I remember a movie with LEE MAJORS about cars being OUTLAWED.

The Last Chase (1981) - IMDb

The Gov't wanted him DEAD for driving a car.

bob

 

Stu,

Thanks for such a great concept for a thread! You definitely prompted a flood of memories for me.

I grew up in a small town and every Sunday on our way to church we passed a salvage yard. One day there was a new wreck parked at the corner of the yard where we had to stop before making a right turn. The damage was at the front but the car was aimed away from the intersection, so that facing the road was the most curvaceous and beautiful automotive rear end I had ever seen. In awe, I asked my dad what it was. A lifetime car guy, he smiled and said, "That's a Jaguar XK-E coupe." This prompted many future conversations every time we passed the Jag, often about what it would take to restore it. Dad said it could be done but would cost more than we could afford.

A year or two later another car appeared beside the E. I asked dad what it was, and he said, "That's a Jaguar XJ6." It was the best-looking sedan I had ever seen. More conversations ensued, and for the next ten years I watched those cars rust in that salvage yard and wished I could have saved them.

My next significant encounter was during high school. One Saturday a low-slung black saloon pulled into the station where I was pumping gas. The first thing I noticed was the long, elegant leaping cat on the hood. The next thing I noticed was the tall, beautiful woman stepping out of the car. She kindly showed me that the car had two fuel tanks and two filler doors. I was enchanted. And smitten for life.

It's hard to describe what makes Jaguars so special, but there is no doubt that making them special was highly intentional on the part of their creators:

Design: Sir William Lyons had an eye for beauty. He personally oversaw the development of some of the most beautiful motorcars ever made. All-time classics. Think of the SS100, Mk IV-X, XK120-150, C-/D-Types, Mk 1-2, E-Type, XJ6/8. Compare any of these to the contemporaneous offerings of other makers, and the Jaguars are the ones you want to look at.

Interior: Roots dating to bespoke horse-drawn carriages and personal railway cars. The finest leathers. Exotic woods. Handmade craftsmanship. Shameless luxury done with understated elegance. Cabin proportions that cosset and pamper and a driving position that instantly makes you feel at one with the car.

Engine: In my library I have a copy of The Jaguar Engine (1955) by William M. Heynes, the chief architect of the XK engine, iterations of which were manufactured for nearly five decades. In addition to the goals of power, efficiency, manufacturing economy and the ability to propel a full-size saloon at more than 100 mph, this statement from Heynes offers great insight into the Jaguar mindset:

There was just one more requirement which had to be met--one which automobile designers (on both sides of the Atlantic) as a general rule ignore--and that is the styling of the external design of the engine so that it looks the high-speed efficiency unit that it is, and conveys to the layman some idea of the thought and care which had been expended on the design and construction of the unseen functional parts.

Chassis: Double-wishbones and independent rear suspension. Disc brakes. Metalastic bushings to isolate and control. All relatively new innovations when introduced on Jaguar passenger cars, and tuned to provide a world-class combination of ride comfort and sporty handling befitting an automaker that transported royalty and won Le Mans.

Driving experience: Of the company's old marketing slogan, "Grace, Space, Pace," I've always felt that grace was the word that best described driving a Jaguar. Other cars have space and pace. But if you want to cruise quietly and ponder the meaning of life, the Jag will ferry you across a continent in near silence. And if you need to get somewhere in a hurry, the Jag has the power and handling to get you there faster and with less drama than virtually anything else in its class, with a grace that none can match.

Whether you're behind the wheel or simply admiring it in your driveway, the ultimate reward of owning a Jaguar is how it makes you feel.

Cheers,

Don

 

I blame my Dad for the relationship with Jaguar cars. Grew up surrounded by them - a natural choice to own/work and use them. Bang for Buck performance compared to other manufacturers and always involving to own and drive.

Restoration of many cars over the years, all from that golden Browns Lane period, XK's XKE's, MKI & MKII etc. Even sharing living space with them, my life would have been different without them in my life. It's ingrained.

The fact they can be worked on without very serious investment compared to their Euro rivals makes them more accessible to everyone that's a petrol head. Performance has been a cornerstone with many of their products, which is the main appeal for many. Styling has always been a bit special - up until Callum/TATA.

For most of Jaguar Ltd's life they've operated on a shoestring, the fact a dozen engineers came in and became known as the Saturday club headed by Lofty England produced multiple Le Mans winners, not once but 5 times through the 50's (and could have been 6)- stunning cars in the C & D types, meanwhile the production cars profit was 1 penny in every pound....all this not long after WW2, when the factory was bombed and the country was skint from a huge bill off the American Gov for services rendered. Produce or Die - and they did, and still are doing....which I love.

The plucky Bulldog spirit sums it up - from one of the worlds most innovative car producers appeals so much to me, along with a great relationship with the company for a long time, the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust are very much an active part of owning and preserving these,to me, important cars.

So to sum it up, it's the history, the products, the performance, the price and the style. No other manufacturer can compete, apart from maybe Alfa Romeo - but that's another story

That is why I do it.

 

I do, because I can't help but turn and look at it every time I park somewhere. Because the unsuspecting public doesn't realize the incredible value it is to get into one these days, but they certainly appreciate the look when they pass you. I paid way too much for mine, but every thumbs up and smile, just adds that much more justification to the purchase.

And because no matter what, it's something that I can always be proud to own, and hold my head up high. No one has ever questioned my judgement on it, or criticized me for buying it. Not once.

Oh, and because it's nice to pull up next to someone in a shiny new whatever, and still get a better reaction from a car that, market-wise, costs a fraction of what they paid. That might just be me being smug?

 

Today is a prime example for me. I was driving my '15 Maserati & it's been raining for 2 days here. Winding road w/ standing water @ about 50 mph I hydro-planed twice, never,ever experienced that in any X308 I've owned.

 

Your not supposed to drive a Maserati in the rain...are you insane? LOL. Maserati is on my bucket list of cars, like my new to me 02 XJR was. I love my Jag!