Hi, my XJ6 1973 does not have the front hood mascott, is it an option? And what dimenssion it must be 5" or 7" ?

 

Hi, series 1 did not come from the factory with a leaper, but a lot have them now.
As far as I know it was the first model to leave Browns Lane without one.
Mine has one but can’t confirm the dimensions right now, the car is on a hoist 7 km away.

 

Please think twice before adding a leaper. They turn ordinary hoodlums into vandals and thieves. I've lost two.

And as Clarke said, XJ6 wasn't really meant to have a leaper. It's just my opinion, but I love the leaperless look. As a wedding car, you must have a one. But for understated elegance, maybe try going without for a while. It's not cheap removing one, which is what I did when my X300 was molested.

 

It's only my opinion, and my car never had one (probably wouldn't have brought it home if it had), but I think the Leaper does not belong on any modern Jag. Back in the day when horns, headlights and stuff were all just sort of tacked on somewhere, and most cars had a decorative radiator cap, they fit in well with the rest of the car.

Now though, with the sleek, sculpted body styling of modern Jaguars, they look like when 10 year old boys hang all manner of stuff off their bicycles and think it's Just So Cool; in sort, rather juvenile.

However. My opinion is in the minority. And what I would Really like to say about them probably isn't acceptable for a Family Friendly forum.
(';')

 

I like them for the potential to skewer errant pedestrians. At least my wife hasn't knitted a little sweater for the one on Blue Six...


It was a little cool that day...

 

I think the last Jaguar to have a leaper factory fitted was the 420 built from 1966 to 1968.

William Lyons Number 1 XJ had a leaper fitted but he was the owner so it was just for a selfie.

the leaper mascot represented a liability for the company due to potential accidents and lawsuits so it was left out, but if you look under the bonnet, the holes are marked. They left it up to the owner to impale someone.

I agree it looks wrong in the XJ and like the Mercedes Benz star emblems, it is a temptation for thieves.

 

Well, I was a ten year old. I had a bike or two. One striped of fenders, chain guards,
Another restored with a new paint job. And, yeah, bits. mirror, placcard, buzzer.

Playing cards fastened with a clothes pin to strum the spokes. pretty close to an engine!!!!!

My 47 Ford and 49 Mercury lost their hood emblems.. Many of us did that. At that time Along with twin Smitty's/////

Now the Jaguar has a leaper. like it. It looks at home. The Jeep has none. I have an idea as to what one should be. but,a source, escapes .

At one time busting off Hood emblems from late forties Buicks was popular. Given to one's best girl as a bracelet. Reward.... As Elinor says, family show....

Carl

 

Carl, in our bikes we used to do birthday balloons for more power. After a while they backfired when their walls got thinner.

 

From what I remember the 420 and Mark 10/420G mascots were a smaller size. The XJ saloon did not come with a leaper. The next car to have one as an option was the S-Type of 1998 due to demand in the USA. This mascot was spring mounted and designed to breakaway on impact, whereas the earlier ones were a straight bolt-on.

 

part number C2C39767 is a spring-load leaper with a nice teardrop base.Used in XJ-R. Whether it will match the holes in an early XJ or whether the base radius will match the hood radius that is a different story.

 

I think today's electric cars should have baseball cards/balloons noise makers!! Especially when backing up!

 

I mentioned something like that to the guy down the road when I almost nmissed hearing his Prius. he had given up flipping Morris Minor woodie wagons... And, it was in a shopping mall lot. so, i had my ears on!!!!

 

I'm not a leaper fan. My '76 looks much nicer without one and if Bill Lyons wanted it there it would have left the factory with one. If Mr. Jaguar thought it better without one that's good enough for me.

 

All three of my cars have leapers and I love them. A while back I was in the garage detailing my 1987 series III and was sitting on a chair at the front and was cleaning the leaper with a tooth brush. My wife comes out and says I don’t think their teeth get cavities.

My 2007 Vanden Plas has a spring loaded leaper. I got out the original 07 brochure and every photo in it has a leaper.