THE ORIGINAL PROTOTYPE Mk3 'HYPER SPORT' JAGUAR XJ-S 6.0Litre MANUAL

PRESENTING

 

The only opportunity that you may ever have to acquire the original prototype of the Mk3 HYPER SPORT JAGUAR XJ-S.

 

One of only two ever built with full steel bodies. The first. which was the press car. no longer exists.

 

The other car. 002. and the one offered here is with its original manual gearbox and 5. 3 V12 engine rebuilt to 6. 0L by Ron Beaty's Forward Engineering.

 

 Body modifications were built to exacting standards as this was the car from which the moulds were made for the fibreglass bodied cars which were to follow.

 

Latterly fitted out along XJR-S trim lines and with Hyper suspension upgrades it was Hyper's idea of just how they thought a production version the Jaguar XJ-S Sport should go on to be.    

 

  Offered now for sale and being sold by and listed on behalf of its owner. designer and creator. Paul Hands. from his private collection.

 

It is an absolute must have for any Jaguar enthusiast or collector.  

 

They do not come any rarer - this steel bodied Hyper Sport XJ-S is the only one that remains anywhere in the world.

 

A stunning looking 'driver's car' car. an opportunity not to be missed and. surely. a shrewd investment.

 

Launched in 1975 the Jaguar XJ-S had quite a mountain to climb. for it was seen by some as the successor to the glamorous and hugely popular E-Type. However. in reality. the car was never envisaged as a direct replacement for the E-Type - being more of a Grand tourer than an out and out sports car.

 

Largely designed by Jaguar's legendary Malcolm Sayer the XJ-S had a top speed of 150mph and 0-60 time of under 8 seconds it slipped through the air far more efficiently than the E-Type and its excellent ride. comfort and handling were justly praised by the mid Seventies motoring press.

 

Although everyone agreed that as a high speed tourer the new XJ-S had few rivals many others agreed that it lacked something dramatic in its styling.

 

Then there was the way that the XJ-S drove - to soft said the critics not the 'proper' sports car Jaguars used to be!

 

These shortcomings were soon picked up by sports car conversion specialists.

 

At the end of 1984 Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) announced their intention to build a range of special XJ-S coupes calling them the XJR-S. Upgrades included body kits. interior kits and modification to suspension. increased output from the 3. 6 and the 5. 3 engines along with a 6L engine.

 

These cars were a private offering without the backing of Jaguar.

 

However this was to change in 1988 when a new company. Jaguar Sport. was formed which was a 50/50 split with Jaguar and TWR. The idea was that cars were part built at the Factory then shipped to the TWR facility on Station Fields Industrial estate Kidlington Oxford and latterly Jaguar Sport at Bloxham. where the custom finish ordered through Jaguar dealers was added before the finished car was delivered to that dealer.

 

The XJR-S sold around 300 which was all well and good but the looks of the car to many were really quite tame and not distinguishable enough from the standard XJ-S. This was addressed by one of the most renowned names in sports car racing history. Lister.

 

The Lister Jaguar added engine mods and a full body kit but for some it was felt that there was still room for improvement.

 

TWR/Jaguar Sport cars were only available new and the Lister conversions were. in the main. only carried out on new or nearly new cars.

 

In 1991 the cost of a  fully specified Lister could exceed £200. 00 which was far more than a Aston V8 Vantage or Lamborghini Countach.

 

There was a glaring gap in the market here for XJ-S conversation kits that could be fitted a customer's own car at reasonable cost.     

 

Enter my company and Jaguar transformation specialists Hyper Engineering.

 

HYPER

 

I have been in the business of building racing Jaguars for years from initially my base in High Wycombe. In the late eighties I founded the  Hyper group of companies and began modifying the XJ-S for road use.

 

Body. interior. road wheels and mechanical upgrades were available to transform your standard every day XJ-S into a sleek Hyper XJ-S.

 

Entry level Hyper body transformation kits started with The MK1 which gave you a front air dam designed to fit under the original bumper. allowing retention of chrome . plus rear spoiler and side skirts.

 

Mid range was the Mk 2 which also gave you the front air dam. rear spoiler and side skirts blended to the existing body over the bumper area.

 

Top of the range was the Mk 3 wide body transformation package that completely changed the look to give head turning style of your XJ-S.

