1991 Jaguar XJ-S Le Mans V12 Coupé

The XJ-S Le Mans Limited Edition of 280 was announced at the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show to commemorate Jaguar's success at the ‘24 Heures du Mans’ in 1988 and again in 1990. There were no mechanical changes made, the big coupé still utilising the same 5.3-litre, high-efficiency, 318bhp V12 mated to a super smooth automatic gearbox. The only differences were cosmetic and external with over 20 upgrades including extra leather trim, ‘Le Mans’ motifs to headrests and foot plates, quad headlights, ‘Growler’ bonnet badge, 16” ‘lattice’ alloy wheels and a ‘Le Mans’ boot badge to neatly finish off the package.

Offered here is an unrepeatable opportunity to take ownership of possibly the lowest mileage XJ-S V12 Le Mans available today. It was collected from the Jaguar Daimler dealer Wesley Turkington of Lurgan, Northern Ireland by its one and only owner keeper on 20th June 1991 and has covered just 2,804 miles from new. Finished in Signal Red, one of the four colours unique to the 280 Le Mans examples built, and trimmed with cream leather piped in red. Itresents in exactly the condition you might expect given its low mileage and the fact that it has lived in a cosy garage and been cossetted all its days. Our, now elderly, vendor used it very sparingly until 2009 when it was put away for the last time until being transported over to this auction by his family.

Some 30 years on, it still has that laser sharp look and the interior appears virtually unmarked. During our photo shoot it fired into life instantly with that distinctive smooth turbine whine synonymous with a big Jaguar V12 and ticked over perfectly. It sits on immaculate 16'' x 7'' forged lattice alloys wearing the correct Pirelli tyres, all its manuals are present and it has a ‘plumbed in’ battery conditioner and bespoke car cover.

A beautiful 'collector quality' car and still one of the most refined Grand Tourers of all time. Just over £40,000 when new, has time stood still?