Just 36K on the Clock: One-Owner 1985 Jaguar XJS V12

There might be a few too many things amiss to call this low-mile XJS a cream puff, but it’s sure close.

It’s safe to say that the Jaguar XJS never achieved the acclaim of its spiritual forbearer, the E-Type. But even if you’re more than a little biased, as I certainly am, I think it’s fair to say that the lines of Coventry’s lovely 2+2 coupe have aged beautifully. And for what it’s worth? The XJS remains the cheapest way to score a GT car with a V12 engine, so if nothing but 12 pots will do, it’s an attractive proposition.

Now, like other Jags of the era, prices have never really taken off, and if you’re looking for a solid example of the XJS, this Damson Red beauty recently posted on Bring a Trailer deserves a look.

For starters? This is a one-owner car, and there are only 36,000 miles on the clock. For those of you not inclined to do that math, that works out to around 1,000 miles a year. In my opinion, that’s an almost perfect amount of miles for something like this, as once you start getting too much lower, you’re going to be talking about a vehicle that spent far too much time stationary, and we all know how much vintage Jaguars love to sit. Read: They don’t.

Most importantly, a telephone book-like chronicle of the car’s entire existence comes with the sale, as the owner was apparently religious about both having maintenance performed and documenting it. That’s exactly the kind of person you want to buy a car from, though as I hinted above, there are a few too many things amiss here to call this car a proper cream puff.

First off, the power antenna doesn’t work, and the trim around it is missing. There’s also some curb rash on the 15-inch factory wheels, and inside the cabin, there’s a seam on the passenger seat which needs some attention, as does the horn. That said, which it’s not exactly operating-room clean under the hood, everything looks pretty tidy, and the cooling system hoses — not unimportant bits on Jag’s V12 — have been replaced in preparation for the listing.

Go into the comments, and you’re likely to find some more observations from the peanut gallery, but from what I can tell, the seller has been proactive about answering any questions.

As I write this, the bidding has stalled at $8,000, though it’s unclear how close that figure is to the reserve. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not exactly thrilled about the aftermarket sunroof, as I live in Seattle, and tend to shy away from any modification that could let water into the cabin. But overall, I think this looks like a pretty good deal, provided you could get it for something close to the current asking price. Because it really doesn’t look too far away from being perfect. Source a few rubber bits and expend some elbow grease, and you’d have a real stunner on your hand.

But what do you think? Is this 1985 V12 a good deal? Or do you think you could do better for the money? Hit me up and let me know, and obviously, if you wind up winning this auction, make sure to post about it on the forum. Your fellow members would love to hear about your experience, as I’d say it’s safe to say we’ve all daydreamed about scoring something from Bring a Trailer!

Photos: Bring a Trailer

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