Hi to all! I am new to this forum and looking to obtain ideas/advice in regard to maybe selling my 1995 XJS V12 convertible. I love the car but my wife has just been diagnosed with a serious cancer and there are only so many hours in the day for doing the things that need to be done. The car has just under 75,000 miles, is in very good condition with no issues that I know of. I am the third owner. There is no rust and no dash warning lights. The top is in very good shape and works fine. It is the cimarron red with ivory interior. If I do make the decision to sell, do you have suggestions on what would be a reasonable price and the best places to advertise? Thanks and may you all enjoy safe and wonderful drives in your jags.

 

My sympathies for your situation. I would suggest Bring A Trailer--they sell quite a few drop-tops, and some of them go for quite good money. The bidders there generally know a fair amount about cars. Or you could even try the classifieds here. There's also the option of selling it overseas, where prices can be rather higher than the States. Some people here on the Forum have done that.

 

Thanks! Is Bring a Trailer a site for classifieds? is there good overseas site? Any thoughts on a reasonable price? thanks again1

 

If you go into "bring a trailer" and type into the upper rt search box " Jaguar XJS " it will bring up all the sold XJS' recently. Here is one that matches pretty closely yours and sold this year. This should help you get an idea what your car is worth :

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-jaguar-xjs-20/

 

Oh, and if you try to sell on Bring A Trailer (BAT), they screen you to make sure your car is interesting enough. Considering identical ones are sold there, that should be okay. Another key thing is to take GOOD photos of your car, extensively. Note the "Over 120 exterior photos are displayed in the gallery, including pictures of cosmetic blemishes" quote on that BAT page LuvmyXJS linked to. Though I'd focus on (a) a dozen or so "model" shots that make your car look good, and lots of detail shots that show any potential problem areas--not just actual problem areas you have, but areas that are often susceptible to problems to reassure buyers that no, yours is safe.

 

My car was sitting for 16 years and I'm enjoying fixing it up. I wouldn't sell.

 

I would consider BaT’s $349 service, because it includes professional photos. Regular listing is $99 and I can’t imagine getting a photographer out to my place for $250. This auction site is hugely dependent on good photography. You’ll make back that extra $250 several times over I imagine.

I bought a cream puff 92 XJS V12 off Craigslist for $4750. If it was on BaT it would have been $14750, but this guy just didn’t make the effort. It was a dozen pictures, and the CL site was in the middle of nowhere. BaT is a no brainer for an XJS.

 

Reread the original post...You’re clearly missing the more valuable part of the story.

I have to assume that you simply replied to the title of the post without reading the posting at all....please tell me I’m not wrong.

 

Well, I had cancer myself and barely survived. Lost 85 lbs and all my strength. My life has been miserable ever since, it is a life in pain. I see no connection between a tragedy of serious illness and selling a car.

 

So sorry to hear about your wife. I hope she overcomes this awful decease completely.

Unless you need to sell the car, I would suggest you don’t. Last year, my mom, only 57, passed away from breast cancer. At first I wanted to get rid of all my cars and just have a simpler existence and not worry about worldly and superficial things, but these cars have been critical in helping me stay busy and distracted. I am confident you will not need to keep your car for a scenario remotely similar to mine, as your wife will certainly recover, but these are good distractions, and when one is in a vulnerable state like you may be now, one makes poor choices and parts with things without really giving it much thought.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. Reality is that I have seven vehicles, including another jag. As we all know, they take time for even doing just preventative maintenance. With the change of circumstances in our home, I need to look at rebalancing the things to which I devote my time. I appreciate the posts that have referred me to Bring a Trailer and the support of this group. I am not rushing to do anything but acquiring knowledge and looking at the alternatives. Thanks again and all the best to you and the other forum members.