My Jags (now sold)

Here is the advertisement for my first Jaguar -- a 1997 XK8 Coupe. I bought it in September 2002 with about 89,000 kilometers on it and sold it on October 21, 2009 with 262,000 kilometers on it. Quite possibly the best car I've ever owned -- and certainly the nicest looking (tied, of course, with my 99 XK8 convertible!).

October 21, 2009, Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Jenny won't let me keep both! I bought an XK8 convertible last fall and, for some reason, She Who Must Be Obeyed sees no reason I should have both a coupe and a convertible. So I'm selling the coupe.

1997 Jaguar XK8 Coupe - 1

1997 Jaguar XK8 Coupe - 262,000 kilometers
Click here for more photos
I've owned this 1997 Jaguar XK8 coupe since 2002 (I am the third [non-dealer] owner) and, yes, it has very high kilometers on it. But it is in very good shape. Click here to see page 1, page 2 or page 3 of the Used Vehicle Information Package.

I've touched up any of the significant stone chips in the paint, and it is very clean inside and out. Lots of tread left on the tires (or should I say 'tyres', which is how the Brits spell it in the manuals).

It goes through about 1 litre of oil every 800 to 1000 kilometres -- although some of that is through a bit of drip that is coming off the engine (and thus the cardboard lying in the centre of the garage floor).

There are a few minor things wrong with it:

The driver's side door thinks it is closed all the time, so you have to hold the handle open when you close the door so that the window can shift down a bit to fit into the weatherstripping properly.
The cruise control stays on for about a minute and then generates a dashboard message -- something to do with a sensor in the brake pedal, I think.
There is a little rust on it on the right rear quarter panel.
There are a couple of very minor dents and scratches in the exterior -- the sort of things that you have to look at in just the right light to be able to see.
The aerial doesn't fully go down when the radio goes off.
There is no backlight on the LCD in the radio (but I'm pretty sure there should be).

I've just had it e-tested and it passed no probs. Click here to see the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Report.

The exterior is Champagne (gold) and the interior is Oatmeal leather over a tan carpet. The interior is in very good shape -- one or two minor plastic trim pieces missing is all. The flip covers for the vanity mirrors don't stay up.

There is lots of tread left on the Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 Radial XSE P245/50 R17 radial tyres.

The Jaguar XK8 has a long list of creature comforts including power steering, tilt steering, telescoping steering, multi-function steering wheel (radio controls and cruise controls), leather seats, power seats, dual front heated seats, inflatable lumbar drivers seat, dual lighted vanity mirrors, remote keyless entry (2 keys, 1 remote), anti-theft system, Jaguar factory installed aluminum alloy wheels, traction control, anti-lock brakes, air bags, fog lights, cruise control, ice cold climate controlled air conditioning, AM/FM/cassette/6-CD changer premium sound stereo system, intermittent wipers, power fuel filler door release, power trunk release, power mirrors, and lots more.

It comes with the original books & manuals.

As a bonus, the fuel economy is actually quite good. On mostly highway driving, I've been able to get better than 9 litres per 100 km (roughly 31 miles per Imperial gallon).

The car is located north of London Ontario -- but I drive into the GTA about once every 2 weeks so if you live in the GTA and are seriously interested, we can probably arrange for me to bring it into Toronto for you to see.

Please call Bruce Lamb at 416-823-6095 for more information or to arrange a test drive.
A Few Thoughts on Owning an XK8
This is the best car I've ever owned. Starting from my very first car when I was sixteen, I've owned 3 Fords, 1 Datsun, 1 Mazda, 2 Toyotas, 1 Cadillac and now I own 2 Jaguars.

No matter what you buy, stuff breaks. Yes, even in a Toyota. While I haven't kept track of every expense in a spreadsheet or anything, my gut feel is that this Jaguar was better than any of the other brands -- and certainly no worse.

One thing about luxury cars is that they use premium quality parts, so stuff doesn't break very often. When things do break, replacement parts from Jaguar can be expensive -- as they are with any new car these days. But there are lots of recyclers out there, now, where you can order parts. In this XK8, the 'auxilliary heater pump' went on it last fall. A replacement from the dealer was about $500. From a recycler, it was $125 US plus shipping -- and it works fine. My local mechanic installed it, no sweat. So if you think that owning a car like this is going to cost you an arm and a leg in repairs, don't. Certainly no worse than any other.

I liked this car so much that I bought a second one -- a 1999 Jaguar XK8 Convertible. (It was either that or a Harley). So that tells you the confidence that I have in Jaguar, in general, and in the XK8, specifically.

Now for the real bonus with owning an XK8: In my view, this is one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Sporty. Fast. A classic design. It actually turns heads when you drive into the shopping center.

Anyhow, its a wonderful machine. See the photos, below.

More Photos (click to see larger image):