Daimler Super Eight LWB

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Launched in 2003 and remaining in production until 2007, the X350 was by far the most advanced saloon that Jaguar had ever made and featured a totally new chassis and body constructed almost entirely from aluminium.

With a bodyshell that weighed no more than a contemporary Mini, the X350 was 40% lighter and 60% stiffer than its all-steel predecessor which not only improved fuel economy and handling, but also meant the car would never go rusty.

A range of engines were offered from a 2.7-litre diesel V6 to a 4.2-litre petrol V8 but cream of the crop was the supercharged 4.2 V8 that produced 400bhp and 408lb/ft of torque. Driving through a six-speed automatic gearbox this gave the big saloon supercar performance with a top speed limited to 155mph and a 0-60 time of just 5 seconds with up to 35mpg economy.

Packed full of all the latest luxuries and driver aids, the X350 was also beautifully built and was soon voted the best luxury car in the JD Power customer satisfaction index, beating all rival offerings from Mercedes and BMW – high praise indeed.

The rarest and most expensive model of all was the long-wheelbase Daimler Super Eight version which was only on sale from 2003 to 2007. Distinguished from the Jaguar by a different front grille and additional exterior brightwork, it also had an even more luxurious interior with lamb’s wool carpets, boxwood inlays, burr walnut picnic tables, monogrammed seats (electric front and rear), four-zone climate control, sat nav, TV screens in the headrests plus every other gadget you could dream of.

Costing almost £80,000 it was aimed primarily at the chauffeur-driven billionaire class of the Far East market and only a tiny handful were ever sold in the UK – perhaps as few as 12, according to the vendor of this car, who bought it new from Stratstones of Stourbridge in January 2006 for £78,026 (purchase invoice on file).

During his 8-years’ ownership the car has covered less than 4,000 miles, virtually all of these on the motorway from his home in the Midlands to a second home in Poole, Dorset. Always kept garaged and serviced almost annually regardless of mileage, it was last serviced just a few miles ago and is in showroom condition throughout, even smelling like a new car inside.

Finished in gold with a cream leather interior, this rare and magnificent motorcar is MOTd and taxed until the end of September and is only reluctantly being sold due to the advancing years of the owner. Almost certainly the last Daimler model that will ever be made (Tata have no plans to continue this 118-year-old marque) and offering more space, pace and grace than any other Daimler ever built, this one-owner, ultra-low mileage example is a sure-fire collector's car of the future and could well prove a shrewd investment at the guide price suggested today.