2023-04-27 08:07:23 | pauls writes:

Car offered at:

www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1989-jaguar-xj-s-g6q5O8

Auction description:

1989 Jaguar XJS

Colour Blue

Odometer 30,943 Miles

Engine size 5343

Auction DetailsSeller Type Private

Town Basingstoke

Location Hampshire

Country United Kingdom

Classic British grand tourer

Superb original condition, inside and out

Genuine 30,000 miles

Five previous owners

Thick file of invoices and previous MoTs

Current V5

MoT valid until March 2024

Original leather folder

Original owner’s manual

Original service book

Haynes Manual

Original workshop manual

Previous tax discs

Vendor has owned the car since October 2016.

Certified by the Jaguar Heritage Trust. 

Only 30,943 miles on the clock; less than 1,000 miles per year of the car’s age. 

Vendor has only done 500 – 600 miles in the car since purchase. 

Vendor has spent approx. £3,800 on service and maintenance in his tenure. 

Service and maintenance carried out at renowned Jaguar specialist Knowles-Wilkins Engineering (KWE)

June 1989 - Leaves the factory for first owner - Jaguar Cars Ltd.

Dec 1991 - Car with second owner in Bognor Regis with 12,813 miles on the clock.

Nov 1993 - Main dealer service at HA Fox, Guildford 17,136 miles.

Jan 1996 - Work at Harwoods of Sussex, 18,864 miles.

Dec 1996 - Third owner from Newbury buys at Blackbushe auctions, 19,862 miles.

May 2000 - MoT 22,821 miles.

June 2001 - MoT 22,927 miles.

June 2011 – The car went to next owner via a specialist. The MOT showed 23,158 miles.

August 2011 - Service and fettling at ‘KWE’ 24,381 miles. Moves in to heated garage in

Wimbledon Village.

July 2012 - MoT 25,575 miles

July 2013 - MoT 28,571 miles

July 2014 - MoT 29,294 miles

July 2015 - MoT 29,758 miles

June 2016 - Service and extensive recommissioning work at ‘KWE’. MoT 30,342 miles

October 2016 – bought by vendor

MoT July 2017 – 30,534 miles

MoT Sept 2018 – 30,644 miles

MoT Nov 2019 – 30,835 miles 

SORN from Nov 2020 – mainly due to Covid-19 pandemic; vendor did still start the car regularly in the garage or on the driveway 

MoT August 2021 – 30,905 miles

MoT March 2023 – 30,937 miles

The vendor bought the car in 2016, having always coveted an XJ-S and having carried out an exhaustive search, looking at dozens of cars. He was determined to find a completely original car and this one fulfilled his every wish, being in exceptional condition with low mileage and with a fully documented history. 

He has continued with its lifetime of careful storage, and regular maintenance by specialists, but having covered only around 600 miles in it since purchase, he has reluctantly decided to part with it as he feels he just doesn’t use it enough. 

The Interior

Leather seats in extremely good condition

Some staining to rear seat

Immaculate dashboard and centre console

Walnut trim all unmarked

Excellent door cards

Original toolkit, all complete

Original jack 

Spotless boot liner

Sound spare wheel

Superb roof lining

Open the doors and it’s clear that this is car that has had care and attention lavished on it from day one. The ‘Savile Grey’ leather seats are lovely, but we need to point out the only real negative in the whole interior, which is that the bolster between the two rear seats has some staining on it, where it looks as though someone has tried to clean or dye the seats. Determined to retain the car’s outstanding originality, the vendor has resisted the temptation to have this rectified. 

The condition of the carpets, pedals, dashboard, dials, walnut trim, centre-console all attest to the car’s low mileage and cherished lifestyle. Both door cards look great, although there is a minor scratch on the leather on the inside of the driver’s door, and some slight marking. 

The overall theme continues in the boot, where the lining is spotless, the original toolkit is all present and correct, the original jack is still in its matching sleeve, and the spare wheel would appear not to have been used. 

The Exterior 

Iconic sleek grand-tourer profile

(Mostly) immaculate bodywork

Superb badges and brightwork

Wheels in first-class condition

At the time of our visit, the exterior of the car presented in virtually ‘as-new’ condition. Unfortunately, as the vendor was returning the car to its garage after the photo shoot, it slipped on a wooden ramp and the offside rear wheel-arch scraped on the garage wall.

 He has supplied ‘phone photos of the damage and these are included in the gallery. 

Apart from this minor damage, the car really is a ‘time-warp’ example that has clearly been cosseted and cherished by successive owners. Apart from the wheel-arch damage, the ‘Arctic Blue’ metallic paintwork is almost spotless, reflecting its careful storage and very limited mileage. 

All four wheels are similarly immaculate, with no corrosion or damage, and the tyres are all good. Elsewhere the badges and brightwork are in superb condition, the lights are all unmarked, and it really is difficult to believe that a car more than thirty-three years old can have remained in such superb condition. The vendor is ‘gutted’ at the minor mishap that scraped the wheel-arch, having taken such great care of the car during his tenure.   

The Mechanics 

5.3-litre V12 engine

3-speed auto transmission

Rear-wheel drive

Starts and runs beautifully

No warning lights

Clean and tidy engine bay

Exceptional underneath

The cars starts on first turn of the key, and idles beautifully. The vendor reports that it drives as well as it looks – although he has not done many miles in it, he has made a point of using the car regularly, if only for short distances, and of keeping the car well-maintained. 

Under the bonnet, everything is as you would expect of a car with this one’s history, and under the car it’s the same story, with no corrosion or leaks visible.