We also have cheap gas in the tank --- although moving up the past few weeks.

Just paid $3.39 Gallon for premium (91)

 

I'm surprised that the trunk pull-down strap is actually leather, as many on this thread claim. I'll have to have a closer look at mine. Anyway, I'll be overjoyed if it is leather!

 

I'm almost entirely sure that the trunklid pulldown handle is, indeed,
Ambla. It has felt fake in my '02 Sport, '03 XJR, and a 2000 VDP S/C.

Connolly folded in early 2002, and I am fairly sure that 2003 model XJs
come with Autolux as standard, as the '03 XK8 did.

The grab handles with stitching are lovely, but I have always told people
that they aren't real leather. The J-gate surround is not real leather.
I have had it off, and seen the material before... not leather.

The Auto-leveling headlamps must have been fitted to some US models?
My XJR has a couple of odd options, if you look at the USA colour chart,
Sapphire metallic (JHE) was not available on any SWB S/C model. Plus,
our XK8 in JHE was a totally different blue. My car also has a wood overhead
console, which would only have been fitted to a Vanden Plas Super V8. The
JHE was also availble only on N/A or Vanden Plas Supercharged models. Which
leads me to believe that if the Vanden Plas Super V8 had it as an option (visibly
similar to XJR ones, meaning, not the seats, carpets, tray tables, etc) is
fitted to my car. I have it in storage, so I can't actually check if I have leveling
headlamps. It would be a treat if I did. The previous owner had the headlining
replaced, and it is too thick, and is awful. So I might go with Alcantara material
this time around.

I will update after a phone call with Jaguar corporate tomorrow, whether
or not my car has any other Vanden Plas S/C options equipped. It was clearly
a special order XJR.

reviver of the dead thread,

Ian

 

I think the Euro spec lamps are just manually adjustable, not auto-leveling.

 

On X308 XJR's the rear cigarette lighter is not available as an option.
I upgraded mine using a VDP trim plate and lighter socket.
(great for powering a phone)

 

All 2000+ XJRs had the rear lighter as standard

 

Mine was a '99 I saw a 2001 and got the idea from that car

 

Here's an options list for MY UK 02/USA 03 cars, as it's for the R100 all are standard, yes rear sunblinds and med kit. VDP/Daimler SV8's are of a similar spec' - and the good thing is all of the kit can be retro-fitted...like reverse sensor, auto wiper/lights etc.....(I've spares if anyone fancies buying cheap)

 

All VDPs (N/A or S/C) have the wood overhead console. Unfortunately, the USA X308s don't have electrically adjustable headlights from the factory which I believe is required by law in some countries, but not the USA. The only '03 X308s that have Autolux are the VDPs and Daimlers. This is the trade off us VDP/Daimler drivers make when choosing the VDP, one of the worst handling X308s. (I hear the LWB '96 XJ12 has the worst handling of all the XJ40/X300/X308s)

Some of the XKRs have autolux, but the XK8s don't. Autolux has a totally different feel than the regular leather for it is smooth with no grain at all. The two aren't mistakable when viewed side by side.

 

Ok, I have been in a car with Autolux, but it was rotten
in the centre console and felt normal on the seats. It
was not perforated like the leather in my XJ Sport which
I drove in the same day.

This is good info, but what kind of leather did they use in
2003? Connolly had shut its doors by March or something
of 2002.

 

The 2003 X308s are technically 2002s since their build dates were early for a 2003 MY and in the UK, there was no '03 X308, they were called '02s. My guess is that Jaguar had enough Connolly (regular and autolux) leather to finish out the X308 production. Sourcing another supplier for the leather of the last bit of X308 production would seem unlikely, but I guess it's not impossible. I would also guess that Connolloy's demise was predicted/planned for by Ford/Jaguar's bean counters/accountants.

 

I've bought current stock Connolly Autolux and genuine Alcantara from these guys, they're Connolly reborn, basically the same company.

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