Grace, space, pace | Six of the Best
Half a dozen reasons why we'll never give up on Jaguar...
Jaguar E-type 'Lightweight’, 2014, 200 miles, POA
Jaguar, someone said to PH the other day, is like a fabulous Great British local pub: everyone wants it to be there, like an immovable monument to an illustrious past - but no one wants to pay the £9 a pint needed to keep it open. Jaguar’s own plan for stopping the rot is highly ambitious, knowingly contentious and, clearly, fraught with peril. But the gargantuan level of coverage it has generated also speaks to the brand’s place in the world: no matter its shortcomings, its reputation, a century in the making, is raised up on a plinth built not just of great cars, but idiosyncrasy and intrigue and what has often seemed like backroom-style ingenuity. One of the core failings of its forward-thinking approach is a failure to recognise its established traditions as strengths. Jaguar has apparently misconstrued the giant, consumptive fireplace and horse brasses and warm beer as stuffiness. Bentley and Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin would not be so foolish.
Nevertheless, choosing now to highlight some of the moments where old Jaguar casually found the boundary isn’t meant as a judgement on its strategy. For one thing, we’ve too much time and respect and affection for everyone currently working at JLR; for another, we’re only one brightly coloured concept into an entire multi-car lineup - meaning there is much (virtually all of it, in fact) still to come. At the same time, though, as people try to express what Jaguar means to them, interest in the old stuff has inevitably spiked. Nowhere more so than in the car Jaguar itself referenced in its 'Copy Nothing' blitz. The E-type needs no introduction, nor a retread of what makes it great - we don’t even need to call attention to this road-registered car’s immaculate 1-of-7 ‘continuation’ status. Its presence simply underlines the other famous thing Sir William Lyons said about design: “It doesn’t cost any more to make something pretty.”
Jaguar F-Pace, 2021, 24k, £57,980
Say what you want about the dying embers of Jaguar’s petrol-powered age - and by consciously distancing itself from the outgoing range, the brand has said plenty - but there were some obvious highlights. The SVR derivative of the F-Pace was obviously one of them, not just because it was a model that people actually aspired to own, but because (post-facelift) it ticked all the boxes that PHers typically obsess about: it was great to look at, great to listen to, great to sit in and great to drive. It made us want one when it was brand-new back in 2021; now, with lightly used examples heading toward the £50k mark, and Jaguar’s future obviously lacking the sensory pleasure of a supercharged V8, it looks groin-grabbingly good. Especially when some total legend has put Sorrento Yellow at the top of a huge spec in the case of this example. Perhaps there are other cars listed here that better tell the tale of Jaguar’s implicit greatness - but there are none that are so tangibly well-equipped to see you into the next decade as a do-it-all secondhand car. Fully expect to love every minute you spend with it.
Jaguar XKR ‘Black Knight’, 2005, 67k, £17,940
Even the most ardent of Jaguar fans would be forgiven for not knowing about the Black Knight XKR. Because while it’s a great spec - and an even better name - for a last-of-the-line X100 special edition, it was limited to just 25 units, split 80 per cent in favour of the coupe. And they were all destined for Japan. A proper rarity, then. And properly cool, too: though just for Japan, the Black Knight roughly equated to Carbon Edition over here, while also boasting the desirable Handling Pack (with lower ride height, larger front anti-roll bar, better brake discs and more), those stunning Sepang alloys and a set of plump Recaro seats. Plenty was thrown at these final XKs ahead of the X150’s arrival, which makes them really enticing as both a modern classic GT and a celebration of caddish supercharged Jag charm. Even this one, totally standard, with fewer than 70,000 miles and a really good Grade 4B rating from Japan, is for sale at £18k. Though cheap X100s remain, decent ones are slowly appreciating - how could something this stylish and this good to drive not? With this spec and provenance, the Black Knight (said to be named after 14th-century British Commander Black Prince Edward, FYI) is certainly not the average XK.
Jaguar XJ220, 1993, 445 miles (!), £POA
No rundown of Jaguar’s greatest achievements, exhaustive or otherwise, would be complete without mention of the XJ220. It’s simply too historically significant, too beautiful, too extraordinary not to feature prominently. We all know the story of protracted, tumultuous development, and for a long time the big Jaguar simply wasn’t regarded in classic circles as highly as its contemporaries. That’s changed now, though, and not before time - 220mph three decades ago is assuredly some going. As recently as 2014 it was possible to buy Jaguar’s supercar icon for £160k, with the very best less than a quarter of a million. Not any longer - think more like £400k+. Or more so in the case of exceptional examples, which this must be. Registered new in right-hand-drive (one of just 69), it was sold to an Italian businessman who ended up leaving it in storage after 44 miles. For 20 years. The second and most recent owner then spent something like £80k recommissioning the Le Mans Blue beast with Don Law, though even they only added a few hundred miles - the odo currently sits at 455. With the recent outlay, it must be one of the best ‘220s left, and therefore one of the most desirable Jaguars on the planet. What a car.
Jaguar XJR, 2014, 75k, £22,995
Clearly, one car featuring the 5.0-litre version of JLR's supercharged V8 was not enough; it’s simply become too central to the appeal of so many modern Jags. And if the F-Pace reflected that engine’s suitability for a more modern take, then the XJR soldiered on as a glorious reminder of the old ways. A large, handsome, wildly fast rear-wheel drive saloon, the 5.0-litre car picked up the baton handed over by previous 4.2, 4.0-litre and six-cylinder versions. If it ain’t broke and all that. XJRs rode, handled and steered as well as any other super-saloon, but like so many Jag four-doors faced a bit of an image problem against German competition. So there aren’t all that many around, which fearsome initial depreciation - not specifically a Jag thing - won’t have helped either. But good on those folk who did take the plunge, especially as it means corkers like this a few years later. BRG over red feels fitting, the history suggests it’s wanted for nothing, and at 75,000 miles there’s £70k off the original price. No better time to see what all the fuss is about.
JaguarSport XJR-S, 1990, 40k, £42,950
Thanks to the SuperCat, there’s a general level of excitement around TWR and the Jaguar XJ-S that there hasn’t been for 35 years. Great news for fans of both. And if you’re not yet up to speed, watch this - the TWR-prepped XJS touring cars were a sight and sound to behold like no other. The SuperCat will be a very different prospect, but the appeal of a massive V12, manual gearbox and a steroidal body shouldn’t need much explaining. Having been derided for too long, XJSes are now cool classic Jags. And particularly those TWR fettled specials, be they earlier ones modified entirely by Walkinshaw’s eponymous company or later models under the JaguarSport banner (a joint effort between Jag and TWR). Whichever era, it’s the 6.0-litre XJR-Ses that are most desirable, with a useful bump in power and torque over the 5.3. But while a burlier V12 certainly improved a TWR XJS, it added considerably to the final invoice as well, so it’s believed that only around 500 6.0-litres were made - and just 115 of those in RHD. So this Solent Blue one is a real find, with just 40k miles and seemingly pristine condition. The original supercat, you might say.
I'd be happy with any of them but would probably choose a V8 F-type for the real world.
Blue or green over parchment preferably.
Going back a little I also have a soft spot for the original XJR - the V8 one. Jag created something special from some fairly ancient underpinnings.
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