To All, especially Europe, Australia


I’ve noticed that pricing on the XJS in the states seems low. The offers I received a couple years back were in the $14k + range now struggling and asking $12.5K

I am curious if anyone has a good feeling about pricing in other countries.

Use my 1996 XJS Celebration as an example
117K miles and in overall condition…..Excellent! I believe rare color combination
engine compartment exceptionally clean as is the undercarriage
everything works including air bladder back support in driver seat
New wood veneer on ski slope
Some spare parts




thanks

Softball60/Paul

 

You can buy XJS cars here all day long for $2k-$12K USD. Used '70s, to '90s and probably later jags have never been expensive here because of the maintenance headaches. The prices haven't been depressed, they were never high other than when new(er).

Edit: Primo examples with exc maintenance history and records will sell for higher prices, to an extent.

Doug

 

I rarely enter these discussions because locale and model availability vary enormously.
Years of watching and listening have me agreeing with both Doug and Paul . . . but with some caveats.

I sense that many USA dealer networks were geared to just selling rather than long term customer loyalty and service, for that is the feedback we have heard here for years. A further generalisation is that many used Jags are either pristine, pampered and seldom driven or poorly maintained, have no service docs, manuals or even spare keys. Not sayin this is universal, but that's the feedback we hear.

By comparison, Jaguars here in Aussie command relatively high prices and tend to be owned and maintained for years by dedicated folk. It is not unusual to find a 20 year old model still held by original owner. As examples, my 2007 S-Type cost AU$30,000 in 2014 and the 2004 XK8 was near double that in 2016. Both were one owner in remarkable showroom condition. Convert these figures to 70% for US$.

But, here's the rub that tends to reflect on OP Paul's observation . . . recent and perhaps global uncertainties have seen local spend on discretionary items (like our "toys") chew into resales. I recently sold my early pre-HE XJ-S for just AU$3,000 in going condition, complete except for front bumper and spare wheel. Both floorpans rusted but sills OK and new floor pans ready to fit. For comparison that's the same price for a nice new fabricated alloy bar to fit your Toyota Landcruiser . . . but add a further AU$1,500 for a good winch!

The S-Type and XK8 are still in that showroom condition. However, as a result of this downward trend, their probable current values have nose-dived.

However, there is a bright side . . . my interests have turned to blue water, and yacht prices have crashed even further. Well maintained pocket yachts that sold for well over AU$100,000 post Covid are now awash everywhere here at asking prices as low as AU$50,000 and I'm hooked.

Focus is on a 30ft trimaran with folding wings that enable it to be trailered rather than moored. The XK8 is unlikely to tow it, so it's up for sale and I have already bought a late Ford SUV for towing the boat for weekends away.

Just my 2 cents, but I think it's a fair call on the market down under.
Cheers and best wishes

 

I have noticed collector cars in general are setting record prices. I think there is a feeling that the stock market is nearing a peak and it's time to pull money out and enjoy it with toys. This is also not the time of year that people typically buy convertibles either, prices will probably go up in May.

Here is a chart of sales from the last 10 years from Bring a Trailer:

 

As a fellow observer of BaT auctions, I've seen this chart and have noticed some things related to the OP's post. Prior to 2021, virtually no XJ-S were sold on the site above $30k USD, and only a few had even crossed the $20k threshold. As soon as the COVID boom hits, suddenly XJ-S sales go through the roof: reaching the 20s with regularity, and then the 30s,40s,50s,60s, and almost $70k mark; unimaginable figures just a year earlier.

My theory:

During the COVID lockdown online content consumption spiked and appreciation of the XJ-S by online "content creators" was at an all time high. With enough folks on the internet echoing the sentiment that the XJ-S was an "underappreciated classic" and more money being spent on luxury items than at any other time since before the 2009 recession, car collectors finally took notice. If one visits the site and views these auctions you'll find that these record breaking sales are all pristine, original, low mileage, collector grade examples. Many of these cars no doubt had spent the past 20 years or more in quiet hibernation until owners decided to cash in on the collector car bubble.

Looking below the $20k line however it seems that rising tides did not lift all boats. It appears that the number of cars are selling in the $0-$20k range has remained consistent for the past several years. There is an increased demand only for truly exceptional examples that get the 1% frenzied into bidding wars. The rest of the market remains fairly static, especially when you account for 26% inflation over the past 5 years. Cars with higher mileage or visible wear struggle to command the same premiums. In many ways it is representative of the larger economy that we are experiencing at present. With the wealthiest 10% of Americans accounting for more than 50% of consumer spending, demand for high end luxury goods has increased, while the rest of the economy sputters.

