"Jaguar XJ is the designation used for the series of luxury saloons sold under the British marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models ever since. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had the input of Sir William Lyons, the company's founder. With the introduction of the X308 generation in 1997 came a switch from the 'XJ6' nomenclature to 'XJ8', reflecting the fact that the X308 cars were powered by a new V8 engine. The exterior styling of the X308 was similar to its predecessor the X300, with minor refinements such as a change to oval indicator lenses and round fog lights. The interior was also updated to eliminate the instrument binnacle used on the X300; instead, three large gauges were set into recesses in the walnut faced dashboard in front of the driver. The major mechanical change was the replacement of both the inline-six and V12 engines with new eight-cylinder V8 in either 3.2 litre or 4.0 litre versions. Manual transmission was not available with all X308 models supplied with a five-speed automatic gearbox.
This is probably one of the finest examples of Jaguar’s flagship models, which came out in 1997, and imported recently from Japan, it is presented in dark blue with beige leather and velour interior. It has covered just over 2000 miles from new and comes with all books and spare keys, air conditioning and electric windows. This is the 3.2 litre V8 model providing a superbly quiet and refined ride with power to boot when needed. These models were produced to compete at the highest level with their German rivals and were deemed to be more reliable than its predecessor. The interior is as new and the bodywork is in great condition. At a reasonable reserve, this car is certainly good value considering its exemplary condition."