Jaguar XJ-S V12 Convertible, 1990
Jaguar XJ II (XJ40)
Jaguar XJ II (XJ40)•
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Chassis No.: SAJ-JNADW4DM 174364
€49,450 EUR | Sold
- Delivered new in France
- Automatic transmission
- Owned by Bernard Fornas since 2013
Conceived as a comfortable and long-legged Grande Routière, rather than an out-and-out sports car like the preceding E-Type, the XJ-S made use of the Jaguar XJ6/XJ12 saloon platform and running gear. Shorter in the wheelbase than its saloon siblings, the XJ-S debuted at the 1976 Frankfurt Motor Show as a V12-powered coupé with six-cylinder and soft-top versions following in the 1980s, the expected ban on open cars having failed to materialise. One of the most important developments in the evolution of the V12-powered XJ-S was the introduction of the HE (High Efficiency) engine in 1981.
Incorporating a new 'Fireball' cylinder heads, designed by Swiss engineer Michael May, this more fuel-efficient unit enabled the top-of-the-range XJ-S to meet tighter worldwide emissions legislation. Combined with a higher (2.88:1) final drive ratio, the result was an improvement in fuel consumption of up to 20% at some engine speeds. It is worth noting that that figure applied to the automatic transmission version, which with a top speed of 155mph (approximately 249km/h) was the world's fastest 'slush pumper'. The car's 150mph performance was not achieved without penalty however, its prodigious thirst causing sales to nosedive as oil prices soared.
However, the arrival of the HE (High Efficiency) V12 in 1981 and the introduction of the smaller six enabled it to weather the storm. The introduction of the six-cylinder model in 1983 coincided with that of the Targa-style cabriolet - the first open Jaguar since the E-Type's discontinuation - but it was not until 1988 that a full convertible became available. Jaguar's first response to demands for an open-top XJ-S was somewhat conservative in engineering terms.
The car had not been designed with an open version in mind, so a Targa-style arrangement was adopted for the XJ-S Cabriolet, which retained a substantial roll hoop in the interests of maintaining rigidity in the absence of a fixed roof. Essentially an exercise in niche marketing to test public reaction, the Cabriolet's production was entrusted to outside specialist contractors, with bodyshells being transported back and forth across the Midlands before returning to the Brown's Lane factory prior to final despatch. Following the Cabriolet's deletion, both the Coupé and conventional Convertible models lasted until the end of XJ-S production in 1996.
This left-hand drive, automatic transmission XJ-S V12 Convertible was manufactured on 6th August 1990 and delivered new to Jaguar France in Paris finished in Solent Blue metallic with Magnolia interior. Mr Fornas purchased the car from the well known dealer Jean Guikas (GTC Sarl) in July 2013 when it had a genuine total of 3,395 kilometres on the odometer. Reportedly, the car had had only one previous owner (Mr Jacques Delair, 8, rue du Treuil, 16160 Gond Pontouve) who bought it from Jaguar Bordeaux, the car being delivered to him on 13th July 1990. He never drove the car on public roads but only within the grounds of his French château, hence the minimal invoices accompanying it.
The car also comes with a JDHT certificate and is presented in the excellent condition one would expect of a car that has covered a trifling 7,500 kilometres from new!
"We are delighted and honoured to receive this endorsement from one of the world's outstanding leaders in luxury, design and style. This joint venture goes beyond commerce into the realms of art and emotion: it's a partnership that combines business excellence and the best of taste on both sides. As a boy in the 1950s, driving around Morocco with his father in Alfa Romeos and American cars, Bernard fell in love with the refined GTs being produced in the USA and in Europe during that golden age for car design. Many kids dreamt they might own one of those cars someday. Bernard Fornas, however, fulfilled that dream abundantly in his extraordinary working life: he would acquire them all.
Bernard Fornas's career could be taught in business schools as a masterclass. It blended marketing acumen with a deep respect for heritage and innovation and added firm ethical principles. He joined Cartier in 1994 as international marketing director, becoming CEO in 2002 and leading the brand through economic turbulence while maintaining its exclusivity and prestige. In 2013, Bernard Fornas became Co-Chief Executive of Richemont, overseeing brands like Chloé, Alaïa, and Dunhill. Founded in Paris in 1847, Cartier was described by King Edward Vll as "jeweller of kings and king of jewellers" and supplied every crowned head of Europe.
Under Bernard Fornas, Cartier was led by to unprecedented heights. He spearheaded global expansion, especially into emerging markets like China, Russia, and the Middle East. Moving in the most elevated social and business circles, silver-haired and immaculately tailored, Bernard Fornas said of this period, "I live on planes". Believing that luxury and exclusivity is about innovation and emotional resonance, not just price tags, he advocated for ethical sourcing, refusing to buy rubies from Burma due to human rights concerns and opposing the trade in blood diamonds.
The cars in this consignment thus embody the glittering qualities of the top luxury brands Bernard Fornas championed throughout his working life - exclusivity, outstanding design and engineering, deep cultural significance. BonhamslCars are, therefore, proud to present to the global marketplace Mr Fornas' exquisitely curated collection of motorcars. Meanwhile, buyers can take pleasure in acquiring the painstaking choices of a man who is renowned for utterly impeccable taste and an unsurpassed reputation for appreciating excellence and beauty."
Стоимость
207 152 AED