That being said, aside from the higher mileage the OPs car looks to be an exceptional example and at an asking price of $12.5K it should sell quickly as we head into spring and summer. GLWS

 

I do believe that maintenance headaches are affecting classic car prices but Jaguars in particular. Jaguars have always had something of a reputation of being unreliable and expensive to maintain. Just to explain demographics, I have one toe in the Corvette world and every year, one or more C2 owners shows up to the local monthly cruise night in a C5, C6 or C7 (not so much C8s). I would ask "Hey, I though I heard you say that the last real Corvette was made in 1967 and you would never have one newer?" The answer is always some form of "Well, after my <insert hip, knee, etc.> replacement surgery, I found it difficult to < insert operate a clutch pedal, do my own repairs, etc. > and so I started to think that a new(er), more reliable Corvette with an automatic transmission and a warranty started to sound like a good idea."

When I started going to car shows back in the mid 80s, there'd always be a couple dozen Model A Fords attended by white-haired old men wearing their Model A club vests adorned with patches commemorating past events, a 1958 National Meet or a 1973 Time-Distance Rally. Today, we're lucky to see even one Model A and I haven't seen one of those club vests since 2012 (his family would drive him there and he'd sit in the passenger seat of his A the whole time). I'm just starting to feel old myself but still capable of doing most of my own repairs. However being not quite retired yet and at the peak of my career, I get home later and later and don't have the energy or time to warm up the shop and work several more hours every evening like I did in my 20s-40s. Plus as my collection grew, I've been relying on an indy shop more and more in recent years. I only hope that I can retire a few years before my joints give out completely.

I at least learned how to fix things from my father who was an A&P mechanic (restored vintage aircraft), but I've read articles about how younger enthusiasts who started after the right-to-repair was already under attack, they just don't know how to do any DIY maintenance. That discourages them from even buying a classic car in the first place but the few who do, tend to have to rely on independent marque specialists My local indie has lost his most experienced mechanics to retirement and has been swamped with later models since the closest two Jaguar dealers opted out of selling the new all electric double zero and closed their doors. He's scheduling appointments a month out or more (and then calling to postpone further). Even before Jaguar's pastel shenanigans, I noticed that the same E-types and XJ-Ss were always sitting in his shop for many, many months at a time because the late model daily drivers took priority. I mean, the late model drivers needed their car back to actually drive to work, not a car show, so I get it, but that's what's facing a collector who can't DIY.

So the collectors who lusted after the classic Jaguars are getting too old to work on their own cars, the handful of younger enthusiasts never had the ability in the first place and the shops are losing their experienced techs who are also getting too old to do the work. I think that's a big part of why you see such a huge price difference between a low-mileage car and one that's been driven. The minty one is going into a warehouse collection where it doesn't matter that it leaks like a sieve. It was bought for nostalgia and bragging rights, emotional pricing, not practical. The one with a few miles and rock chips on it was bought under the assumption that it was going to need a lot of very expensive work at a Jaguar specialist shop to put it back in service or to keep it in service. It's sale pricing reflects labor rates for repairs and that it might be in the shop for six months at a time for something relatively minor. I can't say for sure, but seems like most of the "western" nations have similar demographic trends and challenges, tho it's probably only natural that UK collectors would pay more for a Jaguar than US collectors would.

 

Once one gets past about 55 or so, a lift is almost mandatory to perform maintenance. Or at least make it more rewarding and less punishing.

Doug

 

Indeed! I bought a 4-post lift when I was only 38 and I immediately thought "Why didn't I get this earlier, even when I was 25, right after I bought my first house with the little 2-car garage?" Even if you don't have full ceiling height, a lot of work is on the brakes and suspension. Being able to raise a car partway is like parking it on top of your workbench. Anybody on the fence about it, just do it! 2-post, 4-post, mid-rise, whatever works in your space, you will spit on your jackstands and never regret it.

Now what I need to do at 58 is order a pair of lightweight aluminum ramps as the heavy steel ones that came with it are starting to get to be a bear.

 

Prior to buying the XJS, I had several classic cars that I enjoyed for a year or two and then sold for a bit more than I paid for them. When I bought the XJS it wasn't a classic, it was only 8 years old, had under 6K miles and was my daily driver for several years, then it transitioned to a 'only nice day cruiser'. I think why I have ended up holding on to the XJS far longer than intended, is whenever I've contemplating scratching the itch to get something else, I'd think about what I could sell it for, and then think about what I could get for about the same value. The beast would win out against something else every time. There were plenty of things that might interest me, but they'd usually be 2X or more so I'd think, 'I'll give her another year'. One blinks, and years because a few decades.

