Lot details Registration No: NHW506R Chassis No: 2J2525DN Mot Expiry: T.B.A.
When launched, the Jaguar XJ6 range had no peer. It was the most astonishing saloon available for its combination of performance, handling, ride comfort and above all, cheap price. At the start of the 1970s, Jaguar was riding the crest of a wave. By the time the London Motor Show of October 1973 arrived, the wraps were taken away from the Series II, and there was, in addition to the slim-grilled saloon, the gorgeous pillarless coupe. It should have been a fairy tale, except that the bad-old days of industrial unrest, a fuel crisis and power cuts ensured that even the diligent (by BL standards) Browns Lane staff couldn't keep the lines running. The coupé wasn't available to buyers until 1975. Prices had gone up. Jaguar, by now subsumed into BL and fighting for its survival within the Jaguar-Rover-Triumph wing of the conglomerate, was unable to address minor quality issues, and the reputation of the cars suffered. But today that leaves us with a small pool of cherished XJ-Cs which rarely come up for sale, and the occasional project which can excite for its undisturbed air and rare features.
This 4.2 XJ-C has indeed got potential. Whilst many don't mind an auto gearbox in a Jaguar, the manual is super rare. Cars with air-conditioning from the mid-1970s are also few and far between, but combine the two and this vehicle is possibly now a unique survivor from the scant 8378 2-door XJ coupés built. It was first registered on 27th October 1976, and was taxed for the road in April 1993. So in terms of getting a base vehicle to renovate, starting with an unusual and desirable specification is one way to a satisfying completion. The car was owned and driven by John Dean, of Pearl and Dean cinema advertisers, between 1990 and 1993, before he sold it onto Peter Hugo for potential restoration. It was apparently a completely reliable car needing only routine servicing and occasional maintenance when Hugo parked it up for a refurbishment that never really started. John Dean's son bought the car back from Hugo after Goodwood in 2005, so the car remains as original and unmolested as it was back in 1990. The structure is apparently better than it looks, though the coachwork and paintwork are rated as poor. The engine and gearbox apparently ran nicely before the lay-up, and all the on-board systems were functioning. With an odometer reading of circa 88,000 and old style V5 Registration Document, this XJ-C is surely worth saving?
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