I sold my first Coupe with 82K on it for 14500. There is a ton of interest, but that interest is from REAL dedicated Jag people. You know we are few and far between. People don't want to spend the money these cars cost to fix and maintain. I agree its a lot, but no Camry, or BMWs for me. I am NOT driving an egg!!! Thats final, life is WAY too short. I said happy Motoring, not miserable motoring. Shine Since 1969 Paintxpert loving his new Coupe!

 

I agree Paintxpert, the XK8 is a rare thing of beauty. I have sold some cars that turned into very valuable collectibles, unfortunately, before their value rose. It won't happen again. I plan to keep my '99 coupe as long as I can drive, and maybe even after that!
I read about a woman in Texas who, many years ago, was buried in her Ferrari. Maybe . . .

 

maybe considered a classic by people other than Jag enthusiasts someday. I am selling my 2006 Victory edition and if you go by what i am being offered it isn't being considered a classic at this point

 

My view is the Coupe looks better than a Convertible with the hood up - but a convertible with the top down is just stop you in your tracks beautiful.
I may be biased but there are not many (if any) better looking British cars since the E-Type than a late 90's XK.
Coupe's will never be worth more but both will become classics if they are not classed as such already.
Over here in the UK - i see slightly more Coupes than Convertibles - they are a pretty rare sight as it is and i live where you might expect to see more than usual.
Convertibles are going for 'at least' 25% more. cheers.

 

'Funny - I think the ragtops look better with the top up than down. Same thing with the XJS or Rolls Royce for that matter. Top up adds a rakish, angled, sporty/new appearance; otherwise the car is just rounded, like a chrysler sebring.
New owner in Palm Beach FL here - seen around 4 converts so far, no coupes.

 

I was in Zurich a few months ago for work and saw five XK-8s on the ride between my hotel and the airport. (2 Coupes). They were not together for any event just randomly seen along the way. I don't see five XK-8s in two years here at home. Mine excluded.
2X

 

The XJS is at least unique, if not loved by everyone. I've met Miata's on the road and thought, "oh, is that an XK8????............nope it was a Miata".

People might meet an XJS and say "what kind of car was that?" which is still better than being a Miata.

 

My XK120 had very unreliable electronics, or maybe Lucas was ahead of their time with the intermittent wipers and automatically dimming lights.
With so many newer cars with computers and electronics, I wonder if some smart business person will develop replacements for the potentially high volume sales.

 

hear hear

 

When I bought my 2002 XKR Coupe in August of 2011, you could go on eBay and see 20 to 30 listings for XKRs that would range in price from $15k to $25k, depending on the mileage. I got mine for $19,900, which was a little under the average at the time. If you look on eBay today you will see 5 or 6 XKRs (only 1 or 2 coupes), all of which are asking more than $20k. Based on my observations, I believe that the XK8/Rs have hit bottom and are starting to increase in value a little. I do believe that these will be classics in time.


Mark

 

Great question. Collecting modern classics especially on the cheap is always a gamble. As for my take all I can offer is that when I was in the mood to add a new car to my meager stable it was a relatively easy shove from my heart when I saw that these gorgeous cars were able to be had for under 10K with reasonable miles and Jag owners for the most part take excellent care of their investment. Within days of learning the XK8 series was going to stop production I found a nice one mfg. after the August 2000 date. I've only had mine a few months and I DO think no mater how many were made they will always be timeless in the future. But I will say that even though since I know very little about the model or Jaguars in general this being my first, 3 things have already become very central to this car for me.

1. I tend to lurk here and on most forums because just learning from this great group of enthusiasts is a wealth of help and I thank all of you for the time you spend to help newbies like me.

2. I have been restoring and modifying cars for almost 40 years and this car even though it requires less restoration or repair than any other I have owned is quite a challenge to keep stock. The engineering is complex and doing even the most trivial improvements and repairs requires I study hard to learn to do it right. Maybe I'm just really afraid of screwing up a task but again places like this forum are just the ticket.

