Lot number: 217

Jaguar XJ12 Series 2 Low miles with Personal Plate 1978 Having been owned for most of its life by members of the same family. This rare 1978 Jaguar XJ12 then spent a lot of years in storage. Once found the new owner spent time and money recommissioning the car to get it back on the road including a new manifold back exhaust system and a set of 5 correct Dunlop SP Sport radial tyres. A short time later it was again in storage until the current owner and vendor purchased it over 3 years ago. With only 16000 Series 2 XJ 12s produced over a 7 year production run that ended early 1979 and only 3284 of these in 1978. This lovely car is ever more unusual with its dark blue exterior but with a rare red leather and walnut interior. The body work is very solid and all the bright work is excellent just one bumper overider showing some pitting in the chrome but there is replacement one with the car. Unfortunately at some point during its periods of storage the car was covered and this has caused micro blistering to the painted surfaces and in the vendors opinion if you want to make the car really nice again a respray would be in order. This would also address the paint problems the lower edge of the sills has where the paint is poor not rusty just original 39 year old paint going thin. The good news is that the vinyl roof is in perfect condition so only a lower half respray needed. The car also has the optional GKN Kent Alloy wheels fitted that are in very good condition. Its red leather interior is described as Beautiful with the leather seats and door cards in excellent condition the walnut trim undamaged and the carpets are the originals in very good order. Roof lining is original and very clean but has just lately started to droop in the middle so will need to be replaced as repair is rarely successful. A shame as before this the interior was totally original even down to the factory fitted radio in the dash and the original tool bag in the boot. Mechanically the vendor has carried on replacing anything that showed signs of wear lately he replaced the drop arm bushes on the front suspension not because they were an MOT failure in fact it passed its latest MOT in March this year with no advisories but they were just beginning to creak there is also a new quality battery fitted. On the road that excellent V12 engine and being a 78 car the General Motors threespeed automatic gearbox (in place of the Britishbuilt BorgWarner units used on earlier cars) help the car to drive very nicely super smooth and powerful. Previously the car has had new brakes so it stops as well as it goes. All the electrics on the car with the exception of the rear windows are working. With only 87000 miles registered on the odometer the vendor does feel that with the condition of the interior the lack of ever being painted exterior and the earlier service history he does have that this mileage is correct but past that he cannot prove it. These early V12 Jag saloons rarely come to market now most are tucked away in collections. This example with little more than some TLC will certainly follow the rest of its kind and multiply in value in a very short period of time. Offered with a realistic reserve to allow for the fact it is not perfect but with 11 months MOT so ready to use and comes with the personal registration number OOO32M.
Condition Report

Estimate £5500 to £7500