1979 Jaguar XJS

Our consignment specialist Paul Hegarty describes this 1979 Jaguar XJS as: “One of the rarest Jaguars of all time, and in apparent need of straightforward recommissioning after a period of storage. A potentially very valuable project!”

That statement reflects both the car’s rarity and its recent lack of action. Restored at considerable cost (definitely north of £40k, perhaps much higher!) by main dealer Lancaster Jaguar of Sevenoaks, Kent, during the Nineties (it was completed in 1995), the XJS then enjoyed life as a classic car for use during high-days and holidays.  

“My late father, Christopher Bullock MBE, who was Chief Executive of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) from 1994 to 2007 and welcomed Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell as President from 2006, bought this stunning car in September 1999 from a colleague who himself had bought it at the Brooks Goodwood Festival of Speed auction on 12 June 1998, from James Wheeler of TWR Jaguar,” says vendor, George Bullock.  

“My father only covered approximately 300 miles in the car, mainly for brief leisure trips and getting it to garages for ongoing services and maintenance. Paperwork in the history file indicates that Malcolm Hunt, who commissioned the major restoration, incurred costs of £74k (at the time) between 1988 and 1995, which would be approaching £200k in today’s money. After Malcolm Hunt’s ownership, the car’s time at TWR Jaguar is symbolized by the company’s “TWR” initials, which are etched in the rear windscreen”.

Further on into their own ownership of the car, the Bullock family themselves had it re-commissioned and serviced at great expense. “This recommissioning was carried out in February 2013, when MoT advisories were remedied and other works carried out to keep the car in prime condition. The cost was £7.5k at the time, after which the car drove very well. Of course, since then, it has been in secure and dry storage under protective cover, so it is now not running”.  

That means that the XJS will require reawakening once again. However, as Paul Hegarty intimated, that process should be relatively easy.

“The car lived in the garage at my late father’s house which has just been sold. I don’t have the space to store the car myself and would love for it to end-up with an enthusiast who will be able to enjoy its rarity to its full extent, for its next chapter which will see its 50th birthday”.

In terms of the question of value there is a caveat in that, when restored, the Jaguar did receive some modifications at Malcolm Hunt’s request. These included newer bumpers, chrome trims on the flanks, as well as wheels and seats from more modern XJS models. Still present though, is that all-important and extremely rare manual gearbox.  

The Jaguar still looks to be in very good, if slightly resto-modded, post-restoration health. However, the next owner may wish to begin the process of returning it to a more original specification in order to realise this rare car’s full potential. 

 

The bodywork had a full bare-metal re-spray during restoration; this included removal of the V12 powerplant and all ancillaries for painting of the engine bay. It’s holding up very well, too.  

Panel fit is good. It’s worth noting that there are one or two small bubbles here and there such as on the roof just to the rear of the n/s B-pillar, above the chrome trim, and at the bottom of the o/s rear wheel arch where it meets the sill.  

The silver paint finish remains very good but again, is thought to be a period mid-Nineties Jaguar colour. Later chromed bumpers were added, as were 1994-model five-spoke alloy wheels, and exterior side trims – no doubt again for a modernising effect. A later spoiler also comes with the car, having never been fitted.  

Tyres look relatively unused with plenty of remaining tread having covered very few miles since they were fitted, but given their age might wish to be replaced before the car is driven.  

The cabin received brand new doeskin leather upholstery, with seats from a later model, and a 1995-model Jaguar/Alpine radio-cassette during restoration.

The original "Flock" Jaguar signature carpets, have also been replaced at some time, the current shade being a navy blue. 

Having covered less than 5000 miles in total since then, it’s no surprise that the interior remains in good health. The leather seats are still in nice condition, but the whole interior could do with a good clean.

Two areas will require some attention: there’s a touch of mildew on some of the headlining and on the sun visors that will need treating/cleaning; and some of the carpets are a little moth eaten, so will need to be renewed.
 

“The manual gearbox is particularly rare in this day and age,” says our vendor. “Looking at notes in the car’s history file, the engine was completely rebuilt, with replacement of all moving parts, during the restoration”.

The XJS’s underside still looks very solid and well protected. Early XJS engine bays aren’t particularly visually alluring and that’s the case here. It is well presented, though. There’s a touch of light surface rust here and there, no doubt having formed whilst the car has been in stasis.

A visit to a suitable specialist garage or fettling by a knowledgeable new owner will be required, before the car ventures out on His Majesty’s highway again. 
 

The included V5c document confirms its first date of UK registration to be 07/02/1979 and that it has had a total of seven owners from new. There is also a letter from Jaguar Cars Limited (dated 23rd June 1999) confirming that the car was indeed built with a manual gearbox and that: “as such, is a relatively rare example of a standard V12 Manual XJS”.

You will also find a large number of invoices from Lancaster Jaguar, which carried out the restoration, as well as correspondence between the owner Malcolm Hunt and the company. It’s worth taking your time to view the documentation section of our Gallery, in order to appreciate the range of works carried out. The total cost is believed to have been in excess of £40k, but handwritten tallies suggest that the final bill may have been significantly more.

The correspondence also shows the lengths to which Mr Hunt had the company fine-tune their restorative works – it certainly makes for an interesting read.

Some post-restoration photographs are also included, as is a recent online vehicle history check is present and shows no known issues with outstanding finance, theft or having been written off, importation or exportation.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos to support our claim that this Jaguar XJS was restored at great expense and completed in 1995. 
 

There is no doubt that this is an intriguing listing. How many early manual Jaguar XJS are there left in existence? Given the small number produced, and the general attrition rate for cars from the Seventies, it surely can’t be a many at all.

Yes, it was restored to the then owner’s tastes during the late Eighties and early-to-mid Nineties, which that meant some touches of modernisation were added. The majority of those additions should however be relatively easy to reverse.

There’s no doubt that this car will be of interest to model aficionados, as will it’s auction estimate of £10,000 to £15,000. Purchase, clean, re-commission and de-modernise, and then, you’ll have something truly special on your hands.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.