2026-10-21 14:23:29 | pauls writes:

Car at auction 11/26

www.iconicauctioneers.com/1972-jaguar-xj12-series-1-v12-swb-rec17595-1-nec-1126

1972 Jaguar XJ12

Estimate £28,000 - £34,000

Iconic Auctioneers - NEC Classic Motor Show 2026 - Early Consignments, Birmingham, UK

14 November, 2026

Lot 17595-1

Registration Number HDU 112L

Chassis Number 1P1462BW

Engine Number 7P3931SA

Transmission Automatic

Body Colour Sable Brown

As is befitting such a seminal British sporting saloon, our enthusiast-vendor discovered, some 15 years ago, a highly original example (with such details as retaining its factory vinyl tags on the rear valance - which almost always are long-gone) and set about the most exacting 8-year/£50,000 restoration, returning the car to its original factory-specification and to a condition worthy of publication. This indeed came about with a November 2019 article by Mark Sutherland, entitled 'Project Phoenix', published in the Jaguar Drivers' Club magazine, which highlights perfectly all the relevant information that any prospective buyer would want to know.

The car had been purchased by John Gordon Jaguar Spares Specialists in Lancashire as a parts car and was facing a reasonably certain future which would involve being stripped of all parts of any value and then being weighed in for scrap. When RP spotted that they were selling a 7,000-rpm rev counter on eBay, and knowing what car it was from, he gave them a call to see if the rest of the car was also available.

RP traces his interest in Jaguars back to an uncle who tried to sell his mum a blue E-Type for £2,500. His Mum didn’t buy the E-Type and instead purchased an MGB GT in Damask Red. However, this Uncle must have liked his cars because RP later bought a Regency Red SWB Series One XJ12 from him and has also had a Fern Grey Daimler XJC. It was this Regency Red XJ12 that had kindled RP’s love of the Series One XJ12 and this is despite problems that he experienced with his original car which included overheating and some not entirely unexpected rust issues. All this would eventually lead to the purchase of another one to restore with the aim of having ‘one that was sorted’.

When he says sorted, it’s a very ‘RP-kind-of-sorted’, which is rather more than that. I started to get a feel for the level of detail that RP is keen to achieve on his cars when I arrived one sunny Saturday to meet up with him take some photos of his car and discuss the car’s restoration. RP was having a look at my 1973 Daimler Sovereign and noticed that the tail pipes were not quite as they should be. It turned out that I had Series 3 XJ6 tail pipes fitted. He has very kindly given me a set of the correct tail pipes which I have promised to fit.

So, I asked him how he has set about ensuring that the level of detail on his car is correct. He tells me that he has ‘read lots of books and brochures along with British Leyland parts books thus ensuring originality where knowingly possible’. I also asked him what words of wisdom he had for others that were doing the same thing ‘Go the extra mile, for example don't paint things that should be plated, don’t rush as people will be able to tell where the detail is missing or incorrect’.

Overall, he is most pleased with the finished car; RP has very much enjoyed plating items rather than painting them and says, ‘plating instead of painting really floats my boat’. When asked which have been his favourite areas to recreate, he says, ‘Sounds a bit strange but heatshields are always in bad condition so to recreate those is really satisfying, but anything I can replicate is rewarding’.   

Work begins

RP spent a considerable amount of time finding the right people to complete the work on his car for him. This is a vital part of any restoration as finding the wrong people can easily lead to disaster, disappointment, and a heavily depleted bank account. We have all heard tales of cars that looked good but have been bodged, or worse still, cars that were simply never finished because of problems with the people chosen to do the restoration.

The first stage of this restoration, as for most endeavours of this kind, was to sort out the metalwork. On RP's car this task was entrusted to Mark at Woodall Motors in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire. A job like this can’t be rushed and there were times when RP began to wonder if the work would ever be finished. In my experience restorations must be allowed to take the time that is needed to do the job properly. Patience is definitely a virtue, but this will in turn be rewarded by the end result.

The mechanical work on the car’s engine and gearbox was carried out at CFS Jaguar in Coventry; this well-known company has previously worked with the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust on their own cars. The work included a full rebuild of the engine and the carburettors, and replacing all the necessary parts in the automatic gearbox.        

Restoration costs

RP opted to pay for the work on his car as he went along which is not unusual, he explains ‘I paid for it as I went along, and if I knew then what I know now, I may never have started it. But ultimately, it has ended up as a labour of love’. This is not unusual either as the costs, the work involved, and the journey are by no means certain and tend to vary from one car to another.

A good point to remember about restoring any car is one that RG makes ‘The best original car available will probably be obtainable for half of what my restoration has cost’. This however does not take into account the feeling of pride or satisfaction that can be gained from taking on and completing a project of this magnitude. For me, I would say that you can’t put a price on that! So, I guess my advice for others would be, if you simply want a car buy the best example you can, but if you want an experience that you will never forget then perhaps you should restore your own.’

RP's car is now very close to completion with just a couple of small jobs to do. He is still on the hunt for the air filter box seals so if you have any NOS seals.

I think it is fair to say that without people like RP and his passion for the Series One XJ12 there would be far less cars around for people to see and enjoy today. In his way RP is a custodian of not only his car but a small slice of history. Restoring any car is a journey with many high and low points and RP’s own journey is very nearly at end. Or is it? Perhaps this part of the journey is drawing to a close and the next part will be enjoying using the car in the years to come?