1993 Jaguar XJ 220

It didn’t matter that it boasted 542 hp or had a top speed of 217 mph. For $625,000, many buyers felt doubled-crossed

by Steve Serio

This magnificent-looking and supremely well-specified Jaguar XJ 220 coupe is offered here in pristine condition and at a level offering a considerable savings over the list price at launch. The words “supercar” and “sensational” are often to be found in conjunction, and no more justifiably so than in the case of Jaguar’s fabulous XJ 220. Worthy successor to the XK 120 and E-type, the XJ 220 grabbed the headlines—just as its illustrious forebears had done in previous decades—when it burst upon an astonished world in 1991. This time though, the newest Jaguar could claim a title denied its predecessors, that of “The World’s Fastest Car.” An eventual VAT-inclusive price tag of nearly $700,000 (in today’s dollars) only served to further ensure the XJ 220’s exclusivity. Planning had begun in the mid-1980s and finally bore fruit when the prototype was exhibited at the U.K. Motor Show in 1988. The XJ 220 survived Jaguar’s takeover by Ford the following year,...