Jaguar XJS HE 5.2 V12 Coupe

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Launched in September 1975 as a replacement for the legendary E-Type, the Jaguar XJS V12 was a much more modern and sophisticated car than its glamorous predecessor and had a totally different character – the E-Type being a race-bred sportscar while the XJS was a high speed grand tourer.

Refinement was in a different league to the E-Type and even today there are few cars that are quite so relaxing to drive fast. And with 295bhp to play with in post-1981 HE form, the XJS certainly was fast, hitting 60mph in 7.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155mph. In fact the XJS was so refined and capable that many of its underpinnings later found their way into the Aston Martin DB7 and the Jaguar XK8.

First registered in November 1983, this Cranberry Red XJS was discovered about three years ago languishing in an industrial unit by a team who had come to develop the site in Birmingham. Apparently the car had been there since 1988, as shown in an old tax disc in the windscreen.

Subsequently acquired by one of the developers, it was got running and treated to a gearbox overhaul before being acquired by a friend of the developer earlier this year. He has done more work to the car to get it up to MOT standard, including fitting new front ball joints and front brake pads, the MOT test being successfully passed only recently.

The car is showing just over 54,000 miles on the clock which the vendor feels is more than likely genuine given the overall condition of the vehicle, but there is no paperwork to substantiate this. Supplied with a V5C and an MOT until September 2016, it was driven to and from the test station but has otherwise covered no distance since it was laid up 27 years ago so will doubtless benefit from some gentle local runs and perhaps further recommissioning before it tackles one of those trans-continental trips for which it was originally designed.