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1984 Jaguar XJ-12 Sovereign, 60k miles, Beautiful Car, Must See!

For sale: 1980 Jaguar XJ12

Technical specifications

Item location:
Warwick, Rhode Island, United States
Make:
Jaguar
Model:
XJ12
Type:
Sedan
Trim:
Sovereign
Year:
1980
Mileage:
60,000
VIN:
SAJJDALW4CC368772
Color:
Black
Engine size:
5.3L V12
Number of cylinders:
12
Power options:
Air Conditioning, Power Locks, Power Windows, Power Seats
Fuel:
Gasoline
Transmission:
Automatic
Drive type:
RWD
Interior color:
Tan
Options:
Sunroof, Cassette Player, Leather Seats
Vehicle Title:
Clear
Contact the seller / ! Report

Description

Hey guys I've got an interesting one for you today since I've never actually seen another one in the United States. AlsoI apologize for the car being listed as a 1980 eBay wouldn't accept a non-American VIN for a 1984.This is a 1984 Jaguar XJ-12 Sovereign. Most of the Series 3 XJ12s you see in the States are VanDen Plas that have come over from Canada this car is a Sovereign and it came over from Germany as a 'gray market' car in 1989 or so. My understanding is that the differences between the names is that you couldn't call a Sovereign a Sovereign in North America so our cars were VDPs. However I'm sure there's a Jaguar expert reading this who can fill me in on the real differences. The car has been garaged it's entire life and has no rust on it. The exterior is in very good condition the only real defect I'd note there is a little bit of cracking in the older lacquer paint near the fuel fillers. No dents no real scratches the chrome is great and the glass is all excellent. Oh and the lights have been swapped...most of the US spec cars have the four small headlights rather than 2 big and 2 small this one has had the outside lights changed to the large ones which looks much better. The lights all work except for the fog lights which seem to come and go...I'd assume it's a corroded or loose connection.Inside the car has beautiful tan leather which is in fantastic shape as well not dried out not cracked. The veneernot the dashboard is cracking but it doesn't look bad...kinda of a neat patina if you want to look at it that way. The car has a Nardi steering wheel (original is included) as well as a wooden shift knob that matches the wheel and dashboard. The carpets are like new no cracks in the dash pad all the interior lights seem to work. The air conditioning doesn't blow cold but the compressor seems to engage. The gauges work except for the fuel gauge but it does move a little when you switch between the tanks so it might be an issue with the gauge itself rather than the sending unit.The car runs fantastic too. Starts up easy runs smooth no blue smoke from the exhaust. It's obscenely smooth when you drive it you barely feel the engine at all but it does put you back in your seat. The European-spec 5.3 is supposed to make a little more power than the US version (300hp vs 260 or so) which is always nice to have as well.As far as issues there are a couple of small ones. Most notably the car needs a new voltage regulator which I have in hand. Right now the alternator is charging at about 16 volts so this will definitely need to be replaced. The battery is a new Sears Diehard Gold AGM the overcharging alternator had killed off the old battery that was in it so the car has probably been run all of 45 seconds on the new battery to keep from overcharging it.In addition to that the car needs a fuel tank changeover valve which I've also got around here somewhere. The car has two tanks but the valve is stuck on the left side tank. The returnvalves are working correctly however...when you switch to the right side tank itstill draws from the left tank but returns to the right.I've got the original owner's manual original shop manual original tool kit and the original spare tire (the tire itself is junk but the wheel is good). The car has a clean title but RI doesn't title cars older than 2001 so it'll be sold with a bill of sale and a copy of the current RI registration.Back when my grandfather owned it this car was a show winner basically every time out. It still looks great and I've won a few trophies with it myself. This is one of the nicer Jaguar XJs you'll see and I doubt you'll have another S3 Sovereign next to you at the next show.Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for looking.

On Jun-22-15 at 17:44:59 PDT seller added the following information:

Hey guys just a few things I remembered after writing the ad.The power antenna is stuck up right now. The antenna motor works you can hear it when you turn on the radio but it won't retract.There's what I believe might be a charcoalcanister in the engine compartment I guess it was needed to federalize the car when it first came over. It developed a leak so its bypassed but can be more fully removed.And on a side note this is the best smelling car on this (or any other) planet. I don't know what it is about the inside of this car but itjust smells like old British car...not the least bit musty (the car is super dry inside by the way) it just smells awesome. Like leather and wool carpeting and wood and stuff I can't explain it but I wish I could bottle it. Probably the only vehicle that could smell better than this would be like a mobile Cinnabon truck.I'llrevise the ad if I think of anything else.

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