The V-12 Jaguar XJ-S shooting brake you never knew you needed

You might have seen that Jaguar recently hopped on the luxury wagon train with the new XF Sportbrake. But perhaps the greatest, most beautiful, and lust-worthy Jag wagon ever was a V-12 XJ-S—and it wasn’t even made by Jaguar.

With only coupe and drop-top models in the XJ-S lineup, Jaguar turned to coachbuilder and engineering house Lynx in the early 1980s to bring to life a V-12-powered luxury car with the utility of a station wagon. Dubbed the Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventer, this ultimate expression of “Grace, Space, and Pace” was hand-built and individually customized for each client. It was praised for its impeccable, almost factory-level build quality as well as its breathtaking roofline and massive, pillarless rear window.

Mechanically the car was unchanged, maintaining its 295-hp 5.3-liter V-12 and three-speed automatic transmission. Lynx did have to do some tinkering to achieve those sultry looks, however, including raising the rear floor for the cargo area, stiffening the suspension, and relocating the fuel tank. All in all, the final product was an elegant behemoth that could hit 155 mph with a trunk full of champagne, pipe tobacco, and elephant tusks (probably).

This 1984 Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventer, number 20 built of 67 in total, is a gorgeous example that’s headed to auction with Bonhams for the upcoming Monaco sale. It’s been restored twice, including a new black paint job from the original brown (a sacrilegious choice, in my humble opinion), conversion from right- to left-hand drive, and a slew of mechanical improvements (rear suspension, rear brakes, fuel injectors, and an all-new exhaust, according to Bonhams). It also comes with a new set of original wheels.

Bring your wallet to Monaco if this Jag strikes the right chord for you, but be prepared to shell out for its $91,000-$120,000 estimate. If you’re going to drive across Europe, there’s no better-looking, more practical way to do it, old chap.