Supercar royalty under the hammer

It’s always a pleasure to see a Jaguar XJ220 in the wild. And how about this beautifully photographed, slick-jet-black big cat, that could actually be yours for about a quarter of the original, £470,000 price. A bargain indeed – if you’re the cat-flap-haired Donald Trump, maybe! – and part of over 100 fast, rare and wild cars that make up the next auction at Historics of Brooklands, on 9th March.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending a Historics auction down at the paradise-like Brooklands Museum, in Weybridge, Surrey, and if you’re a fan of auto-exotica and don’t mind paying a few quid to get in, then there are certainly some stunners to see. The stealthy XJ will be the star of the show on the 9th March, but I was surprised by the wide range of interesting motors at the last auction, and judging by guide prices, not all of them too expensive. Sure, you need to know what you want and what you’re doing, but armed with a few quid and a bit of research, who knows what you could come home with.

This left-hand drive, one owner, 12,000 mile, deep black XJ220, manufactured by Jaguar artisans in 1994, has lived for the last 19 years in France, but don’t hold that against it. On coming back across the Channel, the panther-black Jaguar spent a few weeks with XJ220 expert, Don Law Racing in Staffordshire, where over £25,000 was spent getting her really ready to roar.

Bear in mind the original price of £470,000, and the auction estimate of between £115,000 – £130,000 sounds like cracking value, especially for a car that’ll hit 213mph at the top, 60mph in 3.6 seconds and 100mph in 7.9 seconds. All thanks to the 3.5-litre, V6, twin Garrett T3 turbocharged motor, making 542bhp, and some of the fattest rear tyres you’ll ever see. Only 281 XJ220s were made from 1992 – 1994, and who doesn’t want to own one of the very fastest production cars ever to prowl the planet.

Take a look at www.historics.co.uk for more auction action info.

By Dan Anslow

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