1976 JAGUAR XJ

The Jaguar XJ12C occupies a special place in the history of the XJ coupé, combining the elegant pillarless styling of the two-door body with the smooth, effortless performance of Jaguar’s V12 engine. A rare and sophisticated 'Grand Tourer', the XJ12C has become increasingly appreciated by enthusiasts, with its distinctive proportions and luxurious character making it a compelling basis for a fast-road project.

The interest in Harry Metcalfe’s XJ12C, which sold at the NEC last year for an extraordinary £140,000, has certainly put the manual-conversion XJ oupé on the map. His car showed what can be achieved by combining the refinement of the original Jaguar with a more sporting set-up. The manual gearbox conversion makes good use of Harry Mundy’s V12, while the handling and steering upgrades give it a more engaging fast-road character, accompanied by that wonderfully evocative V12 exhaust note.

The car offered here has been developed to a very similar specification, using many of the same suppliers and products, and is intended as a like-for-like alternative for those who admired the Metcalfe car but missed the opportunity to acquire it.

Finished in Old English White with a black vinyl roof, this 1976 XJ12C, registered USX 115R, was acquired by our vendor in 2019, carefully sourced as a genuine low mileage, solid example. Initially intended simply to be enjoyed, the project gradually developed following the disruption of the COVID period and his decision to undertake a more thorough overhaul. The subsequent restoration and conversion have been supervised by Merv James of CMC Bridgnorth, whose project-experience includes the restoration of celebrated Jaguar D-Type OKV 1 and E-Type 1 VPH. The specification includes a Getrag manual gearbox, handling upgrades, engine rebuilt by a Tom Lentall trained specialist, Emerald fuel injection, specialist exhaust system and final tuning with rolling-road setup. Despite the inevitable rarity of the correct parts, the XJ has received meticulous attention to all mechanical features from inspection, overhaul, or where possible NOS replacements.

The bodywork received a comprehensive overhaul and respray, with localised areas of minor corrosion repaired and sealed. The accompanying history file includes a stage-by-stage photographic record of the restoration, invoices for parts and specialist engineering work, previous history and the V5C registration document. Together, these provide valuable insight into the work undertaken and the development of the car into its present specification. At the time of cataloguing, the new enhanced engine was in its final stage of installation, and due to be configured by Emerald before shakedown and full road test.

For the next owner, this is an opportunity to secure a comprehensively developed XJ12C without having to source a suitable donor, coordinate a complex restoration, commission the manual conversion and associated engineering, or wait for the project to reach completion. Recreating this specification would involve considerable expenditure, specialist involvement and time, with the additional uncertainty inherent in undertaking such a project from the beginning. Closely following the specification of Harry Metcalfe’s, much-admired car, this Jaguar offers a compelling alternative.