buying guide
on the X100 Jaguar XK revealed plenty of love among the PH collective for Jag’s first V8-powered GT. While it’s never been the sharpest driving tool in the box, the X100 has a firm fanbase that appreciates its plush interior, grunty V8 powerplant and svelte looks – well, with the possible exception of a slightly lumpy behind. And endowed with a supercharger, in
XKR
form, the X100 becomes a seriously quick, and very appealing, proposition.
XKR droptop still looks the part
Which is why this ad caught our eye. It’s for an early XKR convertible, finished in an agreeable colour combination of British Racing Green over Oatmeal leather. It’s a trad look, undeniably, but a handsome one, and it neatly disguises the rather useful 375hp grunt of the 4.0-litre V8 lurking under the bonnet. That was enough to see it to 60mph in 5.1 seconds and on top an electronically-governed maximum of 155mph back in the day. And it’s going for an exceedingly reasonable £5,000.
That’s really not a lot of money considering the next-cheapest is just shy of £8,000. There are a couple of good reasons for the bargain price, though, chief of which is mileage. While below the 10,000-per-year average – just – it’s still the highest-mileage XK in our classifieds at the time of writing, with 138,000 on the clock. That, together with the presence of a Parrot Bluetooth kit, suggest much of that figure has been racked up by stress-free motorway cruising. In other words, the legginess might not be too great an issue, but it is worth considering.
'Classic' interior in Oatmeal works with BRG
The other reason for that price could be its location. The car’s in County Clare, which is the other side of Ireland, and while that’s no problem if you’re based over that way, it is a bit of a hassle if you’re here in the UK. The car was originally a UK car, but has since been exported, so you’ll have the additional hassle of returning it to British plates if you do want to bring it back.
There’s no mention of history – not uncommon, but it’s worth making sure that it has the documentation you’d wish for before making the trip. It has, however, had the timing chain and tensioners replaced, with the latter upgraded to the steel items you want and need for any sort of peace of mind with this engine. That suggests the owner’s taken care over it, though the fact that it needed head gaskets in the first place, and the recent radiator replacement, should sound a note of caution, as together they could suggest an overheating issue.
Perfect for summer fun? Maybe...
But with those caveats aside, the pictures suggest a clean, straight example with a few desirable options, like the Harman Kardon audio upgrade, the ‘Classic’ interior package that gave lighter wood and dash plastics, the split wood/leather steering wheel rim, and cruise control. And at this price, even setting a couple of grand aside for any potential borkage, it still represents a huge saving over the going rate. Sensible buying advice? Not really. But it’s about as close as you’ll get from us…
Not your cup of tea? Fancy something a bit more focussed? Stay tuned to PH for news on a very special new Jaguar that's just been unveiled in New York which should scratch that itch, coming imminently...
JAGUAR XKR
Price: £5,000
Why you should: It's a supercharged soft top with class and character for peanuts!
Why you shouldn't: It's done some miles, it's a long way away, and a question mark remains over its cooling system
See the original ad here.