Although I wanted to have a look at all of the cars at the conjoined CCA/Silverstone Auctions sales, the Warwickshire Collection pt. 3 contained most of the cars that I really wanted to see. This is the largest selection of Jaguar XJ/Daimler Sovereigns that I can remember seeing. All of the cars that have formed a part of this collection require some level of recommissioning, and some require a lot more than that. Now, some would say I have problem with buying broken old Jaguars, but these beauties really do deserve to be saved. Below is a selection of my favourite cars from the auction.
First up is lot 203, which can definitely be considered to need more than just recommissioning. However, you’ll end up with a regency red, manual 4.2 S1 XJ, and that is something we could all enjoy, right? The tough point is that both the grille and front bumper are missing, and they can be hard to find. However, if you don’t worry about the front bumper it would make for a great outlaw/restomod project…..
Next up is lot 205, which looks utterly gorgeous in Coral Pink (I also think this would suit an i-Pace, so can we please have it back Jaguar?). A Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas is an attractive saloon car offering supreme comfort, and this early Series 2 car needs more than just recommissioning work, as all four carburettors are missing, which isn’t an insignificant cost to consider. However, it does leave you the opportunity to upgrade it to a six carburettor set up, because who doesn’t want an even thirstier V12?! You could also convert it to fuel injection, but I think that would be a shame, personally.
Next up is the only XJ-S I’d really want to buy from this auction. Lot 208 is a 1980 pre-HE XJ-S, finished in one of the best colours available, squadron blue. The odometer only reads 20,417 miles, but unfortunately that can’t backed up by paperwork. This is another Jag that needs recommissioning, and the paintwork could use a strong polish at the very least, but this is as about as affordable as you’ll find a pre-HE.
Lot 210 is another Daimler Double Six, this time a Series 1 with a lovely full length Webasto. sunroof, and the number plate reads similarly to the sound I made when I saw it. Euf, this a nice looking car. This is one of the better condition cars, and I believe it may run too (though I don’t know how well). Sable brown is a fantastic colour for an XJ, and I could even live with the cinnamon interior.
One of the cars that I really liked as soon as I saw it listed was this Lynx Eventer. These are one of my favourite cars and due to the rarity you never get to see them (the last one I saw was the facelift XJR-S Eventer that had a crash on the A2 in Kent, which I then tried to buy). This car was a bit of a surprise in the metal, as it has clearly had some work, but also didn’t appear quite right. The engine looks to have been removed and painted (and indeed is one of the cleanest V12s that I’ve seen in a while), but the engine bay was a different colour to the body and the foam bonnet liner had been sprayed too. I still think the £25,000 – £35,000 guide is reasonable, but perhaps I wouldn’t be so worried if I wanted to modify this particular car.
Another favourite (I know, I know), was lot 228, and it took me a little by surprise. This greensand painted Daimler looks fantastic in the metal, and despite a dropped headlining, I believe the condition to be good, and if it runs as nicely as it looks it may well be a great purchase. I would quite happily drive this around at the weekend and just enjoy how different it is to the general road traffic.
Finally, I think that this 6 litre, facelift XJS convertible may well be under-guided compared to other cars on the market, which usually retail above £30k. This car is guided between £8k-£10k, and while it needs recommissioning as much as any other of the cars in this auction, I do believe that it could be a good purchase if bought for around the guide price. Time will tell!
