Estimate: £2,250 - £3,250
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The Jaguar XJ (X300) was first put into production by Jaguar Cars in 1994 with production running until 1997 when it was replaced by the X308. The X300 was the first XJ produced entirely under Ford ownership, and can be considered an evolution of the outgoing XJ40 generation.
At the car's launch in October 1994 at the Paris Motor Show Jaguar marketing material made use of the phrase 'New Series XJ' to describe the X300 models. The series represented the result of a £200 million facilities renewal program by Ford, which introduced state-of-the-art automated body welding robots manufactured by Nissan, and was intended to show the future direction of the British auto industry.
The car was stylistically intended to evoke the image of the more curvaceous Series XJ. This involved a significant re-design to the front of the car, returning to four individual round headlamps that now provided definition to the sculptured wings and bonnet.
Mechanically, it was similar to the XJ40 that it replaced. Six-cylinder X300s are powered by the AJ16 inline-six engine, which is a further enhancement of the original AJ6 but now enjoying the benefit of electronic ignition.
Power was listed as 237 bhp, enough to whisk the 1,800kg Jaguar's occupants up to a top speed of 143 mph via a 60mph marker that came up in just under 7 seconds. Fuel consumption meanwhile was a highly respectable 24.3 mpg.
Registration Number: N250 FSX
Engine Nubmber: 9JPFRB160063
Chassis Number: SAJJHAMD3BJ779456
This lovely Jaguar, finished in Nautilus Pearl with a cream leather interior, left the Jaguar factory on 19th April 1996 heading to Jaguar specialists Appleyards of Edinburgh, from where it was collected by its first owner, Lord Younger few days later.
Lord Younger - or to give him his full name '4th Viscount Younger of Leckie' - apparently wasn't, as we first thought, someone big in the Scottish electricity business, but instead was a prominent member of Mrs Thatcher's government and succeeded the RSPCA's friend Lord Heseltine as Secretary of Defence in 1986, after that unfortunate business with all the helicopters.
N250 FSX remained in his Lordship's ownership until January 2000, when he sold it on to a Mr Peter Phillips (no, not that one), a now retired businessman who remains the car's current and only second owner. A not unsubstantial total mileage of 160,385 has been covered over the years but as you might expect the car has always been meticulously maintained, and Jaguar Main Dealer stamps are present in the book up to 109,142 miles, all of which were ramped up during Lord Younger's four year tenure - so he clearly enjoyed using the car.
Since then N250 FSX has benefitted from further regular specialist attention and recent work has been carrried out to the mass air flow meter, petrol pump / filter, and heater pump. A fresh MOT completes the mechanical picture.
The car comes equipped with heated and tinted front and rear screens, electric front seats, a CD auto-changer, full size spare wheel, boot liner, mud guards, fully plumbed in and working car phone, and all manuals and books. Sadly however, despite a thorough search down the back seats we were unable to retrieve any state secrets.
(What we'd give to re-wind the phone conversations that must have taken place via that Vodafone handset though...)
The car is in extremely good original overall condition and represents Jaguar's classic design in a highly complementary colour combination. This is a rare car that can only appreciate in value - and at this estimate you really can travel like a Lord for rather less than the cost of a new Fiesta.
