It is no accident that Sir William Lyons named his cars ‘Jaguar’. Throughout their history they have been feline in grace, stance and potential; ready to pounce - whether on the road or at rest. Beginning with the prewar SS100 and cemented in the postwar XKs and the fabulous E-type Jaguar, they have rarely varied from its design language. Even its sedans, Mark 2, Mark X and XJ, have embodied the design idiom of Jaguar with unusual consistency and success. At the same time they have continued Jaguar’s practice of offering unusual luxury and performance at a moderate price that has made Jaguars an exceptionally good value.

The XJ sedan was introduced in 1969 paralleling the XKE with a larger, more comfortable four-door body while retaining the E-Type’s proven drivetrain and independent rear suspension. A few years later in 1974 the Series III’s V-12 engine with 241 horsepower was added to the XJ as well and brought the sedan, and a new two-door hardtop XJ coupe, to new levels of performance. Lovely to look at, comfortable to occupy and surprisingly quick on the road, the XJ12C opened new markets to Jaguar with a design that is commonly thought to be more attractive than the XJS coupe that followed a year later.

This 1976 Jaguar XJ12C coupe is an extraordinary automobile, exquisitely maintained and amazingly preserved from new with under 26,000 miles on the odometer. Original throughout, even the high quality paint, it has chrome wheels, Michelin blackwall tires, automatic transmission, 8-track stereo, air conditioning and a 244 horsepower electronic fuel-injected engine that made its appearance in 1975. Its history of sympathetic ownership is apparent in the condition of its maroon paint, tan vinyl covered roof and tan upholstery and interior trim. It would have been an outstanding, front-row, trade-in on a Jaguar dealer’s lot in 1981, but today it is truly exceptional, offering a new owner the best of Jaguar’s famed ‘Grace, space and pace’ in a beautiful four-seat hardtop coupe with smooth V-12 power and a full array of comfort and convenience features. Well-preserved automobiles like this Jaguar XK12C are rarely found and represent excellent values that will be proudly owned, driven and displayed at any gathering of Jaguars.