 

The Mk 3 package would give you the Mk 2 body kit and in addition  wider wings made from high-quality impact-resistant fibre-glass. These bigger wings. 4" wider at the rear and 3" wider at the front. allowed the fitment of very wide wheels and tyres to enhance the look and performance even further. The package also included  a unique 3 piece rear boot spoiler and a modification that extended the rear windows reward. further improving the slick look. A total repaint finished it off.

 

Mechanical upgrades were available to the suspension as were a manual 5 or 6 speed gear box or the Hyper drive 'clutchless manual' gear box. Steering. manifold. exhaust 'Hyper brakes' and 'Hyper cool' - oil cooler were also available.

 

The wide bodied Hyper Sport XJ-S Mk 3 was much acclaimed by the motoring press in the early nineties after they tested a purpose built steel bodied press car equipped with the Hyper Drive gearbox alongside other modified offerings from Lister. PBB Monaco. Railton and Sutton. Sadly This car. car number 001. was written off in the nineties.

 

Only one other steel bodied Hyper Mk 3 was ever built. car number 002. which was to serve as the prototype from which the mouldings were made for the Fibre glass wide body versions that were to follow.   

 

With business set to boom and Hyper Engineering becoming recognised as the experts in optical and performance tuning for Jaguar cars new premises were required. Where better than alongside TWR on the renowned Stationfields Industrial Estate in Kidlington Oxford.

 

JAG 63L

 

As I say Hyper had recognised a niche in the market for transforming customers existing XJ-S's to give much improved styling and performance at a much reduced cost over rival companies that modified new or nearly new cars.

 

That is not to say that we were  in the business of transforming any old XJ-S though. A thorough examination would be carried out prior to any work being started to ensure that we were working on 'solid foundations'.   Back in the nineties the car chosen to be the steel wing prototype for the moulds that were then to be used for making the wide bodied fibre glass wings certainly needed to be a solid example.

 

JAG 63L was first registered in June 1976. It was then a standard 5. 3 V12 pre HE XJ-S with one of the last of the factory fitted Jaguar close ratio manual gear boxes. which it retains today.

 

Believed to have first been a demonstrator the car later went on to be registered by a business man based in Jersey who regularly travelled on German Autobahns - where there were no speed limits.

 

Having used the car for a while on these journeys the owner decided that he really needed a little more Power and a little higher top speed - some German built cars. it would seem. were overtaking him on the Autobahn and that quite simply would just not do!

 

If you wanted your 5. 3 Jaguar V12 souped-up in the 80's who better to do than Forward Engineering the company formed in the 60's by Jaguar's competition dept experimental engineer for the V12. Ron Beaty.

In the early eighties the 5. 3 engine of JAG 63L was rebuilt by Forward Engineering to 6L. This apparently put an instant stop to any further embarrassing moments in Germany for its owner! It would seem that at this time an under bumper body kit was fitted by a company associated to Forward Engineering  - BLE.  

 

In 1987 the owner of JAG 63L (then on Jersey plates) traded the car in for a new Lister Jaguar.

 

The car was then acquired from Lister by me. although registered at that time in the name of a colleague.

 

Work began on transforming JAG 63L into the steel bodied prototype for the Glass Fibre winged Hyper Sport Mk3.

 

The BLE under bumper body kit was removed and replaced with Hyper sport front dam and rear body kit with provision for front and rear fog lamps. Hyper side skirts were also fitted.

 

I created a design that which gave a more sweeping rear end which. unlike some of its rivals. was wider at the back than at the front. The wings were carefully and meticulously fashioned from steel to be used to make the mould for the Glass fibre wings that were to be offered in the Hyper Sport Mk 3 Transformation package.

 

With the moulds made JAG 63L. car 002. with its task completed was laid up in storage for the next few years.

 

Following the theft and subsequent insurance loss of car 001. the press car. Hyper turned its attentions to getting JAG 63L on the road with the intentions of presenting it to Jaguar Sport as a prototype of just how they believed the next XJ-S Sport should look.

 

The interior. which had been removed when the body modifications had been carried out. was replaced with that from a much later HE XJR-S 6. 0L with new black carpets and TWR steering wheel.

 

Many external trim items such as the front grille and de-chromed items were also replaced.

 

Specially made wheels were fitted. wider at the rear. and that gorgeous 3 piece rear spoiler.

 

Hyper suspension all round and rear axle upgraded to 1990 spec.

