The sale of my 2.5 Spitfire
in '95 furnished me with enough green folding £stuff to nip around the corner from home
to go and buy this fabulous V12 Jag (photographed above with dads Series 3 XJ12 and a neighbours Triumph Herald 13/60!).
Not many of these long wheelbase Series 1 V12s were made, and
despite averaging a lowly 10mpg or so, and being out of work at the time, I had to have
this XJ12L. Turning up at the Job Centre to sign on in this one raised an eyebrow or two.
Originally bought new by a wealthy London-based Saudi Arabian gentleman in 73, this old
XJ12L Jaguar had only covered around 39,000 miles when I bought her. The fuel gauges didn't work
properly, so I soon learnt to estimate my fuel range by using the mileometer, although
this wasn't always successful and on more than one occasion I gently drifted to a silent
stop, both tanks devoid of fuel. Engine wise RAR 115L didn't need much doing to her ..
someone had removed a number of carb air pipes, which took some working out how to refit,
plus I reconditioned all 4 Strombergs with overhaul kits. Some of the coolant hoses had
seen better days, so I undertook the not-inconsiderable task of replacing all the hoses
with brand new replacements. The grille, plus a few minor pieces of chromework at the back were replaced, light units mostly, and
the whole thing was given a damn good polishing, something that she hadn't had for years.
The beige leather interior responded well to a good cleaning - the only negative on the
interior side was the droopy headlining, something not unknown on these models.
I think I
sold this fabulous old machine in 1997 - I didn't really want to part with her, and when
someone offered me the asking price saying he wanted to plunder her for the engine for his
%^"$%% E-type, I told him 'where to go'. Eventually I did find a worthy owner, and
sold her on, the money eventually going towards the deposit on my house, a year or so
later. However another V12 was still to come, although this time in the form of a BMW
750iL a couple of years later...but I still hanker for another S1 XJ12 some day..!
Update November 2004 And lo! what should appear on ebay one day but the self same XJ12L, some 7 years or so
after I'd sold it and still maintaining its regal air, if looking a little down at heel in places. I was soooooooo
tempted to buy it back, but in the end a furious bidding war between 2 bidders pushed the bid price waaayyyy over what it is actually
worth, and I stayed away. I'd have loved to buy it back, but with so many things on the boil, it wouldn't have made
much sense to buy it back, not that I often let sense get in the way of such a 'reasonable' purchase :)
Maybe in another 10 years this lovely old Jag will be back on the market, and I can once more offer it a home..
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