Would you keep or sell...?

[cartart]

I have a 2001(x) XJR. It is the most amazing vehicle I have ever experienced for the money it is worth.

I have owned it for 3 years (3rd owner, first being a Jaguar director), been to LeMans and Italy in it + Shelsley, Santa Pod, Chelsea Cruise etc etc.

Life/Career have changed recently and I don't really need the car except for the occasional special day out with family. It is kept in a dry business unit and cosseted. It has 89,000 on the clock, is in superb condition and sound mechanically.

Given the choice would you:
A - keep hold of it, hardly use it, expect things to maybe need attention when you did and maybe accrue some upwards value?

Or

B - Put it up for sale for someone else to enjoy and appreciate so it is used to its full potential?

I really need some help with my dilemma - my head says move it on but my heart loves it so much.

Cheers.

[TheD]

I sold mine as I was in the same position as you and I now regret every minute of it. I really wished I had kept it. I could winter it then bring it out for the spring summer. It was a great car and I'm sorely tempted to get another one. Soooo...... if you are selling

[Orcadian]

I have the Daimler equivalent so I know what you mean about an amazing car for the money. As you have somewhere very good to store it, especially if there is no cost to that, and if you don't have to sell it to finance something else, then my two penneth would be to hang on to it. Good ones are getting rare with relatively low mileage and you may not be able to retrace your steps.
True, if you leave it in storage then things seem to give headaches when back in use. The battery is the main problem, even when connected to a tender but a new one now and then shouldn't break the bank. I'm assuming that it's near perfect underneath and actually worth hanging on to - if not then move it on or have it well treated with rust proofer.
Perhaps not too much help - it will be your call in the end, unless someone comes a knockin' with a very large wheelbarrow full of cash!
Ian

[Zippyworld]

KEEP IT !!!!!! YOU WILL REGRET IT. I can tell because you have already posted the question.....

Been there done that, mine is a similar story, cherished putting about 1500 miles per year on it.
Sold it to a fellow enthusiast in the South and as he was driving it away, he said, call me when you want it back...

I called him 6 months later, after I found I couldn't live without it, (the wife's a different story hee hee) he sold it back at the same price.

You rarely get a second chance, thankyou Lester, you are a gem.....!

Phew, I still love it and attention it gets, especially when destroying Golf R's.....

[WOO5IE]

No brainier, keep it if you don't need the cash.

Just use it once a month and all will be well. Not in rain or salt if you can

[Jaguar steve]

My XJ hasn't been out the garage since November so it sounds like you're in the same place as me.

If it's not causing you any grief and you don't need the money I'd keep it - you'll be lucky to find another one in good nick if you flog it then change your mind.

[sgrimshaw]

As long as it can remain in the dry then keep it.

I only sold my S-Type R as I had nowhere to keep it under cover.

Regretted selling it in many ways, but equally I couldn't bear to see it deteriorate sitting on the drive.

[Ian350]

I have learnt from experience that when there's a head vs heart battle for a "car person" you should always follow your heart. Compared to some these cars aren't temperamental either so Keep it!

[cartart]

Thank you for your input and I know you are all correct.

One more facet to the argument is this - I think I have grown out of the need to have a "status" car.

Let me explain.

I have always been a car person. I have no interest in football, cricket, golf etc etc. It has always been about cars ever since being allowed to drive a MK2 Consul around the hay field on my dad's lap on the farm where we lived. I was about 8-9 years old. First car was an Avenger (!) second car was a MKIV Cortina 2.0s and so on. Discovered hot rods and kustoms in 1988 and bought a beetle in 1992 which I modded into a cal look/custom/hot rod homage. Fast forward to working for a good friend, good job, company car, great salary and some bonuses I was in a position to have a "play" car. This was really important at the time as most people I worked for/with also had the same and it was kind of required to be in the club if you like... It helped to have something to compare and or brag about as an ice breaker. I also went to a few car events and meets and even fulfilled a goal of being let in at St Saturnin Friday car show at LeMans but, why do we actually do it - go and drive across half of Britain to stand in a car park hoping someone will like our car enough to talk to us?

As I say, since then life and career have changed and it just doesn't seem necessary any more. So I have decided that I will clean it on Sunday, photograph it and put it in the PH Classifieds for sale.

This really is the "good one" that people always say they are waiting for - it is clean and straight, pampered, has new Avon's all round, newly painted BBS Milano's, new discs, pads and caliper overhaul on the front. The diff nose oil seal was replaced last year. I have all the keys, books, history folder and receipts. The original toolkit is still intact under the bonnet! It drives lovely and is insanely quick for the size and weight - and yes, the best game is surprising (shocking) the many contenders who make the assumption that that grey haired old fart in his Jag ain't got a chance. The most fun ever!

Cheers

Thanks for your time in reading/replying - it is appreciated.

[Griffithy]

Zippyworld said:

I called him 6 months later, after I found I couldn't live without it, (the wife's a different story hee hee) he sold it back at the same price.

You rarely get a second chance, thankyou Lester, you are a gem.....!

The last owner of ours sold it because friends kept telling him to better buy a Porsche (996 at the time).
Months later he called me as he wanted the XJR back, because he was so disappointed by the Porsche
and regreted his decision so badly.

No way I could hand it back.
He had to find another one.

I really like the story that Jaguar had to lower the official performance data,
as Ford did not allow them to outmatch Aston Martin.

[ruaricoles]

You never really NEED a toy car, it's about something else.

Unless you need the money or are regretting the costs of keeping it then I'd hang onto it until you're absolutely sure. Which you can't be yet or you'd have put it up for sale without asking the question

How about giving the keys to a trusted mate for 6 months, let them drive it from time to time to keep it all working, never talk to them about it, and see if you end up missing it? If you do, then get the keys back and you'll be glad you've still got it and you'll enjoy it all the more. If you don't, then you'll be able to sell it without regret. Probably to your mate

[Zippyworld]

Griffithy said:

Zippyworld said:

I called him 6 months later, after I found I couldn't live without it, (the wife's a different story hee hee) he sold it back at the same price.

You rarely get a second chance, thankyou Lester, you are a gem.....!

The last owner of ours sold it because friends kept telling him to better buy a Porsche (996 at the time).
Months later he called me as he wanted the XJR back, because he was so disappointed by the Porsche
and regreted his decision so badly.

No way I could hand it back.
He had to find another one.

I really like the story that Jaguar had to lower the official performance data,
as Ford did not allow them to outmatch Aston Martin.

I am not aware of the story about lowering performance data, is it true ? What is the story ?

[cartart]

Car is now up for sale in the PH classifieds...