Tuesday 16th June 2015

Lynx Eventer: Spotted

A V12, right-hand drive, manual Jaguar shooting brake - where do we sign?!

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On PH social media last week we asked for your choices on the best Le Mans transport. This Aston V8 was our selection for the jaunt but now that appears an embarrassing mistake. Why? Because there's a Lynx Eventer for sale.

Blue with cream and a manual? Yes!

Think about it: style, space (look at that carpeted boot!), sufficient rarity to appeal even at Le Mans and oodles of V12 power for the autoroute trudge. What more could you ever want or need?

The Eventer was always an incredibly rare car, with just 67 produced between 1982 and 2002. This car is a very early example, having undergone its 14-week conversion in 1983. Arguably the pre-facelift XJS is more beautiful both as a coupe and a shooting brake. Furthermore, it's one of what's believed to be only 49 RHD cars and a manual; surely a very hard combination to come by but also ideal if you're of the PH persuasion.

There's more good news too. Given so few cars exist it's unlikely a bad colour spec is out there but Sapphire Blue with Magnolia leather must be one of the best. Traditionally classy but not as predictable as BRG with tan; lovely.

After a prolonged stay in the doldrums the XJS is beginning to appreciate in value. There's a real demand at present for the early models, perhaps evidenced by the fact this Eventer is the oldest XJS in the PH classifieds. Indeed, trying to find a 70s XJS of any description is tough.

Family day out?

So while there are a couple of cars still lurking under £5K, they certainly aren't as plentiful as a few years back. Obviously they aren't at E-Type values but the XJS isn't the bargain classic you might expect anymore.

Alright, that's enough skirting round the subject; this Eventer is £70K. £69,990 to be precise. That's a hell of a lot for an XJS, especially when you bear in mind that wild Lister V12 sold at auction last year for little more than half that. Plus there are still nice V12s at less than £15K. And there's a race ready car at 35,000 euros...

But what if it's compared to other V12 GTs? Er, it still doesn't look great actually. You want a rare, V12, manual four-seater that's finally beginning to be recognised? In blue with cream leather? How about a Ferrari 412? Exactly the same money as the Lynx...

Attempting to make a rational case for a Lynx Eventer is a little daft though. If you want and can afford it there will be nothing else like it. It's a about as cool as 80s Jaguars get and something very different, which will always appeal to collectors. Wonder how big a tent will fit?

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LYNX EVENTER
Engine: 5,343cc, V12
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 284@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 317@3,250rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1983
Recorded mileage: 104,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £69,990

See original ad here.

[Specs: Cars Mind]

[King Steffy]

70 grand...
Let's not get funny ideas...This is not cognac...They don't mature better with age...They were crap new...
Add on more than 3 decades irrespective if maintained, they were & still are crap...

You would have to be wired to the moon...

[King Steffy]

Fetchez la vache said:

That's all very well, but if you removed all the cars from the classic car market that were crap new, there would be hardly any cars left ...
Plus there are plenty of cars for sale now that are crap, but some people like them, and buy them... in droves, sometimes.
Maybe your idea of crap isn't everyone's idea of crap?

Having said that... £70k?

Actually...What you have just said is a very valid point on how so many Classics are really crap...
However there are good old classics out there too...
There are very few bad cars out there that you would want to spend money on...For me, the E-Type Jaguar is a bad car that you just want to own...Who cares if it coughs & splutters every now & again when @ least you can look at it in the garage !!!...It's a stunner...OK true also that the price is not the same for sure...
Then again, no wonder...
Anyway, to this advert for this jag estate, I'd rather walk...