Found a set of Vanden Plas/ Super V8 interior grab handles on ebay, they accepted my best offer, arrived to my house within a week.

Basically you just pinch the middle and they pull right out.

My factory XJR plastic grab handle accents compared to the chrome ones:



After a bit of chrome polish, the finished product:

 

Nice!

 

Looks fantastic. I am about to do the same upgrade. Just have to find eight of them shiny bits first.

 

Wow I always assumed all of the X308s had the chrome handles since I have a VDP. I'm not sure how the XJR handles are, but on my VDP, there is stitching on the back side of the grab handles that is hidden from view. I actually tired to flip the handles around to expose the stitching, but did not fit when reversed. They almost fit though. On close inspection, the stitching is a nice touch, but whoever did the stitching at the factory did a bad job on my VDP.

Another nice subtle upgrade JaguarXJR02!

 

wow nice touch, that will have to be on my to do list in the future

 

you got me on that one, had to go out and have a look. my 1998 xjr [uk spec] has the chrome on the handles so i assume it is standard fit on xjr as have nothing in cars history of any interior work being done.

 

just checked my interior, 99 XJR has chrome trim on door handles,
Christian, you only need 6, 3 grab handles, there is no grab on drivers door

 

My base xj8 has them and I know the previous owner didn't do it lol

 

I'm not sure what comes factory, all I know for sure is my car didn't have them, now it does

 

Do you all have stitching on the back side of your grab handles or is that a VDP only thing?

 

Thank you Roger77. You are right. And there are a few auctions on ebay right now.

 

@Christian you only need 6, drivers have the handle to hold onto...in theory anyway woops, Roger's already mentioned it...

The later chrome are chromed plastic, if metal they're from an early car - penny pinching along the way (eh-hm, ford accountants?)...

The stitching is called baseball, and tricky to do.

 

Thanks Sean, then I'll look for genuine metal. And start keeping both my hands on the steering wheel...

 

had to go and have a look for this as well, and yes my 98 xjr has the stitching. seems rather odd to me that a nice piece of detail is hidden away like that, the eccentricities of english craftsmanship i suppose.

 

the ones I got are from a 1998 so they're metal

 

I assumed that because hitting the plastic ones with metal polish hazes them or rubs the finish coat off!, I've a couple, but not a full set which is frustrating....Xjr 300's are also metal chromed...

 

its funny how a little modding can make a change in a car.

next....add the wooden backseat tables

 

The only car I've come across with nicer grab handles is
the 2007 Acura TL Type-S. The leatherette is softer
and padded, and the stitching on the back is the same.

I had a mid-range and a top range XJ with the Sports
Interior, and they both had stitching and they both had
plastic handle ends.

 

My xj8 came with the metal ones and mine are stitched and I have the sport interior. The Vdp I just secured is giving me all sorts of nice upgrades including those picnic tables hehehe

 

I want picnic tables but they don't fit on the XJR seats, and it would cost a bit too much to bother. Someday I'll have more garage space and will be able to acquire a vanden plas supercharged