Having owned a XJC in the past and also just having run the gauntlet trying to get collector insurance on the STR, (quote from one company's underwriters: "a four door sedan is not a collector car.") It occurred to me that Jaguar would have had a stunning car if they'ed have designed and built a S Type Coupe. Anyone concur?

 

They'd have had a stunning car if they just kept making (updated) S-Types instead of the rather bland, un-Jaguar, cars they have now.

 

Agreed, this is one of the reasons I've hung on to my present car rather than going for a newer model.

 

+1
+2

Well . . . that makes 3 of us, at least . . . but, I suspect there are thousands more. For my money, the S-Type, XK8/R, and perhaps, similar vintage XJR were the last of the unmistakable JAGUARS. Disappointed now that I have finally reached stage where I can afford NEW Jaguars, none of current crop interest me whatsoever.

I know that styling is a highly personal opinion thing, but I'm shocked that an outfit so rich in styling heritage, can make such unappealing "beached whales" as Jaguar has trundled out in the past 10 years. Flipside is a bonus though . . . for a fraction of the money, I have a huge shed full of classic Jaguars that I enjoy . . . and just to keep the little grey cells working, a couple that are sending me prematurely bald!

Cheers,

Ken

 

Totally agree with the current bunch of "no style" whatevers.

 

The Tata-era Jaguars do not appeal to us, either. Therefore, our two current Jaguars will be the final ones in our fleet. Once I sell them, no more Jaguars for us....

 

Agreed with all above!

I will allow that the F-Type looks somewhat Jag-like. None of the rest of the range does..even remotely.

 

I am in total agreement with all of you about the newer Jaguars. I fell in love with them in the early 70's when I used drive with my parents past a garage in Lyneham Wiltshire that had lots of MKII's for sale. I wanted to have one of them one day but I not managed it yet but the S Type is close enough for the moment.
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Someone recently said that the newer Jaguars were designed for the younger people and I guess I must agree, but I wonder if these younger people are buying (in their minds) a Jaguar, or are they buying a car based on the technology so they can keep up with the Joneses?

The designs come from a man who has been doing away with the look of the Jaguar of the pass at a steady pace. No one expects the newer Jaguar to look like the old ones, but at least something about them should be recognizable as a Jaguar. The grills, maybe the finders, something. As it is, that's all gone and what we have is what looks like any other rice burner with the exception of maybe a badge on the grill or wheel hubs.
Oh well, as Jon89 said above, the two I have will be the last. When their gone, I more then likely will be too, so I kiss a great looking car good by.

Cheers

 

I laugh when I read of which design features of the new Jags are supposed to be a nod to the Jags of yore. I'm yet to see the connection myself, & I think many would agree. I also don't know that the new Jags appeal to the young, & I think that's the wrong direction anyway. A new Jag is an aspiration that most people can't afford until they're well advanced in their careers, which means the market has always been well-heeled older folk (Men, mainly), which is why they've always been as comfortable as they are quick, something pure sportscars & pocket rockets definitely don't have. & when it comes to pace, space & grace, I think the only part of that trinity that most young folk are interested in is Pace!

 

YES!..I think the XK had the Jag thing going too. I just went through some pages on the XKR pic thread a few days ago and I had flash backs to the Gardeners Bay Country Club on Long Island where I was a caddy in 1963 and saw my first XKE in the lot. I was frozen for a bit then the slow walk around with a peek through the louvers on the hood at the SU carbs. I was mad in 68 (I think) when I saw a new one with the glass over the lights gone.

 

Oh sure, the XK as well. (Dunno about the XJ as not my kind of car and won't fit in my garage either!)

 

No doubt here what he's driving. Once the Sir William was gone and B. Leyland had the reins . . . well.




Way cool . . .

 

Last weekend my wife and I went to see the dream home for a local hospital charity. The prize with the home includes an F-type convertible which was in the garage. My wife says that isn't a Jag there is no wood dash. I think we have two of the last real jaguars and hope I can keep them on the road to last me the balance of my years. I walk through the showroom at Jag once in a while on my way to the parts department. Nothing special that makes me think I am not in just another new car show room.
The last of the real Jags. Perfect family.

 

I don't know what happened to auto body design, but if you look at the rear door of most 4-door sedans, you find practically identical shapes and profiles. Nothing is unique. Older Jags, and most other non-mass market vehicles were easily identifiable a mile away!

Originality has gone down the toilet for sure!

 

Ford Jaguars look like Jaguars, Indian Jags look like everything else.

 

I agree with all the comments. The new crop of Jags have lost their Jaguarness. It's a shame they didn't continue to update & revise the S-Type which in my mindalong with the XJ is the last of the classic Jags.

I fell in love with Jags in 1966 when I guy I worked with took my brother & I for a ride in a Mark VII. We bought a '58' Mark II. Race it a little and then had to sell it as we were going into the service.

Finally 50 yrs later I bought an '07' S Type 3.0 BRG. I love the way it looks and drives. Best of all I love all the jealous stares from Bimmer & Merc drivers.

 

They've obviously never heard of Ford Australia's 1971 GTHO Falcon Phase III, which was the World's fastest four door production sedan when it was released in 71 for under $5k. It has since seen it's values touch $1mil, briefly, in the hot market of fifteen years ago. It's value has now fallen to under 1/2 mil, but it's still Australia's greatest collector car.

 

Present days Tata Jags were designed by Jaguar, just like Ford era Jags.

 

The saloons were mainly penned under Ford stewardship. The F-Type & the F-Pace are the only completely new designs since the Indians took the reins, & the F-Pace still got saddled with the same corporate grill that ruins the lines of the saloon cars. In fact a better grill, especially one that's a tasteful update of one of the classic grills, is all that's really needed to make them Jaguars again. I know it's what the designers are trying to avoid. But it's what the Punters want, & I think it'd really shift some metal for them. Not that they're having much of a problem doing that with the ugly cars they're peddling now. But gee, it'd be great to get excited about the latest offerings from Coventry, like we used to get.