Yes, You Can Own The Shooting Brake Jaguar Should Have Built

Photography Courtesy of Bonhams

Automotive writers love shooting brakes for a simple reason: they’re awesome.

They’re also relatively rare; building a two-door wagon from a coupé hasn’t exactly been a money-making enterprise for the companies who’ve tried it. You can find wagon-ized Chevrolet Corvettes and even Ferraris, but the ultimate in practical, usable shooting brakes must be a Lynx Eventer.

This example is based on a formerly-flying-buttress-equipped 1988 Jaguar XJS V12 HE. The Eventer conversion was conceived as the perfect grand tourer for those who needed a bit more luggage space. For dogs, cases of wine, or shopping bags after a jaunt to Milan, with the rear seats folded, this Jaguar could hold 42 cu ft. of, well, stuff. For reference, that’s the same volume a modern Audi Q7 can muster with its third row of seats folded.

When new, the Eventer conversion depended on the owner’s preferences and budget, but figure around £7,000 on top of the 1988 list price of around £21,000. This particular example has been recently serviced (to the tune of almost £10,000), and is estimated to fetch between £25,000–30,000, or about what it would have sold for when new.

Until a few more decades have passed and it’s firmly into “classic” territory, it may not deliver the best return on investment. For the right enthusiast, however, it probably doesn’t matter: few coachbuilt specials can top a V12 station wagon.

History
– Recent extensive servicing

Specifications
~261 horsepower, 5,343-cc SOHC 12-cylinder engine with Lucas-Bosch fuel injection, 3-speed automatic transmission, monocoque steel chassis, independent front suspension, Jaguar independent rear suspension, and four-wheel power disc brakes. Wheelbase: 102 in.

Vehicle information
Registration no.: E467 UTX
Chassis no.: SAJJNAEW3BA148813
Engine no.: 8S057671HB

Valuation
Auction house: Bonham’s
Estimate: £25,000–30,000
Price realized: TBD; Auction on December 10