In a year when everyone’s been talking down the UK economy – and, by extension, classic Jaguar values – the Iconic Auctions sale at the 2025 NEC Classic Motor Show delivered a very different story. Front and centre were two very famous Jaguars: Harry Metcalfe’s much-loved XJC V12 and Rowan Atkinson’s equally recognisable E-type coupé. Between them, they say a lot about where the market’s really heading.
Harry Metcalfe’s XJC: when YouTube fame meets coach-built craft
If there was one car the NEC crowd had to see cross the block, it was Harry Metcalfe’s 1978 Jaguar XJC V12 Manual, star of the Harry’s Garage YouTube channel. Already something of a cult hero online, the Minotaur Green coupé more than lived up to the hype in Hall 1.
Guided at £60,000–£80,000, the XJC rocketed to £140,000, which, with fees, would cost the new owner £157,500, setting a live-auction world record for the model, not just a healthy result – it’s a statement. So, why did it work?
- Pedigree – Not only is it an ultra-rare manual V12 coupé, it’s been extensively developed and documented in forensic detail on Harry’s channel. Viewers haven’t just seen the car; they’ve watched its journey.
- Quality of build – The car’s restoration and upgrades (bodywork done by specialists, Painting Classic Cars, and mechanical improvements by Tom Lenthall to beyond factory spec) are well-known and carefully curated.
- Social media sells the story – It’s not merely “an XJC”. It’s Harry’s XJC – and that narrative is effectively part of the asset now.
Perhaps most significantly, the price is miles north of what even very good XJCs have traditionally commanded. It shows that:
- A super-premium for a fully “sorted” modified resto-mod classic, where the work is documented and the quality. The market will pay a super-premium for a fully “sorted” modified resto-mod classic, where the work is documented and the quality is trusted.
- Media personality matters – online fame and a loyal fanbase can now move the needle on values in a way traditionally reserved for motorsport provenance or concours wins.
For Jaguar enthusiasts, it’s also a reminder that previously under-loved models can be re-rated when a high-profile example reframes the narrative. Ten years ago, few would have bet that an XJC – however nice – would be one of the star lots of a multi-million-pound NEC weekend for Iconic Auctions.
Rowan Atkinson’s E-type: celebrity provenance at a realistic price
At the other end of the celebrity spectrum sat Rowan Atkinson’s 1963 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-litre coupé, offered directly from the man himself and familiar to millions from the Netflix series Man vs Bee.
Iconic Auctioneers offered the car without reserve, a gutsy move for such a headline-grabbing lot – and one that ensured drama in the room. When the hammer fell, the E-type made £78,750.
Given the car’s early Series I status and celebrity ownership, some might have expected the price to push harder into six-figure territory. The final result, though, actually feels like a decent barometer of today’s E-type market:
- Celebrity adds a lift, not a moonshot. Atkinson is a known enthusiast who uses his cars as intended, not a hands-off nameplate – but even so, the premium stayed sensible.
- Condition and history still rule. This E-type has had a life – including damage and restoration noted in pre-sale coverage – and bidders clearly priced that in rather than being blinded by the famous logbook.
- No-reserve honesty builds confidence. Letting the room decide the value, rather than chasing a “PR price”, arguably did more for buyer trust than a heroic (and possibly failed) estimate ever could.
In a way, that £78,750 is one of the most reassuring numbers of the weekend. It suggests that while provenance is nice, the market hasn’t completely lost its head about it – at least not for cars that aren’t absolutely box-fresh or historically pivotal.
What these two Jaguars tell us about the wider market
Step back from the bright lights around the celebrity cats, and the wider NEC picture becomes clearer.
Across the Iconic NEC sales (Iconic Sale, Classic Sale, Motorcycles and Automobilia), Iconic Auctioneers clocked around £11 million in total, setting no fewer than 12 live auction world records in the process. That’s hardly the behaviour of a dying market.
Yet the results were nuanced:
- Some headline Porsches, including a rare 993 Turbo Cabriolet, failed to sell against ambitious estimates, while others struggled to reach guide prices.
- The formerly white-hot fast Ford sector showed signs of cooling; several low-mileage Escort Cosworths failed to find new homes, and a beautifully specced RS1600 only just nudged the lower end of its estimate.
- Meanwhile, properly special, limited-production cars such as a 1990 Ford RS200 S and an ultra-rare BMW 635CSi Motorsport Edition sailed to record territory.
Against that backdrop, Metcalfe’s XJC and Atkinson’s E-type look less like outliers and more like signs of a maturing market. The XJC’s record figure says enthusiasts are increasingly willing to pay handsomely for cars that are:
- Turn-key usable (modernised cooling, suspension, steering, ignition, brakes, etc.)
- Heavily documented online, creating a sense of familiarity and trust
- Celebrity-endorsed, whether via a well-loved YouTube channel or a TV series
That final point said, Rowan Atkinson’s E-type result suggests the days of wild, speculative premiums just because a famous name once brushed against the steering wheel may be fading. Buyers appear also to be asking:
- Is this a genuinely great example?
- Is the car’s story positive, or is it famous mainly for being crashed, modified questionably or flipped?
In Atkinson’s case, the market awarded him a respectful yet realistic price – a win for both buyer and seller, and a sign that, for now, we are more anchored in reality regarding classic car values. For years, Jaguar has trailed behind Ferrari and Porsche in worth, despite having equal or greater historical significance. The NEC results – along with increasing specialist support and a new generation of restorers and restomod builders – indicate that the gap is narrowing, especially for well-prepared drivers’ cars rather than museum pieces.
Enthusiasm beats gloom – and social media sells
The 2025 NEC Classic Motor Show auctions could easily have been a sobering check-in on a shrinking hobby. Instead, they showed a market that’s changing shape rather than simply deflating.
Harry Metcalfe’s XJC proves that a well-executed, driver-focused build with a powerful media story can rewrite the value book for a once-overlooked model. Rowan Atkinson’s E-type, meanwhile, demonstrates that even in an age of Instagram and Netflix, the fundamentals of condition and history still matter more than who signs the V5.
For enthusiasts, the message is clear: buy the best you can, buy the story you love – and don’t underestimate how much value is added by others watching, liking, and subscribing!
3 Responses
It’s gratifying to know that a well sorted Coupe has sold for a fantastic price, I’ve owned my Coupe since 1994 which was saved from its last trip to the scrap yard. These cars are great with fantastic looks and good handling with plenty of power from the 4.2 XK engine with reserve power from the V12, I’ve always loved XJs and Daimler versions since they first introduced the series one in 1968 but the Coupe is something special.
Metcalfe’s sale of the XJC V12 was a one off. Look at the prices realised for other Jaguars less lavishly restored. The market has moved away from 50’s and 60’s models due to a variety of reasons. Not that long ago Rowan Atkinson’s E type would have fetched more because of his ownership but even with this connection, not any more.