Let’s face it, today’s product placement of vehicles in movies and TV has nothing on the vintage era before brands paid big bucks to feature their latest offerings in factory fresh form. In the old days, producers procured a car and often modified the hell out of it in order to add to the adventure. Such was the case for this widebody Jaguar XJ12-C.

Nearly ten years before Mr. T rocked that badass red striped GMC van or Michael Knight blew minds with his murdered out Trans-Am, the British TV show The Avengers went on the air with this incredible 1976 British Racing Green Jaguar XJ12-C widebody tuned by Broadspeed and driven by the show’s character John Steed played by Patrick Macnee.

Broadspeed themselves were the best sort of tuner. In addition to uber cool street cars like the one you see here, the firm also got the contract in 1975 to campaign the XC12-C in the Group 2 class of the European Touring Car Championship. Though not as competitive as the BMW 3.0 CSL of the time, the car that inspired the parts used here remains an Anglo fan favorite.

The car used for the TV show has its own interesting factory history. It is said to be just the eighth XJ12-C ever built, and first saw use as an experimental car by the Jaguar factory. Much like the earliest James Bond Aston Martin, the former factory prototype was recycled for its use on screen, shipped off to Broadspeed for modifications and then went on to play its part.

The real car was bought up after the show was over in the 1970s and only resurfaced in 2015 and in very rough condition. It remains an obscure piece of Jaguar, television and tuning history. In as much, this widebody Jaguar coupe makes an excellent addition to GT Spirit’s line of 1:18 scale model cars that pay tribute to some of the greatest modified cars built by tuners.

The model car manufacturer teased this one photo of the car and listed it as “coming soon…” on their Facebook page earlier today. You can that original post HERE. Below is a press release from Jaguar UK following the car’s sale in 2015 by H&H Classics.

[Press Release] Former Avengers Jaguar XJ12-C Broadspeed Defies Estimates Fetching £62,000 at Auction
source: Jaguar UK

Whitley, Coventry – 15 October 2015: The original Jaguar XJ12-C Broadspeed that appeared in the cult 1970’s TV series, The New Avengers, has sold at auction today for £62,000 – some £50,000 over initial estimates.

The iconic Jaguar, driven by secret agent John Steed (played by Patrick Macnee) in the hit series, began life as a pre-production prototype vehicle for the marque. Bought by a private collector at the H&H Classics’ auction at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridge, the XJ12-C completed its early development and testing work with Jaguar before being sent to Broadspeed Engineering Ltd. to be fitted with upgraded bodykit including wider bumpers and wheelarches plus bigger wheels and tyres in preparation for filming.

The car wears chassis number eight (2G1008BW) and features the original 5.3-litre V12 engine that powered secret agent Steed’s British sportscar during the 26-episode series.

Following the series finale in 1977, ‘NWK 60P’ was then sold and passed through the hands of multiple keepers and eventually put up for auction at the NEC Classic Car Show in the early 1990s. After the sale, the famous Jaguar disappeared from public view and remained in hibernation for the next two decades – during which time the car has been subjected to vandalism and general disrepair.

Tim Hannig, Managing Director, Jaguar Heritage, said: “There is no arguing about the desirability of this iconic Jaguar. The XJ12-C Broadspeed still looks fantastic today and although the condition of NWK 60P has deteriorated over the 20 years its been locked up, it still shows how the demand for Jaguar Heritage models has increased in recent times along with their values. We hope to see the car back on the road in the near future and we will continue to support owners of cars such as this famous XJ12-C through our Jaguar Heritage business.”

Nick Delaney, Business Development Manager of H&H Classics, said: “It is fantastic to see this Jaguar XJ12-C from The New Avengers TV Series back in public view again after being locked away for so long. The sale price of £62,000 is truly remarkable considering it fetched more than £50,000 over initial estimates. It just proves the appeal of not only the programme but also of the car itself. Buyers are seeing the investment potential with classic Jaguars and the added provenance of this car means that it, once fully restored to working order again, will be even more valuable.”

Jaguar Heritage forms part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division and has been born to support the brand’s passion in nurturing and preserving its rich heritage of vehicles and supporting its loyal customer base across Jaguar’s global sales network. Jaguar Heritage boasts a catalogue of over 30,000 original spare and replacements parts for generations of Heritage models 10 years out of production. Furthermore, Jaguar’s Heritage workshop at Browns Lane, Coventry, carries out warrantied servicing and restorations on the marque’s classic models.

 

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