 

I decided to build this prototype with standard XJ-S headlights rather than change them to four round ones as the press car had been as Jaguar associated 4 lights with US spec cars.

 

The whole car was repainted to an extremely high standard in its original Red.

 

Since 2005 the car has been registered in my name at my home address. The V5 shows 3 previous keepers and the present odometer reading is circa 77. 00 which is. of course. the replacement for the original when the dash was replaced. That original showed circa 37. 00 miles and it is believed that that was correct.

 

BODYWORK

 

It is at least fifteen years or so since JAG 63L was repainted. Some localised cosmetic paint work has just been carried out to some micro blistering to the old. new. paint and there is the odd touch up with a brush here and there.

 

There are no signs of rust bubbles which would seem to be verification to the quality of the work carried out on the body and the condition of it prior to that work. Magnetic tests reveal no loss of magnetic attraction anywhere other than. of course. on the fibre glass body kit parts.

 

The paint retains a fantastic lustre.

 

Boot bonnet and door shuts are excellent.

 

The original body parts of JAG 63L are approaching forty years old now and consequently some repairs have been made to the underside over the years. You can for example see. when you lift the carpet. that the passenger foot well has been repaired and whereas no other repairs seem glaringly obvious we would be surprised if none have been done.

 

The specially designed and made 1990's wheels are excellent having been in storage until recently.

 

INTERIOR

 

The interior was fitted some years back to bring the car more up to date as an example of what we thought should be done. It was not new then and has seen use since but is very presentable with no undue wear. rips or tears to speak of.

 

However there is a little loss of dye to the leather in places. the upper door speakers are just covers. the carpets are good but not original quality and the veneer on the dash. which was also replaced with the rest of the interior. is just starting to deteriorate.

 

The headlining has just been replaced. the original biscuit board has a crack although barely visible and there are some adjustments that have been made on this prototype car to the side trimmings of the headlining to allow for the extended rear windows but they do not look out of place.

 

UNDER THE BONNET

 

Overall the under bonnet area presents well though the engine compartment was over painted black in the conversion.

 

The inside of the bonnet has been painted in body colour

 

IN THE BOOT

 

Re-trimmed with the same colour and quality carpet as the inside

 

ON THE ROAD

 

Even though I say it myself I can honestly say that there are very few cars that enjoy driving more than this one!

 

Although a prototype JAG 63L drives  very well and everything works. even the air conditioning and electric widows etc.

 

The car starts first time every time on automatic choke but don't expect a standard XJ-S on the road.

 

With the manual gear box and the 6. 0L the whole car has a much more of a driver's car with a very lively and "seat of the pants" feel.

 

There was still more to go when I tested it (on the track of course) of speeds of up to 165 mph!

 

Hyper suspension coupled with the wheels makes for a much stiffer ride and better handling.

 

There are no know problems to report.  

 

HISTORY FILE

 

1.    V5c in the my name. Paul Hands

2.    MOT January 2015

3.    Car check report showing clear on insurance and finance.

4.    Copies of various magazine articles from the eighties and nineties

5.    Some old photos pre work

 

SUMMARY

 

Even though it's my creation I believe. and so do many others. that the Hyper Sports Mk3 is without doubt one of the most beautiful looking XJ-S's ever.

 

It is a gorgeous thing!

 

It is unique. it is the only remaining car of just two steel bodied cars ever built. It is being offered for sale by its creator from my private collection.

 

It should be remembered thought that JAG 63L is a prototype created from a standard 1977 XJ-S. Therefore it cannot by be described as an original. non modified car that retains all of its factory fitted glass. trim and paint.

 

If you are not sure what a prototype is other meanings are trail product. span >  or sample of what could be so please do not expect to find factory production line finish.

 

A simple example of what I mean. although not limited to just this. can be found in the rear window extensions which add to the improved sleek look. Correct triplex glass was used here. However as I have said the internal trim had to be improvised as did the window rubbers. Whereas the rubbers serve their purpose as they should they do have joins in them. These joins and other improvisations. of course. would not have been there on a none prototype car.

 

JAG 63L will be of great interest to all Jaguar enthusiasts and collectors.

 

XJ-S aficionado's will surely be particularly eager to own such a car.

 

It is also very usable if you wanted something very. very different to turn heads everywhere.

 

In any event you will never get the opportunity to own another as this one is the only one in existence - anywhere in the world.

 

 VALUE

 

Prototypes. even those in fact especially those that never got passed the trail stage always command high value due to their uniqueness. rarity and investment potential.

