Owned by Harry Metcalfe of Harry’s Garage fame, this XJC has become an internet icon with nearly 6,000,000 YouTube views, comprehensively rebuilt and further developed into what must surely be one of the ultimate V12 Jaguar Coupés in existence…
The Jaguar XJC, the rare two-door coupé version of the XJ12, has always carried a certain mystique, blending elegance with performance and rarity – only 604 right hand drive examples were manufactured. The profile of these coupés with the windows down is so attractive that they have become highly sought after and are consequently hard to find in good condition. Dating back to April 1978, this example has surpassed even that status, becoming one of the most famous XJCs in existence thanks to its high-profile ownership by Harry Metcalfe, founder of EVO magazine and presenter of the highly acclaimed Harry’s Garage YouTube channel.
Harry acquired the car as a long-term project in 2014 and, over the years, he meticulously transformed it into one of the best-driving V12 Jaguars ever created, a process documented in detail across multiple episodes of Harry’s Garage, which together have attracted nearly six million views.
The scope of the work is remarkable. Friend of the Club, Tom Lenthall was entrusted with building the V12 engine, ensuring it delivered both reliability and performance. XJ Restorations of Eastbourne expertly handled suspension duties, while Keith Parrington’s Painting Classic Cars company applied the Aston Martin DBS Minotaur Green paintwork (without the modern flip) to a superb standard. The car also benefits from a five-speed manual gearbox conversion, unlocking the full potential of the V12’s power delivery.
Over six figures have been invested in this XJC to date, much of it detailed on invoices in the car’s history file alongside correspondence with previous owners. The car’s journey to its current state is well portrayed in the many Harry’s Garage videos, where its transformation has proven immensely popular with subscribers.
Offered directly from Harry Metcalfe’s custodianship, this car will be auctioned off at this year’s Iconic Auctions sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show.
2 Responses
I have watched the gradual emergence of this car into what you see now, I have been a Jaguar enthusiast for many years, this car has to be one of the best out there, beautiful shape with a colour that compliments the car perfectly. The v12 is a gem and coupled with the manual gearbox what more could you want !!
Gorgous car
Sold for well over £170K with fees. It may have been possibly one of the best restored examples around but the price is excessive imho
A manual conversion is circa £10k, some special throttle bodies maybe but give it tripple webbers, circa £15k done properly can easily get 330-350bhp …. i could go on
Appreciate the bodywork could be in excess of £40k and paint £10k for a “proper” job
There was one in the Netherland with less than 20000 miles, one owner etc and it sold for euro 55000