Extra-Clean Specimen: 9K-Mile 1999 Jaguar XJR For Sale

By John Coyle - June 10, 2022

Looking to score the closest thing to a factory-fresh Jaguar XJR you can find? This baby is worth a look.

While my preference is for the Series I and Series II XJ6s, I also happen to love the styling of the X308 and X350 models. That said, this example of the venerated Jaguar XJR is the best I’ve seen in years. There’s just under 9,000 miles on the clock, and according to the seller, it came out of a decent-sized collection in Texas. Obviously, since it’s listed on Bring a Trailer, there’s no question it’s going to go for big money. But whether you’re looking to replace the XJR you sold years ago, or are just trying to score the closest thing to a factory-fresh you can find, it’s definitely worth a look.

Now, when I lived in Los Angeles six years ago, I spent a lot of time looking at this vintage of XJ. At that point, you could find well-cared-for, high-mileage examples for next to nothing, meaning around $3,500 or so. Even then, XJRs were out of my price range, as supercharged versions of this stately kitty have always commanded a premium. And the people that know them? Well, they love them. One thing the both standard and supercharged versions share, unfortunately, are the plastic cam chain tensioners which are prone to fail. Then, the pistons and valves are violently introduced, and the engine is toast.

To the seller’s credit, they’ve disclosed that the rickety original units are still in service here. So even though the mileage is low, given this is a 23-year-old car, it’d be a good idea for the winning bidder to get them swapped out pronto. Otherwise? Everything looks great. The interior barely looks sat in, and the original console — with the original Jaguar tape deck! — look magnificent. The headliner is said to be sagging at the rear, but that’s hardly the end of the world. Hopefully, the person who takes this baby home actually drives it, as it’s a shame to thing about a beautiful beast like this spending the rest of its life gathering dust.

As we come to the end of Jaguar’s internal-combustion era, I wouldn’t be surprised if these cars actually start to take off. Hell, even the Series III XJ6s — which have historically been available for peanuts — are starting to climb in value, and back in March, a low-mile example went for nearly 40k. Just a few years ago? I’d have called that unthinkable, and there’s a part of me that hopes this rising tide never reaches my beloved early XJs. Otherwise, I might never get to build a dream machine like this amazing restomod!

Photos: Bring a Trailer