Pick Of The Day: 2001 Jaguar Xk8 Convertible

An interesting thing that happens with British vehicles in the collector car market is that they often increase in value in the U.K. before they catch on here. Then, about a year or so later, the prices increase in the U.S. — sometimes surpassing the U.K. prices. Our Pick of the Day is a good example of this: a 2001 Jaguar XK8 convertible offered for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Petersburg, Pennsylvania.

When the XK8 was introduced in 1996, it marked a new era for Jaguar as a company. The styling — penned by Fergus Pollock under the direction of the late Geoff Lawson — represented a new era for Jaguar design. The XK8 bore more than a passing resemblance to the E-Type, and people responded: sales totaled 90,064 between 1996 and the end of production in 2005. To put it in perspective, more than 15,000 more XK8s were sold than the legendary E-Type.

The XK8 is not a sports car but rather a grand touring car. This means it offers plenty of performance but is not built for the track. It will cruise comfortably at triple-digit speeds on the interstate all day and handle sweeping corners with ease.

This specific XK8 is painted in its original Platinum paint with a black top and rides on a set of factory Impeller 18-inch alloy wheels. The body and top look to be in exceptional condition, which shouldn’t be surprising when you consider this XK8 has a total of only 48,500 miles from new.

The interior is finished in Ivory leather with a burled walnut dash. Being a first-generation XK8, this example still has the three gauges on the dash for temperature, battery, and a clock, making the car look even more vintage. Everything about the interior looks as good as the exterior, with the leather in excellent condition (with the exception of some slight wear on the driver’s-side bolster). Even the fade-prone wood trim looks as nice as it did when it left the factory.

Under the hood is the Jaguar AJ26/27 4.0-liter DOHC V-8 that delivers 290 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. This gives the XK8 very respectable performance, including a 0-60 time of 7 seconds flat and a 155-mph top speed.

By the time this car was built, the model was well into production and the quality at Jaguar was as good as any other manufacturer — gone were the days of dodgy electrics and constant oil leaks. The XK8 was Jaguar’s first truly modern two-door, and the company went to great lengths to ensure it would leave the brand’s troublesome reputation of the past behind. In addition, this specific XK8 has just received new tires and comes with a clean CARFAX and thorough service history, showing this car was serviced whether it needed it or not.

If the idea of an elegant, sporty British convertible appeals to you, and you want a car that can deliver thousands of miles of top-down driving pleasure while potentially increasing in value rather than continuing to depreciate, look no further than this $14,900 2001 Jaguar XK8.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com