3. Someone posted here I think "German cars will decapitate you in one fell swoop but owning a Jaguar is like dying from a thousand cuts." I believe you.

That all said I think in the future the XK8 at least will increase a little faster than most as it ages since it isn't going to be so much the production numbers that affect the future value but rather the number of owners that have the resolve to repair and maintain them. In other words I think in 15 years a lot will be parts cars because of the cost and complexity will render them so.

 

I think that there is another issue that I don't recall seeing posted in this thread. (It is a very long thread and I don't claim to know everything that has been said over the years, so my apology if someone else has brought it up.)

My car is a 2001 and that makes it a 13 and nearly 14 year old car at this point. The previous owner was a wealthy real estate developer who had a number of cars kept in a large barn behind his house and only drove it in good weather and it did not sit out in the Sunshine. I only drive it about 3000 a year in good weather and it stays out of the Sun when at home.

When people see my car, some of them think that it is a car that I just bought and others think that is is a year or so old. I am sure that the same is true for others of you who have cars that have been very well kept.

So, my point is that Jaguar not only built a classic beauty of a car that drives like a dream, but they also built a car that keeps its looks for an amazingly long time. The paint job, the finish and the materials used on the exterior are all of very high quality and keep their looks for a very long time. I have had my car for a little over five years now and the only thing that looks any different whatsoever is the passenger seat and it is still in very good condition, but you can't see any difference whatsoever anywhere on the rest of the car.

I think that such cars as mine, that maintain that new look without even having to be restored in any way (probably for the next 10-15 years or more) are the ones that will be worth a lot into the future. Sure, they are going to encounter some mechanical issues due to regular maintenance and the age of some of the materials, such as gaskets and so forth, but that is true of any classic car.

I think that that beauty queen look, even two or three decades after being built will be the thing that helps add to the future value.

 

Hello Kevin:

I agree with your comments. I sense the XK8 will one day be a classic since it is hard to beat the looks of the vehicle. I receive a few remarks now and then about my 2003 XK8 looking essentially new. It helps that I, too, only drive it in good weather and otherwise keep it in the garage with a cover on it.

 

Here's my take on the future of these cars, and most cars as the "classic" car market and industry progresses.

The issue with these XK8's (and honestly most post 1980 or so production cars). Will be the fact that MOST of these cars will eventually have electronics that were designed / built, 20, 30, etc years ago that WILL fail eventually.

Until now, most "restorations" of classic cars involved or entailed very little if any electronics restoration work. The cars built in the 50's 60's and 70's were basically mechanical in their nature and operation. There were no ABS modules, PCM's, BCM's, this module, that module etc..

If you go on ANY forum including this one, there are always some threads dedicated to repairs of electronic modules, wether the heated seat modules here, the S-Type climate control modules that fail etc.

BMW, MB, Porsche etc all have the same issues. The Pre 01 C5 Corvettes (of which I happen to be an owner of one), are at the point where parts are no longer available to repair the ABS / Traction modules. Knock on wood mine is still ok but I suspect as time passes if it fails I will be also SOL and stuck with a permanently non functioning system.

As these cars continue to age, and more examples meet their death - either due to accidents, or a major component failure that is financially prohibitive for the owner to repair (or doesn't make economic sense in his opinion) the numbers will dwindle as will the spare parts supply.

GM muscle cars and to a certain extent older Jags that already have achieved classic status are fortunate to have enough interest to where an aftermarket has started creating "OER" - original equipment reproduction parts.

I wonder if I keep my xk8 (which only has 55k on it, and $30k in Arden parts). For another 20 years, how many of those parts will now be unobtainium. Some of the Arden parts, including the original 19" OZ futura Wheels (which I have a set that hasn't touched the ground, are already unobtainable, unless you find someone like me who has been hoarding a set in his garage.

BUT will a cottage industry develop of remanufacturing 30+ year old automotive electronics to keep "classics" running? I'm not so sure. I think the restomod scene will probably become more the norm. Whereby a classic body is adapted to run on modern running gear.

I Have a feeling that all these electronic gizmos that these cars are so laden with may end up being their undoing in the end.

