A 1991 Jaguar XJR-15 with 153 miles from new is available at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Chassis No. 042 is 1-of-27 examples built for use on public roads and this one-owner example is expected to fetch between $1.2 million – $1.5 million. Chassis No. 042 was originally purchased on January 14, 1991 from TWR-JaguarSport Limited via the UK-based specialty auto exporter Wheels Abroad for $1,182,000 (£620,000). It was subsequently shipped from the U.K. to Asia via the NYK-operated container ship Kitano.
“XJR-15 042, offered here, has been hidden from the public eye in the garage of its original owner from new and has never been offered for sale before,” the listing states. “Delivered new to a collector in Asia in July 1991, it remained on static display within the collection of its original owner until being shipped to the US in late 2022. Today, this XJR-15 has just 153 miles from new.
“Barely used and never registered in its home country, chassis 042 remained undisturbed in storage until late 2022, when it was shipped to the US to finally be sold. It has not been started, driven, or been seen in public since it left the UK in 1991 and represents an exciting opportunity for the next owner. It will need a full mechanical service before any use.”
The XJR-15 was developed as a racecar for the road and became the first roadgoing car to use carbon fiber in the construction of its body and tub. Peter Stevens penned the XJR-15’s lines and the body utilized a carbon fiber and Kevlar composite two-years before the McLaren F1 all-carbon road car. Stevens helped design the McLaren F1, but the XJR-15 tipped the scales at a factory-reported 2,315 pounds, 194 pounds less the F1. This XJR-15 features a Jaguar 6.0-liter V12 mid-mounted engine that produced a factory-rated 450 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque when. A five-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels.
As previously mentioned, Sotheby’s estimates that Chassis No. 042 will sell for $1.2 million to $1.5 million at its upcoming Amelia Island auction. This is conjecture with a fairly wide margin of error but based on previous sales it is well in line. Chassis No. 035 (with 67 original miles) sold for $1,106,460 at RM Sotheby’s London auction on November 5, 2022, and chassis No. 018 (with 954 original miles) was sold for $1,270,000 by Sotheby’ during Monterey Car Week on August 20, 2022.
Chassis No. 042 is available at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Source: www.classiccars.com