A Jaguar XKR, bought in England for a buyer in France

The brief

A facelift X150 XKR from 2011 to 2014, coupe or convertible, right or left-hand drive, under 100,000 miles. No fixed ceiling on price. History, provenance and servicing would decide it, not colour or mileage alone. The car would be bought in the UK and go to France.

The search

The search started with the market itself: what was for sale in the UK and abroad, at what prices, and which examples had the paperwork to back up the advert. Shortlisted cars were followed up with sellers by phone and in writing. More than once a car that looked right online fell away on closer reading: gaps in the history, documents that did not agree with each other, or provenance that did not convince. Each time, Marc was told why in writing.

The car

A red 2012 XKR coupe with an ivory interior came up at a specialist dealer in Sussex. Marc secured it with a deposit, and the job became checking it properly before he committed the rest.

The inspection

Alex spent the day at the dealer with an independent Jaguar XK specialist: around an hour walking the car, then the best part of two hours with it on a lift. The identity was checked against the registration record.

The car was sound. No accident damage, no perforation, and clear evidence of recent suspension work, invoiced through a Jaguar specialist. Four things were found:

• Fine clear-coat scratches on a front wing, which would polish out.
• Lacquer peeling on both bonnet vents, a known XKR age point.
• Surface rust on the chrome sleeves of the boot struts.
• Surface rust on the rear subframe, with no bubbling or perforation.

The decision

The recommendation, in writing the same day, was to proceed at the asking price, with the dealer putting every finding right before delivery: the subframe treated and painted, a two-stage machine polish, the bonnet vents refinished, and new boot struts. On a sound car from a respected specialist, a clean deal with the work included was worth more than a price argument that would have soured it.

The coordination

The works were scheduled with the dealer, the balance was paid directly from Marc to the seller, and enclosed transport was arranged for the first leg towards France. Marc bought the car directly from the dealer; Davey & Daughters never owned it.

The outcome

By August 2026 Marc had the car. He has since asked Alex to start looking for the next one.

What a buyer can take from it

• Most bad cars can be ruled out at the paperwork stage, before anyone travels.
• A deposit holds a car; it should not replace the inspection.
• On a good car, asking for the faults to be fixed is often better value than asking for money off.