As a truly characteristic Jaguar, this XJS sports recognizable shapes and style, luxurious interiors and a thrilling driving experience, thanks to its 5.3-liter, HE V12. This particular example has a very low mileage and right-hand drive mechanics, since it was firstly registered in the UK and later registered in Switzerland. Could this unmodified and stunningly preserved white Jag be your beach commute?

By the beginning of the ‘70s, Jaguar started applying the theories of a Swiss engineer by the name of Michael Nay, who had some radical ideas regarding the cylinder head design. It involved using a more conventional head, known as the “Fireball”, which contained the combustion chamber, leading by 1981 to the famous “HE” (or “High Efficiency”) engine head, used for the XJ-S coupè models.

These required a profound restyle in order to save Jaguar’s free-falling sales, so, by May, 1985, the factory began working on the convertible version. Carried out in partnership with Karmann, a German coachbuilder whose biggest expertise involved designing convertibles, the project took the standard route to the stiffening of the bodyshell to compensate for the loss of the roof.

Though the weight increased by an extra 100 kg, to maximise Jaguar’s investment, the convertible was only available in a range-topping 5.3-liter, SOHC, V12 and it debuted in 1988, marking an incredible record year, in the US and the UK market.

Finished in Glacier White (NPD) over Blue leather and wood trims, this XJS V12 Convertible is offered with its stock 15” basketweave, polished aluminum wheels wrapped in four Pirelli P600 235/60/R15 tyres, a right-hand driving system, a three-speed automatic transmission, Lucas fog lights, power windows, cassette stereo and factory air conditioning.

This Jag is believed to be owned by a famous European artist.

Externally, the car is in good to excellent condition, since the paintwork appears completely preserved with no chips on the front or minor scratches on the lower part of the rear bumpers. The wheels too (as shown in gallery) appear to be in a sincerely discrete state, like the additional fog lights or the Euro-style lenses. The seller states that the exhausts show slight signs of corrosion on the lower part of the ending pipes.

The interior is trimmed in Blue leather and carpets, there is wood trim on the door panels, center console and dashboard; a period-correct stock stereo is fitted along with a period-correct steering wheel. The bolsters on the front seats show light signs of wear. As seen through the wheel, the mechanical odometer strikes 78’000 Km (or 41'000 Miles, given the British nature of the current vehicle).

Mechanically, the car is reportedly sound, the engine runs and starts with no issues and the soft cover folding system performs with no problems.

This XJS was allegedly purchased in the UK in 1989 and was later acquired and registered in Switzerland by its current owner in 2019. It received ordinary maintenance and service, and has always been stored indoors. The current purchase will include a user manual and the original pair of keys.