1993 Jaguar XJ220-N

3,498cc twin turbocharged V6-Cylinder Engine
Multi-point electronic fuel injection
Approximately 600bhp +
5-Speed Manual Transmission
Front & Rear Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

* 1 of 3 modified by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) for Group N specification for the Top Run Racing team
* #003 was the third and final Group-N spec car built by TWR for the 1993 Italian GT Championship, built at the request of the Benetton family
* Originally Spa Silver but wrapped in white vinyl with a blue livery


THE JAGUAR XJ220

The words "supercar" and "sensational" are often found in combination and are never more justifiably so than in the case of Jaguar's fabulous XJ220. Worthy successor to the multiple Le Mans-winning C-Type and D-Type Jaguars of the 1950s, the XJ220 commanded headlines just as its illustrious forebears had done in previous decades when it burst upon an astonished world in October 1991.

Planning for Jaguar's proposed 200mph supercar had begun in the mid-1980s — design work proceeding largely in the project team's spare time — and finally bore fruit when the prototype was exhibited at the British International Motor Show in Birmingham in October 1988, only four months after Jaguar's sixth outright victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Clothed in aluminum bodywork styled by Keith Helfet, the XJ220 concept featured an upswept tail, deeply scalloped side air intakes, and flush headlight covers that dropped into the nose to reveal fixed lenses beneath.

The reception was overwhelming: showgoers reportedly offered blank cheques on the spot, though none were accepted by Jaguar at that stage. On the strength of this response, Jaguar committed to a limited production run, initially reported at between 220 and 350 cars, and turned to its long-standing endurance-racing partner, Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), to develop and construct the car — Jaguar itself lacking the capacity to build it in-house.

The formal order book opened in late 1989, at which point Jaguar began taking firm reservations against a deposit of £50,000; some 1,500 deposits are reported to have been received. By the time these contracts were signed, the revised production specification — including the replacement of the concept's 6.2-liter V12 and four-wheel-drive system — had already been disclosed, meaning buyers committed their deposits with knowledge of the car's definitive rear-wheel-drive, twin-turbocharged V6 configuration.

The XJ220 survived Jaguar's acquisition by Ford in 1989, but by the time it entered production in 1992 it differed substantially from the original show car. In place of the prototype's V12, production cars used a more powerful Cosworth-designed 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, derived from the unit fitted to the XJR-11 sports-racer, producing 542bhp; the prototype's four-wheel drive and adaptive suspension were likewise dropped in the interest of production feasibility. An eventual VAT-inclusive price of nearly £403,000 only reinforced the model's exclusivity.

With the rev limiter raised and catalytic converters removed, the XJ220 held the record for the world's fastest production car between 1992 and 1998, achieving 217.1mph at the Nardò Ring in Italy; with emissions equipment fitted, Formula One driver Martin Brundle recorded 212mph in period testing. The 0–100mph sprint was accomplished in a reported 7.9 seconds.

Production of the Jaguar XJ220 concluded in 1994 after approximately 297 chassis had been completed, of which 281 were ultimately assembled into complete vehicles. Of these, 268 were standard road cars, while Tom Walkinshaw Racing converted a select number into specialized derivatives, including six XJ220 S road cars—one built as a unique commission for a private client—four XJ220 C competition cars, and three XJ220-N Group N examples.

The remaining 16 chassis were retained as spares. As with many limited-production supercars of the era, published production figures vary slightly depending on whether prototypes, incomplete chassis, and competition variants are included in the total.


THE CAR OFFERED

Chassis no. 003 (VIN. SAJJEAEX8AX220769) began life as a standard XJ220 road car, finished in Spa Silver over grey leather, before being sent to TWR for preparation to Group N specification — a category intended to remain as close to the road-going car as possible, retaining its power windows, air conditioning & heat, headlights, turn signals, and windscreen wipers. It was the third and final of the three Group N cars built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, commissioned, together with its two sister cars, by the Italian Top Run race team at the instigation of the Benetton family for the 1993 Campionato Italiano Supercar GT season.

Chassis no. 001 and 002 were finished in the team's white livery with light and dark blue side stripes and assigned race numbers 11 and 12 respectively; car #11 was subsequently repainted in Martini livery. Chassis no. 003, by contrast, was retained as the team's backup car and never raced, and it remains finished in its original Spa Silver to this day. Unlike its two campaigned sister cars, it is understood to have never turned a wheel in competition, remaining a team spare before passing to a new owner in 1994.

The car retains its factory-correct mechanical specification, including the larger turbocharger housings unique to the N-variant cars, a five-speed manual transaxle with limited-slip differential, and a full competition interior comprising OMP seats, Schroth six-point harnesses, an integrated roll cage, a three-spoke Personal steering wheel, and an AiM digital dash. A TWR identification tag in the driver's door jamb confirms the car as chassis 003 with a build date of September 1993; the factory VIN is stamped in the engine bay. The odometer is non-functional, and total mileage is not recorded.

Despite its purpose-built competition specification, chassis no. 003 retains a number of road-derived styling and aerodynamic elements carried over from the standard production car, including a front air dam, trunk-mounted rear spoiler, and retractable headlight covers — details that lend the Group N cars a distinctly production-based silhouette despite their racing purpose. The car rides on multi-piece BBS wheels shod in Hoosier competition tires, with stopping power provided by a Brembo disc brake system featuring slotted, ventilated rotors.

Its original Spa Silver paint survives beneath a vinyl livery applied in 2024 for display at the New York International Auto Show — a reinterpretation of the works team's white-and-blue scheme, carrying period sponsor graphics and race number 13, and fully removable to reveal the car's original factory finish. Despite its track-honed specification, chassis 003 retains its road-going equipment, underscoring its usability on the street as much as on circuit.

As one of only three Group N cars built, and the sole example reportedly to never campaigned in period, chassis no. 003 represents a rare opportunity to acquire a genuine piece of Jaguar XJ220 history.

Please note that the vehicle is being offered on a bill of sale. The odometer is inoperative, and the engine exhibits a rough idle. According to the marque specialist who most recently serviced the car, the rough idle is attributed to the need for a MoTeC engine management system.