2025-02-16 16:35:46 | pauls writes:

Car at auction 2/25

www.brightwells.com/timed-sale/5718/lot/766653

Auction description:

1989 Jaguar XJS V12 Convertible

Estimate £12,000 - £14,000

Brightwells - Online, UK

Lot 13

Registration Number F57GWB

Engine Size 5343cc

Engine Number 8S067509SA

Chassis Number SAJJNADW3DB160906

Gearbox Automatic

VAT Status No VAT

Documents

V5C; older V5C and V5; 23 old MOTs; many invoices; KWE Build Certificate; handbooks; service book with 26 stamps; Becker GP radio guide; correspondence; Heritage Certificate

Restored and uprated by KWE in 2008 at a cost of over £33,500; c.53,000 miles with 27 services to date; current owner 17 years; heated seats; parking sensors; electric soft top; very smart indeed

Supplied new by Hatfields of Sheffield in April 1989, this pampered Jaguar XJS V12 Convertible comes with a very large history file to show meticulous upkeep with many dozens of invoices extending back to the late-1990s.

It is showing 53,208 miles on the clock and the service book has no fewer than 26 stamps up to 52,101 miles in August 2021 when the book runs out of pages. There is also an invoice for another service in October 2023 at 52,858 miles. This equates to an average service interval of just under 2,000 miles which is most impressive but in fact it is slightly more complicated than that (see last paragraph).

The current (5th) owner acquired the car in March 2008 and promptly sent it to Jaguar specialists KWE of Thatcham to be restored and uprated. This took four months to complete and ultimately cost £33,666. It included a full interior retrim; uprated brakes, suspension and steering; a £6,500 intensive V12 engine service; stainless steel non-cat exhaust system; a new soft top and liner; renovated electrics; Xenon headlamps; new 16” Pepperpot wheels and tyres; rear parking sensors; Becker GP sound system; cavity wax injection; underseal treatment plus much else besides.

There are many invoices for subsequent upkeep including a new windscreen in 2010; CTEK battery conditioner in 2011; localized bodywork repairs by KWE in 2012 which cost over £5,000; paint and chrome professionally detailed in 2016; minor welding to address an MOT failure in 2017; gearbox oil change in 2018 etc. etc. You get the picture: this Jaguar has been loved, big time!

The last MOT was issued in October 2023 with no advisories recorded and it has only covered 350 miles since so getting a new one should be fairly straightforward, with any luck. There are also 23 old MOTs on file along with a Heritage Certificate, a full set of handbooks and records of all previous owners. The original (refurbished) steering wheel is also present.

This pampered and expensively uprated XJS looks very smart indeed with gleaming Solent Blue paintwork and the electric soft top working as it should. It has been starting promptly and running nicely as we have moved it around on site, although we did note an occasional graunching sound from the front which would merit further investigation and the power steering belt squeals a bit. The right rear exhaust pipe is also blowing slightly.

Given the impressive service history and the vast amounts of money spent on the car in recent times, it looks mighty tempting at the guide price suggested.

[Please Note: while the indicated mileage cannot be warranted, it is probably not far wide of the mark. The speedo got stuck on c.20,200 miles in 1993 and the services carried out between August 1993 and August 1997 do not record the mileage. However, the current owner investigated this matter and correspondence from the wife of the chap who owned it at the time explains that the Jag was very little used over that period because of her husband's health issues. In May 2012 the current owner had the speedo recalibrated to compensate for the period when it was stuck, re-setting it from 30,599 to 49,100. All very clumsy but not done to deceive and all documented in spread sheets and notes on file.]