2009 Jaguar XJ 2.7 TDVi Sovereign

Finished in the rare colour of Vapour Grey (it’s one of only 382 built in this hue) with a Champagne interior, ‘AJ59 JUH’ is a Jaguar XJ Sovereign fitted with the uber-economical 2.7-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine that’s capable of returning up to 40mpg in everyday driving.

Built in April 2008 and first registered in 2009, it is also the even rarer and even more desirable long-wheelbase version – and whereas most were fitted with the five-seat option, this has just the four; combine all these details, and it turns out that this is the only one every built to this exact specification.

Truly a one-off, it’s also being offered with no reserve, so it sure to attract an awful lot of interest.

The colour of the Vapour Grey coachwork suits the long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ perfectly, giving it an upmarket and understated look we love. With excellent panel alignment and impressive shutlines, the absence of dents, dinks, and ripples is remarkable on a car that’s almost old enough to vote.

Chrome mirror caps work in conjunction with other brightwork such as the mesh radiator grille, door handles, front wing vents, boot trim, and window surrounds to give the XJ a suitably upmarket appearance.

Subtly tinted glazing throws in a dash of Hollywood, while twin exhaust pipes ensure those following you are in no doubt that they’re in the presence of something that can pick up its skirts and run with the best of ‘em.

The open design of the five-spoke, 20-inch alloy wheels allows you to appreciate the all-round disc brakes too. Condition-wise, the nearside front has wheel extensive kerbing marks, with the offside one having fewer. The barrels of all wheels suffer from minor oxidisation too, so perhaps a refurb should be on the cards given how good the rest of the exterior is?

The rear tyres are matching Dunlop SP Sport Maxx (date-stamped 2010) while the front tyres are non-matching Sumitomo (2010) and Pirelli P-Zero (2017), so maybe it’s also time for a new set of boots while the wheels are off, eh?

As for the rest of the coachwork, our man-with-the-magnifying-glass has identified the following: “the car's paintwork is colour matching and it is free of dents. However, there are some very light scratches, most obviously to one corner of the front bumper and the nearside front wing near the headlight. There are also a few fine stonechips, and the paintwork feels a bit rough to the touch.”

Sounds like it might be time to call your favourite valeter for a machine-polish then.

The Champagne leather, which is trimmed with Warm Charcoal piping, is supported by vast swathes of highly polished walnut veneer to give the XJ’s cabin a wonderfully Old School feel.

Which is not to damn with faint praise because it’s a rather special place to be, especially in the back where the extra inches make themselves felt, allowing the occupants to kick back and relax in their heated and electrically adjustable individual seats.

They’ll enjoy using the picnic trays that are back there too, plus the infotainment screen that’s fitted in the headrests of the seats in front. The controls for these are set inside the vast central armrest, an armrest that not only stores the original handbook for them but also incorporates a pair of walnut veneer cupholders.

There are rear sunblinds too, plus a fully operative sunroof. The elasticated pockets in the seat backs are also still taut, and all the screens, including the somewhat antiquated but charming sat-nav, work.

The front seats are still firm and supportive. Free of any obvious signs of wear much less actual damage, they’re electrically adjustable and both heated and ventilated.

The boot is just as beautifully trimmed, and despite containing the tool kit, space-saver spare wheel, CD and DVD changer, and battery, it is so vast it’s still capable of swallowing a huge amount of luggage.

Which means there really isn’t much for the new owner to do. The driver’s seat shows some rumpling to its base and cracking to the outer bolsters. However, this is consistent with the car’s age and mileage though, so shouldn’t really be seen as a fault per se.

Other than that, the headlining is starting to sag, most noticeably above the rear nearside passenger. This is a common problem, which means the path to repair it is a well-trodden one; new ones are readily available and not ruinously expensive.

The only real fault therefore is the nearside rear window doesn’t rise back up as it should.

The XJ’s maintenance is recorded in the service history booklet as follows:

• 19.11.2010 and 15,317 miles – service by Shakespeare Engineering Motorsport Ltd
• 12.12.2011 and 30,271 miles – service by Shakespeare Engineering Motorsport Ltd
• 10.05.2013 and 47,026 miles – service by Harwoods Ltd
• 29.05.2014 and 49,443 miles – service by H.A. Fox
• 12.05.2015 and 51,376 miles – service by H.A. Fox
• 19.05.2017 and 52,553 miles – service by H.A. Fox
• 06.02.2024 and 56,764 miles – service by RAD Motors Ltd

With the last service having been carried out less than 1,500 miles ago, you’d have every right to expect the XJ to be on the button.

Which it is. As the video shows, it starts perfectly, has a solid idle, and revs very well for an oil-burner. In fact, if you can ignore the 4,600rpm redline, we doubt you’d know you were driving a diesel car – until, that is, you come to overtake, when the thick slug of mid-range torque will make itself felt.

Of course, it does all this without triggering any warning lights on the dashboard, nor any unusual noises under the bonnet.

Speaking of which, apart from small patches of alloy corrosion on some components, the engine bay is pretty much flawless. Clean and nicely presented, we can’t see many folk finding the need to do anything more time consuming than simply maintain it as it is.

The underside looks very good too being clean and neatly undersealed with what looks like the original factory finish. Certainly, no MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion, which is reassuring.

However, given how good it is we can see the new owner might like to sort out the light surface rust that’s started to make itself known on the odd steel racket. That aside, there’s little else for them to fret over.

The Jaguar’s MoT certificate is valid until August 2025 and the recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

The car comes with one key and two fobs in addition to the book pack and wallet, a stamped service history booklet, a V5 in the seller’s name, and some old invoices.

Between £6,000 and £8,000 doesn’t feel like much to pay for a one-off late long-wheelbase model fitted with the economical turbo-diesel engine, does it?

But, on the off-chance it does, the seller’s happy to offer it with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Cheap, luxurious, and economical to run. *checks calendar*

Nope, not Christmas, although it sure does feel like it, eh?

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