes to modifying Jaguars, cut his teeth on the race track. In the business of building racing Jaguars for years he began modifying the XJ-S for road use in the late eighties. Body, interior, road wheels and mechanical upgrades were available to transform a standard every day XJ-S into a sleek Hyper XJ-S. The Mk 3 package offered the Mk 2 body kit and in addition wider wings made from high-quality impact-resistant fibre-glass. These bigger wings, 4" wider at the rear and 3" wider at the front, allowed the fitment of very wide wheels and tyres to enhance the look and performance even further. The package also included a unique 3 piece rear boot spoiler and a modification that extended the rear windows rearward, further improving the slick look. Mechanical upgrades were available to the suspension as were a manual 5 or 6 speed gear box or the Hyper drive 'clutchless manual' gear box. Steering, manifold, exhaust 'Hyper brakes' and 'Hyper cool' - oil cooler were also available. The wide bodied Hyper Sport XJ-S Mk 3 was much acclaimed by the motoring press in the early nineties after they tested a purpose built steel bodied press car. Sadly this car, number 001, was written off in the nineties. Only one other steel bodied Hyper Mk 3 was ever built, car number 002, which was to serve as the prototype from which the mouldings were made for the fibreglass wide body versions that were to follow.

JAG 63L was first registered in June 1976. It was then a standard 5.3 V12 XJ-S with one of the last of the factory fitted Jaguar close ratio manual gear boxes, which it retains today. Believed to have first been a demonstrator, the car later went on to be registered by a business man based in Jersey who regularly travelled on German Autobahns. After deciding that he really needed a little more power and a little higher top speed for these journeys, he took JAG63L to Forward Engineering, the company formed in the 60's by Ron Beaty, Jaguar's competition department's experimental engineer for the V12. In the early eighties the 5.3 engine was rebuilt by Forward Engineering and bored out to 6 litres. In 1987 the owner of JAG 63L (then on Jersey plates) traded the car in for a new Lister Jaguar. The car was then acquired from Lister by Paul Hands of Hyper Engineering. Work began on transforming JAG 63L into the steel bodied prototype (002) for the Glass Fibre winged Hyper Sport Mk3. The BLE under bumper body kit was removed and replaced with Hyper sport front dam and rear body kit with provision for front and rear fog lamps. Hyper side skirts were also fitted. Following a design created by Paul which gave a more sweeping rear end that, unlike some of its rivals, was wider at the back than at the front, the wings were carefully and meticulously fashioned from steel to be used to make the mould for the glass fibre wings that were to be offered in the Hyper Sport Mk 3. With the moulds made, JAG 63L, car 002, having completed its task, was laid up in storage for the next few years.

Following the theft and subsequent insurance loss of car 001, Hyper turned its attentions to getting JAG63L on the road with the intentions of presenting it to Jaguar Sport as a prototype. The interior was replaced with magnolia with black piping, leather interior from a much later HE XJR-S 6.0L with new black carpets and TWR steering wheel. Many external trim items such as the front grill and de-chromed items were also replaced. Specially made wheels were fitted, wider at the rear, and that gorgeous three piece rear spoiler. The whole car was then repainted to an extremely high standard in its original Sebring Red. This Hyper Sports Mk3 is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful looking XJ-S's we have seen and comes supplied with a V5 registration document, an MoT test certificate which expires in February 2015, and a file containing some photographs when the car was at Forward Engineering and articles relating to Hyper. This prototype is a stunning looking 'driver's car' and due to its uniqueness and rarity has great investment potential.

2015-01-31 20:57:28 | pauls writes:

Car to return to auction 3/15
www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2015-03-07/cars/1976-hyper-jaguar-xjs.aspx

Auction description:
Same as above.

2025-08-11 06:54:10 | pauls writes:

Car returns to auction 8/25

www.iconicauctioneers.com/1976-jaguar-xjs-hyper-mkiii-rec15661-2-silverston-0825

Auction description:

The Classic Sale at Silverstone Festival 2025

Lot Number: 740

1976 Jaguar XJ-S Hyper MkIII - 6.0-Litre

ESTIMATE: £20,000 - £25,000

Registration Number JAG 63L

MOT Expiry Exempt

Chassis Number 2W1840

Engine Number 8S4510SA

Transmission Manual

Body Colour Red

Believed to be the only surviving steel-bodied prototype (#002) for the Hyper Sport Mk III by Paul Hands of Hyper Engineering

Originally a standard, early Sebring Red 5.3-litre XJ-S, later upgraded and bored out by Forward Engineering to a 6-litre 400bhp+ V12 with high-speed Autobahn usage in mind

The car was acquired by Hyper Engineering from Lister in 1987 and developed into this steel-bodied widebody example. Designed to be the template for the fibreglass widebody production models that were meant to follow but unfortunately never came to fruition

Features unique hand-formed steel wings, 4" wider at the rear and 3" at the front, plus the Hyper body kit, skirts, a distinctive 3-piece rear spoiler and a modification that extends the rear windows backward, further improving the sleek look

Later refurbished with an HE-spec leather interior (magnolia with black piping), TWR steering wheel and wider, bespoke, 3-piece split-rim wheels

Finished in its original Sebring Red, professionally repainted to a high standard some years ago

Retains its original and rare close-ratio 5-speed manual gearbox combined with Hyper mechanical enhancements including suspension and exhaust upgrades

Previously stored and recommissioned following the theft and insurance write off of car #001, #002 was intended to be a presentation car to Jaguar Sport

Supplied with a V5C, in running and driving condition with some historic documents, period photos and magazine features, but would benefit from a deep detail

A striking one-off prototype from the golden era of Jaguar tuning, a rightly well known car at a very reasonable pricepoint