20th Sep 2016, 13:23

Great review, and you are perfectly correct in saying that mileage is the least important aspect of the XJS. As long as it has had regular oil changes, the AJ16 should easily achieve 300k before any major work test might be needed. Poor bodywork is what to look out for. Convertibles do fetch higher prices and are more desirable, although the Coupe is a really sleek design. The XJS was a much maligned car, plagued with build quality problems, which after 21 years, Jaguar engineers finally got right with the Celebration model.

I'm own a low mileage convertible and I'm just about to sell my lovely low mileage XK8, as a Celebration coupe with 150k on the clock has just been offered to me and I plan to use it as my every day car. Truth is that I owned the car several years ago and reluctantly sold it. I know the car inside out and know it will not let me down.

One point to know, only 4ltr UK cars were Celebrations, 6 ltr cars were built to special order only; all non UK cars were not Celebration models. Tell tale signs of a Celebration! Leaper embossed one piece headrest, enamel bonnet badge, half wood steering wheel, matching wooden gear knob, diamond cut alloys, although chrome 5 spokes were an optional extra, CD changer in the boot. All Celebration cars VIN number started with 221xxx. That's just for those who try to make their cars look like Celebrations, and is the final tell tale sign.

Cheers, Martin Gliddon, XJS Club.