Lot 156: 1992 Jaguar XJ220 Coupé

The words 'supercar' and 'sensational' are often to be found in conjunction, and no more justifiably so than in the case of Jaguar's fabulous XJ220. Worthy successor to the XK120 and E-Type, the XJ220 grabbed the headlines, just as its illustrious forebears had done in previous decades, when it burst upon an astonished world in October 1991. This time though, the newest Jaguar could claim a title denied its predecessors, that of 'The World's Fastest Car'. A limited production run of a minimum of 220 and a maximum of 350 cars, combined with an eventual VAT-inclusive price tag of nearly £403,000, only served to further ensure the XJ220's exclusivity.
Planning for Jaguar's proposed 200mph supercar had begun in the mid-1980s - design proceeding mainly in the project team's spare time! - and finally bore fruit when the prototype was exhibited at the UK Motor Show in 1988. The XJ220 survived Jaguar's takeover by Ford the following year, entering production in 1992. Power was supplied courtesy of the Cosworth-designed, 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6 as used in the XJR-11 sports-racing endurance coupes. Producing no less than 542bhp, this stupendous engine enabled the XJ220 to meet its 200mph-plus design target, F1 driver Martin Brundle recording a speed of over 217mph during track testing. The 0-100mph time was staggering 7.9 seconds!
Drawing on experience gained from Jaguar's double-Le Mans-winning Group C sports racers, the XJ220 was constructed around a bonded and riveted monocoque chassis formed from lightweight, corrosion resistant, aluminium-alloy sheet re-enforced by aluminium honeycomb sections in highly stressed areas. Similarly race-derived was the double-wishbone suspension, adapted to provide acceptable comfort under road conditions, while other competition-influenced features were the AP Racing brakes, Speedline aluminium alloy wheels (17" diameter at the front, 18" at the rear) and FF Developments, five-speed, all-synchromesh transaxle with viscous-control, limited-slip differential.
A left-hand drive model finished in silver metallic with dark grey leather interior, XJ220 chassis number '687' was purchased at auction in the UK in 2003. Reported as in generally very good condition with ‘excellent’ engine, the car is offered with UK Swansea V5 registration document. A total of 5,850 kilometres is displayed on the odometer. The XJ220 is built by one of the most respected manufacturers in history. It is a limited production supercar, conceived and constructed during the hedonistic period of the late 80s/early 90s, and today represents outstanding value for money.

Modèle à conduite à gauche fini en argent métallisé avec intérieur en cuir gris foncé, cette XJ 220 n° de châssis 687 fut acquise aux enchères au Royaume-Uni en 2003. Réputée être dans un très bon état général avec un moteur « excellent », la voiture est offerte sous immatriculation anglaise V5 à Swansea. Le compteur affiche 5 850 km au total. La XJ 220, construite par une firme des plus respectées, est une supercar produite en série limitée à l'époque de surchauffe de la fin des années 1980 et des premières années 1990. Elle représente aujourd'hui un fantastique rapport prix-qualité..