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 multiple Le Mans-winning C-Type and D-Type Jaguars of the 1950s, 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. 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. In the event, approximately 275 examples had been built when production ended in 1994 (published figures vary).

Planning for Jaguar's proposed 320km/h 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 take-over by Ford the following year, but when it eventually entered production in 1992 was a very different beast. Gone was the prototype's 6.2-litre V12 engine, replaced by a Cosworth-designed, 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6 as used in the XJR-11 sports-racer, while other casualties of the need to simplify the design for production included the prototype's four-wheel drive and adaptive suspension. 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.

Unfortunately, the economic downturn of the early 1990s left many a deposit-paying XJ220 customer unable to complete the purchase; the ensuing protracted legal wrangle delaying the release of many cars.

The late example offered here is one of the very few delivered new to Flanders, Belgium. Finished in Spa Silver with grey interior, the car was first registered on 1st March 1993 and cost its purchaser the staggering equivalent of €650,000. The first owner registered the car in Flanders but soon returned his number plates to the authorities; he would keep the car dry-stored in his garage for the next nearly 30 years... In 2021 a Bonhams specialist was fortunate enough to see it, hidden away beneath its XJ220 cover; the car was untouched and had not moved for around 30 years.

The current vendor decided to rescue the XJ220 and to give it the treatment it deserved, sending the car to Jaguar Land Rover Classic in Coventry for a complete overhaul (proforma invoices for £55,000 on file). The car is now freshly serviced, 'on the button' and ready to go. With a mere 1,560 kilometres showing on the odometer it is, of course, in exceptional condition having not seen any road use for around 30 years. The only slight blemish is some delamination of the windscreen, a fault that all XJ220s seem to suffer from.

A guaranteed head-turner at any gathering, this exceptional Jaguar XJ220 comes with the following:
• Its old Belgian registration document
• The JLR Classic proforma invoice for work to be carried out
• Engine test sheet dated June 2023 (561.2bhp)
• A photograph of when the car was towed out of its storage after 30 years
• Pouch and original books (including the service book)

A wonderful opportunity to acquire a little used and freshly serviced example of this rare and iconic Jaguar supercar.

Please note that as this car has less than 6,000 kilometres recorded on the odometer, it is considered by the VAT authorities to be a New Means of Transport and could incur a VAT liability upon road registration if sold to an EU country other than Belgium.