'Jaguars I have owned'
Over
the years I have been fortunate enough to own ten beautiful Jaguars, many of which I truly regret letting get away. Two of them in particular were the 1966 E-type coupe and the 1964 'S'-Type saloon, which had in 1998 enjoyed
the unique distinction of being double National JCNA Champions in their respective classes. The following is a montage of my Jaguars in chronological sequence of age rather than dates of ownership. Please enjoy!
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1958 XK 150 Coupe
Although this was originally a California car, I purchased it in Vancouver, BC from a movie staging company who really didn't know its' value.. It was badly in need of restoration and the person who was going to help me decided to pull out. Since it was more work than I was willing to take on personally, I decided to advertise it for sale on eBay as a restoration project. I got numerous offers from all over the world including Italy and eventually sold it to a gentleman in Christchurch, New Zealand for a tidy sum. At last contact with him the restoration process was well under way! |
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1964 'S'-type 3.8 Saloon
This was my second favorite car of all time which I owned for over fourteen years. It won numerous 'Best in Class' and 'First' places in JCNA Sanctioned Concours events and People's Choice Field meets, crowned with a JCNA Championship in its' class in 1998. It was amazingly comfortable, (one of the first to have Jaguar's famed independant rear suspension) and could travel long distances with its' dual gas tanks. This earlier 'S' -type model had a full leather interior, unlike some of those later produced which had a much cheaper material. I really regret selling this lovely car to a lady in Santa Monica, CA |
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1966 'E'-type 4.2 Coupe, series 1
This was my all time favorite car which I owned for over twenty six years. It won numerous 'Best in Class' and 'First' places in JCNA Sanctioned Concours events and People's Choice Field meets, crowned with a JCNA Championship in its' class in 1998.The link below ,"Ravensbourne Project",shows several enhanced modifications that were introduced, reminicent of the 'C' and 'D' -type configurations. The Series 1, 4.2 liter was undoubtedly the best of all three Series introduced, as US safety regulations spoiled the shape and look in subsequent models. It was eventually sold in twenty fours hours to a gentleman collector from San Francisco |
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1976 XJS Coupe, V12, 5.3 liter
This was the first model year of the XJS which I purchased from MCL Motors, the Vancouver BC Jaguar dealership. It was a terrfic car to drive, which I did a great deal. This was my first experience with the powerful Jaguar V12 engine and I was to own one more V12 XJS after this one. On one occasion, Patricia and I drove back from Napa, CA to Bellingham, WA in less than eleven hours, thankfully no speeding tickets!. |
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1991 XJS Convertible, V12, 5.3 liter
This car was the second XJS I owned, this time a convertible. It was purchased from a Seattle Jag Club member who had spent quite a bit of money on it, so I was reasonably confident I would not have any major problems and I did not. These cars are big but drive very powerfully and smoothly, so we had some great touring experiences even 'though it was heavy on gas. One irritating issue was the motor that raised and lowered the rear quarter window when the soft top was operated, failed on us twice - not funny when it starts to rain! I sold it to a gentleman in BC. |
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1996 XJ 6 Sedan
This was one of the most reliable cars we've ever owned of all makes and models. It was Patricia's daily driver and she really loved it,using it for a long time. It was a much less complicated car than the XJ 8 and therefore less prone to mechanical issues. Fuel consumption and maintenance costs were very managable. The only very minor interior issue was the sprung loaded cup holder cover which would not shut properly, (This seems to be a common problem with nineties Jags). At 190K miles we thought it was time to sell before something expensive presented itself. |
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2000 XK 8 Convertible
This was a lovely driving car which I picked up in Palm Springs, CA. We drove home via Arizona and through the Mojave Desert and the car performed flawlessly. It had low mileage and no mechanical or bodywork problems but I had the driver's seat leather replaced rather than re-sticthed and after both front seats were re-dyed the car looked like new. I really did not want to sell it but I was running out of garage space and already had another soft top car (MGB) so it had to go. To be frank, I would happily buy another one if circumstances permitted because now I miss it even 'though it was just a summer car |
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2004 XKR Coupe, V8 supercharged
This car came from Florida, even after I'd previously vowed never to buy from that region for plentiful reasons. It was fiercely fast and very sexy in appearance, (We men never learn, do we?). Despite all of that, all round vision from the driver's seat was terrible, mainly because of the small rear and side windows, causing me to stretch my neck this way and that to see what vehicles were around me, especially when overtaking which I did a lot! Eventually I decided that I needed a more relaxing driving experience and sold the car to a gentleman in Norway who seemed quite unconcerned about the shipping expense through the Panama Canal. |
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2006 XJ Vanden Plas Sedan
This was a Texas car and a huge change from the XKR. Large and comfortable, with a V8 4.2 liter engine which did not assuage its' sense of being a bit cumbersome in driving mobility. It was nonetheless an effortless driving experience on the freeway, leaving one to feel relaxed even after a long trip. The interior was well appointed but it had a few mechanical problems, (mainly electronics). I eventually sold it to a gentleman in Tacoma. |
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2014 XF Sedan, V6 supercharged
This last car came from the Seattle Jaguar dealership and has turned out to be the compromise I had been looking for between the two previous models. Dignity with speed, an updated motto of 'Grace, Space and Pace', that famous Jaguar slogan. The V6 engine with supercharger is the perfect combination for speed and moderate fuel consumption, (Jaguar make two other engine sizes, neither of which appealed to me). The interior is comfortable, the features extensive and readily accessible. I like this car! |
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