Take care,

George

 

I think you're spot on, George. The plastics and electronics in these cars will be the cause of their eventual demise. We'll enjoy both of our Jaguars while we can but I know I'll get rid of them when their repair costs begin to trend upwards in a hurry....

By the way, did you leave a voicemail on our home phone a week or so ago? The message was garbled (cheap equipment on our end) and we couldn't quite tell....

 

I would also say : Well spoken, George - but: The Question is, what is the Question?

Whenever it comes to a discussion of a car's (possible) classic status, is the main aspect the design, rarity/buildnrs, beauty or is it a financial aspect of owning a car as an investment?
IMHO, when it comes to the first, the xk8-series IS a classic-car by now. A few weeks ago I spoke with people estimating the age of my 10yr old xkr to 25yrs - and not, because it is so rotten :-) It is a classic, because it's outer appearance is timeless!

The financial thingy is a bit more complicated. OK, if you can live with some concessions, it was possible to get an XK8/R X100 for a very small amount of money in the last years - compared to other cars like maybe AM, Porsche, Ferrari, but will possibly rising prices in the future compensate the cost of ownership, own labor, maybe shop bill's? I would estimate, to get an remarkable asset, the selling price has to be at least 250%-300% in 20 years. And until then, you have exchanged evry single plastic part in the car, most of the electronics ( think only about electrolytic-capacitors, they even dry out in years, if overheated)...

May be possible, but as you already know - it's a gamble... If it's only the money, i would go with older MB, Porsche or Ferrari ( IIRC one 250GTO was sold for 21 Mill. $?)- if you have the play-money.

BUT: IMHO if you own the car for it's beauty, driving-experience and rareness and mainly do repairs on your own, the worth will be at least preserved - and fun is unpayable.

As George said, the electronic-gizmo's will become a problem in the future, but if you see the really stunning engangement and creativity of the ownership only in this forum: There will ever be a solution!

You can nowadays simulate or adapt any module's protocol/circuit by cheap microcontrollers or adapt parts from other cars. It possibly will be a lot of work in the future years to get the car's running, if parts get unavailable - but a community like this one will get it done, i'm convinced...

Greetings, Wolf

 

I think that there are some different trains of thought going on here, which is certainly permissible.

There are a great many definitions of what a "Classic Car" is, but none of them require that it be a "good investment". In fact, look at the info below and you will see that while an XKE, which is surely a "Classic Car" by any definition sold for roughly $6,000 in 1968 and now, at auction, sells for an average of $48,856. Interestingly enough, that same $6000 from 1968 represents a current value of $41,039.83. So then, if you take into account the money spend to maintain and insure that 1968 XKE for the last 46 years then this would have to be one of the worst "investments" that you could ever make.

CPI Inflation Calculator
$ 6000

in 1968

Has the same buying power as:

$41,039.83

in 2014


1968-Jaguar--XKE-E-Type Vehicle Information 1968 Jaguar XKE E-Type
Original Price: $5,370 - $5,740
Average Auction Sale: $48,856

Now, I do believe that our XK's will hold or maintain their value (ignoring inflation) better than a run of the mill Toyota or Chevy, but it would be foolish to look at them as some sort of "investment".

On the other hand, as to keeping them running, as someone else mentioned, many of the issues regarding the "cheap plastic parts that will deteriorate and fail" can, and will be resolved by 3D Printers. The other thing to consider is that as these cars, many of which are subjected to a lot of modification and downright abuse fall by the wayside as driveable vehicles, the worthwhile parts will become a storehouse of replacement parts, and the very process of the diminishing number of such cars available, will, in and of itself put a premium on the very well kept ones, as I mentioned in my previous post.

A very well kept, original XKE would sell for over the average price today, largely because there are so few of them left, and I believe that the same will be true of our XK's in the future.

Now, it is a good "investment"? By no means is it. On the other hand, is it a second vehicle to drive and enjoy that will maintain its value more so than most other vehicles will? To that, I say, "Yes."

