Jaguar XJS V12 Cabriolet

There are XJSs, and then there are XJSs like this. This is without question one of the nicest examples we’ve had through the door. With just over 50,000 miles, Irish registered and presented in a superb red over cream colour combination, it’s a car that looks every bit as good in person as it does in the photographs.

The first thing that strikes you is simply how straight it is. The bodywork is excellent, with none of the rust appearing in the usual XJS areas, while underneath the suspension feels exceptionally tight and composed. This is very far removed from the tired, slightly vague XJS that can give these cars an unfair reputation. And then there’s the V12. The best way we can describe driving it is almost like a two-door convertible Rolls-Royce.

The V12 is wonderfully smooth and completely effortless, the automatic gearbox changes beautifully and the whole car just wafts along. It’s not trying to be a sports car; it’s a proper old-school grand tourer, and it does that job brilliantly. The condition continues inside.

The cream leather presents beautifully and, importantly, the wood veneers are excellent. So many of these cars suffer from cloudy, milky or moisture-damaged timber, whereas the veneers here remain rich and clear. The hood appears to have been replaced and is in excellent condition, as is the tonneau cover, while the boot is exceptionally tidy and retains the correct spare wheel and covers.

The car has also benefited from a considerable amount of preventative maintenance and, almost worthy of its own paragraph on a V12 XJS, it doesn’t leak oil. Another nice piece of its history is that the car was previously sold by P&A Wood. Anyone familiar with the upper end of the British classic-car world will know the standard of cars associated with them, particularly Rolls-Royce and Bentley, and it gives a good indication of the calibre of example this has been.

At €30,000, it’s also difficult not to look at an XJS V12 Cabriolet and wonder just how much car you’re getting for the money. Twelve cylinders, proper leather and timber, an electrically operated hood, elegant styling and that wonderful ability to cover ground without seemingly making any effort whatsoever.

A proper XJS, rather than a project pretending not to be one.