Dreamt as a full competition racer with no production plans, the Jaguar XJ220 was intended to prove the team at Coventry could still design, engineer, and manufacture cars on par with its German and Italian competitors. Upon debut at the 1988 British International Motor Show in Birmingham, so many buyers stood waiting with open check books that Jaguar was forced to reconsider its production plans. The civilian XJ220 was to be a powerful and aerodynamic two-seat, all-wheel-drive coupe capable of more than 200 mph while providing a superior level of luxury and comfort to other supercars of the time, including the celebrated Porsche 959 and spartan Ferrari F40.

Lacking the capabilities to build such a narrow production of ultra-high-end supercars, Jaguar entrusted production to its partner Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). Upon review of the prototype’s plans, TWR and Jaguar came to agreement on several changes to improve the Jaguar’s overall performance, chief among them being the switch from V-12 appointment to a new engine designed by TWR for the 1989 Jaguar XJR-11 racecar. Dubbed the JV6, this all aluminum, twin-turbocharged V-6 produces 542 horsepower, 475 pound-feet of torque and speeds in excess of 200 mph. The new engine’s smaller size allowed it to be neatly packaged within a slippery aluminum body penned by Jaguar Design’s Keith Helfet, whose work was chosen for being “the most quintessentially Jaguar” of the final grouping.

Entering production in 1992, the XJ220 followed the iconic XK120 in being named for its projected top speed, 220 mph, which was nearly achieved in a time trial on the high-bank test track in Nardo, Italy. The car proved quicker to 60 mph than the Ferrari F40, Porsche 959 and Lamborghini Diablo and even set a new lap record for a production car at the Nürburgring.

The recession of the early 1990s, combined with the significant alterations between the prototype and production example, unfortunately resulted in sparse sales. Just under 300 XJ220s ultimately rolled off the line at its dedicated Wykham Mill production facility.

A small number of these final XJ220s remained unsold at the Jaguar factory, stored inside Carcoon Automotive hermetically sealed storage systems, becoming true time capsules of supercar technology. Every six months, these cars were fully serviced and run by a Jaguar technician, accumulating a few hundred miles over their years of storage. Sold new by RM Classic Cars in late 1999 to an American client and professionally converted to US emissions compliance, the XJ220 presented here is one of these extraordinarily preserved early hypercars.

After being purchased by just its second and current owner in 2017, this car was sent to XJ220 gurus Don Law Racing in Newcastle, United Kingdom for a full service. Work performed by Law’s specialists included removing the engine and transmission to replace the clutch, belts, and fluids. The fuel tank was upgraded to a racing cell with internal foam pack, full gasket pack, and over-braided stainless steel fuel hoses. The brakes, air conditioning, and cooling systems were also upgraded at a cost of close to $18,000. The exhaust was upgraded with a stainless-steel, large-bore exhaust system and fitment of straight-through catalytic bypass pipes. Finally, a leg-room modification was completed to allow drivers as tall as six feet, five inches to fit comfortably in the car.

In 2021, clear protective film was professionally applied to the entire car’s exterior, the driver’s seat bolster was reupholstered, and the engine was removed again for a 24-month service, in accordance with Don Law established protocols, which included a complete fluid service, replacing the timing belts, cam cover gaskets, spark plugs, clutch slave cylinder, pilot bearing, and throw-out bearing.

Finished in factory correct color scheme of Monza Red over Sand leather, this extraordinarily well documented and maintained example of what many enthusiasts consider to be the first hypercar is all the more exquisite given its known history as one of the few XJ220s retained by Jaguar post-launch and later sold as new.

This car will be delivered with manuals and records, a tool kit, a lug nut tool, spare bulbs, the original exhaust, a second set of period-correct BBS racing wheels with polished rims and gold wheel centers mounted with a new set of tires, the original set of tires that were delivered from the factory, and the original, sealed first-aid kit.