 

The new owner of JAG 63L will be seeing its value. as we do. in what this car represents.

 

Worldwide expressions of interest in the past have been shown in excess of £30. 00.

 

I am very reluctant to part with the car. but want to be reasonable and have set a reserve way. way below that figure.

 

Viewing

 

We have provided a full. comprehensive. detailed and honest description plus photographs. taken by us. which most people will feel happy to buy from.

 

The sale is a private one between the buyer and me the owner Paul Hands. no warrantee is implied or given. Bank transfers. should be made direct to the owner or if the final payment is cash we will issue a receipt.

 

We will disclose the location of the car and allocate viewing times by telephone only.

 

We will want to verify that you have a serious intention to purchase the vehicle. an assurance of available funds and idea of your upper limits before we will issue an appointment to view.

 

We will require your full details including your ebay ID and land line telephone number. To discuss viewings please call Paul 0044 (0) 7957 810347 or 0044 (0) 1844 278481 (Hyper). Sorry if this all sounds a bit over the top but if you are a serious buyer with funds in place we know that you will understand the reasons why we need to make it so.

 

There is a need to be stringent on viewings as we know that the sale will attract interest from many people who would maybe just like to view it for reasons other than being potential buyers.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By Bidding on any item it will be deemed that you have read understood and accept these conditions.

ZERO RATED BIDDERS OR BIDDERS WITH A RATING OF LESS THAN 15. please read the conditions that apply to you below.

 

Contacts

0044 (0) 7957 810347 or 0044 (0) 1844 278481 (Hyper)

E-mail via ebay

Before you enter a bid

Please be sure that this is the vehicle that you want. span >  that you are happy with and understand the description. span >  that you understand the rules of ebay and that you have read these terms and conditions.

Description

If you require any further information regarding specific areas please just ask. BEFORE YOU BID.

Photographs

All photographs in the listing are taken by us using a digital camera. They were taken in October 2013 Other shots may be available please just ask and let us have an email address. All photographs are copyrighted and may not be used elsewhere without our express written permission.

Test drive

No test drives will be permitted before auction end. If you are the winner you will be able to take the vehicle on an accompanied test drive once paid the deposit and under your own insurance. Sorry again if this sounds harsh but again if you are serious I am sure you can imagine there are a number of people that would just like the opportunity to drive such an amazing car without having any intention of being serious purchasers.  

When you bid

By bidding you are agreeing and legally bound. if your bid is highest and the reserve is reached. to unconditionally buy the vehicle for the price that you have bid.

Negative. zero rated. international bidders or bidders with a score of less than 15 please call or e-mail before you bid with a landline number and address.

Far be it for us to tell you how to go about bidding. However. over the years we have had some bitterly disappointed bidders who placed their best and final bid just too late.

It may be to your advantage to take independent advice on the best way to bid. You are welcome to call 07957 810347  after the auction end should your bid not have been successful.

Reserve and buy it now price

As is the way with auctions. we will not divulge the reserve price I have not issued a buy it now price.

If you are the winner

The Successful bidder should contact us within 24 hours of auction end. Preferably by email. via ebay. and by telephone 07957 810347.

Instructions how to pay the deposit via Paypal will be issued.

All buyers must pay a £300 Deposit via Paypal or cash within 24 hours of end of auction.

Payment

In all cases the balance. after the £300 deposit above must be paid within 7 days of auction end by cash or bank transfer direct to Paul Hands. Obviously I will provide details of accounts etc.

 

Sorry there can be no exceptions and deposits are not refundable.

Collection

The vehicle must be collected within 7 days of auction end unless otherwise agreed.

Please give us as much notice of the required collection time and date as possible. We reserve the right to charge for storage if the vehicle is not collected within 7 days of auction end.

We envisage that the winning bidder would send transport to collect the car. However if you decide to drive it away we are happy to pick up the buyer from Oxford Station. delivery of the vehicle or collection of the buyer from elsewhere may be possible at extra cost – just ask. We will always try to be flexible and help where we can

AIRPORTS. We can offer a collection service from Birmingham. Luton. Heathrow or Bristol Airports. subject to suitable times. Please enquire for costs.

General

Non paying bidders will be reported to ebay and will be referred to an international debt collection agency.

 

You will not be disappointed with this vehicle so please start your bidding now- best of Luck.

   

 

 

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