 

Yes sir. I was responding to your email regarding that sl500 which you sent me. It might be my car as well, I was on the built in bluetooth. I'll give you a call later today when I get a chance.

Take care,

George

 

I, too, agree with your insights George. A lot of valid factors to consider if one is looking at long-term vehicle ownership.

IMHO, I am willing to take my chances with the likely eventual failure of electronic modules and shortages of replacement parts for the benefits of driving a timeless looking, smooth ride vehicle.

Perhaps with enough interest, there will be a viable aftermarket industry which produces OER parts for the XK8.

 

I think we all are willing to take our chances with these cars as they age, hence why we still own them.

The thing is the OLDEST one (1997 MY) is about to turn 18. The XKE's (which I still think are the fairest comparison) the newest (and less desirable) model rolled off the dealer lot in 1975, a year before I was born. So we are talking cars that were made between 1961 and 1975. They are now 55 to 41 years old.

Extrapolating that out to the XK8. We would be in the year 2052. I will be in my late 60's (knock on wood). Will I still have my Arden XK8 in my garage? Maybe, maybe not. Will it work? Will it still be on its original drivetrain? Will It be worth restoring if it has deteriorated? Will I be able to find any parts for it? These are questions that only time can and will answer. The major components are already out of production. Just look at the struggle Jon had to source a new chrome wheel for his 06 when it was involved in an accident. Jaguar has moved on - thankfully at least for the naturally aspirated Xk8 there are a bunch of xj8's that can serve as drivetrain donors.

The key to investing in cars is to pick up cars when the interest is at a lull. When I was younger lad of 17-18 and had just started driving, you could buy 67-69 camaros in functional condition out of the newspaper classifieds for 4-5 thousand dollars. Now any rusted out stripped shell with a vin tag and a title is worth more than double that.

At 16 I bought a 1970 split bumper Camaro because I only had about 2 grand scraped up, and this particular one needed paint (it was covered in primer) and I managed to beg and barter the guy down to sell it to me. Had a 350 small block in it and a muncie 4 speed. I spent a month at my dad's garage sanding, filling, and basically teaching myself how to do body work. There was probably still too much body filler in the car than would have been deemed acceptable for a long term restoration, but after a $600 scuff and shoot paint special from a friend, it looked damn good. Then after two speeding tickets in as many weeks, my dad decided that I was going to kill myself in this thing, and put it out in front of the shop with a for sale sign. I think we asked for $5000 and got $4200 for it. That car is probably worth 25-30k now... More if it had subsequent work done.

Now lets take the XJS - Which I think has a distinct following honestly, I'm a fan and I WOULD pick up a clean one. I've tried to buy a couple, and sold one for a customer which I should have kept. He wanted to get 7500 out of it and I ended up getting him 10,500. It was a late model 96 with 58k miles.

I think that the earlier XJS's will not stand the test of time as much as the 94-96 cars will be sought out. This is both an extrapolation of current resale values - where the the late model cars are fetching a premium and are on a bit of an upswing. Want to hear something ironic BOTH XJS's I have sold have been exported outside the country. One to Canada, and one back to Germany. It seems there is much more international interest in the XJS than domestic interest - at least for buyers who are willing to pay top dollar. Is this because the european marques are more highly coveted in Europe? (Honestly I consider Canada the northwest territory of Europe in many ways) Is it because cars in general are more expensive in these countries? I really don't know - maybe my friends north of the border or across the pond could address these ideas.

Honestly if you are looking to buy a car as an investment or future classic. Seek out any 80's Turbo Buick, Monte Carlo SS, and or RARELY optioned Camaro Iroc Z. These are the early mustangs of my generation. I think the Monte Carlo has the most upward potential, because it's the cheapest to acquire at the moment.

People think I'm a Jag guy, but the reality is my automotive interest is all over the map. I've strayed away from Jags for my daily driver bc the Mercedes E class just appealed to me a lot more compared to the XF. I would buy an F-Type in a heartbeat, but for the money I think a used 911 turbo is a much better choice. Both in performance, AND retention of value.

Take care,

George