I thought about it last Fall, but there's nothing I want that I can use XJS money to buy. I've grown to love the beast, so why would I sell it then drop an additional $20k or a lot more to just get something that I doubt I'd love more. Of course, I would love a Maserati 3500 GT Spyder or an Aston Martin DB4 Volante but they're going for 'I'd never feel comfortable driving it regularly' money. Perhaps ironically, but I have to insure the XJS for more than what it would likely sell at, because if some idiot totaled it one day, I know what it actually costs to replace it with one that was as well sorted and that's with me doing most of the work. I can't imagine what it would cost to pay someone else to take a used XJS and get it completely up to date.

I suspect that is OP Paul's dilemma, the car is worth so much more to him, versus what the market will yield for the all the reasons stated above.

 

The volatility of prices surely is a wonder at times but as has been brought out by several here already, there are good reason for it. For myself, we owned an H&E starting back in '10 which needed some work to drive and got what it needed to make it a daily. We have never lost any money on any of the Jag's that we have owned. They are just not fast sellers, you have to wait on the right buyer and they are out there. One just has to be patient. Having had a "99 XJR, '88 XJS and '04 XJ8 I have to say that I enjoyed every one of them and wish we still had the '04. I did all the work myself on them and although not an easy affair, it is doable. Currently I have a '94 and '95 XJS convertibles. One is a driver and the other runs and drives but is more or less a parts backup source. I've seen the prices all over the board and know that one has to be cautious with regard to purchase. Even the ones that are trying to fetch 10-12K are sometimes not worth the asking price due to the fact that as mentioned there is no maintenance history so you don't know what has been done. They are maintenance heavy since most I've found to basically be neglected. There are those that also just feel that what they have is worth something just because it is a Jag. My running driving parts car was an $800 dollar car and I see many that are far worse with idiots asking $2500 - $5000. And they will need basically full restorations.

 

Guys like me that have been around the block a few times realize that buying a jag that needs "some work" or even a "little work" is probably a deep rabbit hole. Parts prices have kept up with COL, but car prices mostly haven't. My thoughts these days are you can't buy a Jag too cheap, and for that matter a lot of other cars or maybe most other cars too. One of my fav BMW models is the E24, 635's are expensive to maintain and repair and resale prices are not holding up well at all, M6's are big money and so is a head job. The flip side to that is the entry fee is very low and you can enjoy great cars for small up front money. I passed on a '98 xjs conv a couple years ago that a 17yr old girl was driving (bought off a used car lot), and she said the brakes scared her. Nice car too, top worked fine, nice paint ...$800!!! On the way to get it I'm thinking no more room in my shop, I could see a cyl head coming off in two weeks etc... called her up and backed out! Beat myself up daily ever since.

 

I can relate to Mac Allan. My two Jaguar sedans were just my previous daily drivers (actually I still had my previous four daily drivers, separation anxiety I'm told). The Jags were never intended to be collector cars, but I enjoyed them and put a lot of time and money into them following all the preventative maintenance recommendations here on the forum (I kinda enjoy the tinkering.) Then when each was replaced with new dailies, they weren't worth a fraction of what I had into them and so I couldn't make myself let go and just trade them in for less than I spent on the last service. They instead transitioned to occasional weekend use (and objects of more tinkering.) As I added cars, I built a bigger shop building, built carports and when I ran out of space in the back yard, I started renting garages elsewhere so none would ever be left out in the Texas sun. Mac did it better, selling one before buying another. I did finally break down after two years of barely driving it (just out to dinner once in a while) and sell the XF a couple weeks ago to one of our longtime forum members (as Jagman says, waiting for the right buyer, but comforting to know it's in good hands) simply because I have too many cars and paying for storage and insurance for a fully-depreciated Jaguar sedan that won't be "classic" until I'm too old to drive just didn't make much sense, especially when I still have a wish list as long as my arm, of classic sports and GT cars from my youth that I'd like to experience before they get to be totally unaffordable (an XJS is on the list, but there are a few ahead of it).

But that "selling one before buying another" is the hard part. When the car you have is fully-depreciated yet the car you want next is already a quickly appreciating classic, you either have to go ahead and take a loss on the sale or miss out on opportunities to buy the next one at a good price while you wait on that "right buyer" to come along. I forget the name of the economist who came up with it, but in total contrast to actual market values, it's human nature to attribute more value to the thing you already have than to the thing you want. Guilty as-charged!

 

Well said Phil. For me it's much easier to buy a car than it is to sell one so they tend to pile up. Right now I really need to sell at least four but I've been telling myself that the last few years...
Bill S

 

Grits, girls raised in the south. Yup, you know it.