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Yesterday in town, in front of Home Depot, a couple shaggy old guys commented about Nix parked across the lane.
"Pretty Car! Sleek!"
"That one is from back when Jaguars were Really Jaguars!"
She just purred demurely.
(';')
Decades ago, I responded to an article by a gal car enthusiast's review of current at the time Jaguars. I sent her a picture of mine, in it's best post.
She was kind enough to respond. "Now, that is a Jaguar".
You get a bit desensitized when you have one. On its own, when you see it daily, you like it but it doesn't seem like that big a deal. Amongst other cars in traffic it is strikingly good looking.
I was on my way to work yesterday morning when a current model XJ pulled out of a street ahead of me. As I passed it I thought "I could go for one of these in a few years!"
I must admit that the new style is growing on me, but there are still plenty of classic models that I want to enjoy first. I still think that my current '97 XJ6 is just a stunning car. I get compliments continuously.
Just put her away for the Canadian Winter. I keep going into the garage just to see the silhouette beneath the cover!
Every time I walk through the garage with my wife I say "Look at that" and she rolls her eyes......it is a bit old though, I have been doing with bikes to for years too.
But I still have to stop and have a bit of a look very time I go in there.
I completely agree. I just bought a new Lexus sedan, and I was really concerned my love for the Jaguar would suffer with the comparison--I was wrong. The Lexus is obviously stiffer, faster, and not unattractive. However, the series iii is just beautiful and there's something to be said for a solid car that weights 4000lbs. The body flexes more, but there are no odd hollow thumps or oddly harmonic vibrations on the road. I also enjoy being able to mash the accelerator down (almost) to the floor and know the car will strongly accelerate while maintaining third gear (ah the times the car mags used to publish top gear passing time 50-70).
I must admit that the new style is growing on me, but there are still plenty of classic models that I want to enjoy first. I still think that my current '97 XJ6 is just a stunning car. I get compliments continuously.
Yup, the X300/X308 body style still had "it"....that unmistakable Jaguar look. Later models, not so much, IMO. But time marches on; car makers go with the flow.
Iran Callum is very respectful of Jaguars history. When he spoke at a concours event a few years ago someone in the audience stood up and was extremely rude telling him his cars are boring and not beautiful like the E-Type was.
That was extremely unfair to Ian. He works within constraints that in some cases they get new safety and legal requirements almost daily while engineering new products. Ian made the point that you couldn't make any type today even if you desired to. It's too low and it's very shape would break all the rules including pedestrian collision etc. That said, he was tasked with setting a new direction for Jaguar styling and succeeded to a large degree. As really, really nice as the current X351 XJ is, I still feel they should have called it something else. It is a stunning car, it just doesnt st "XJ" to most people.
No one would argue that this is a shame but it is a fact of progress, and can bring out wistful nostalgia in many of us. We can be glad that manufacturers have at least found ways to make huge horsepower while simultaneously increasing efficiency. That is a bit of magic that is to everyone's benefit.
I drive an Onyx Black 2007 Vanden Plas. As much as I loved the X300/X308, that platform dated back to the XJ40, and I can always see the passenger portion of the car as being an XJ40, with the slightly squared roofline at the back, and I can see the front and rear clip updates a bit obviously. Not that I dislike it. I love it. But as a car to drive it is dated in some ways that are not as loveable. And those quad headlights all the same size. What WAS Geoff Lawson thinking there? That was a swing and a miss, but I love the "compass rose style" lamps or whatever you call them with the jewel like effect inside. Plus Americans got used to weird lighting things, like Series I, II & III having 4-same sized lamps, but just a big trim ring around the outer light to make it appear larger like its European family members. That's a quirk I only first noticed about 10 years ago, decades after the crime! DOT is absolutely antiquated, outdated, old-fangled and would have us lighting wicks on mounted oil lamps if they could get away with it.
Agreeably the proportions of the X350 take some getting used too. It is a much bigger car than the X300/X308: Long Wheelbase X308 vs. SHORT Wheelbase X350
But, in spite of it's one proportional sin; having somewhat "stubby" front and rear clips over a what was a much larger center section, I really love the x350, specifically pre 2007 models before the face-lift of which I have mixed feelings. To coax a couple more model years out of the x350 they did some questionable restyle elements. Most of which were aimed at modernizing the look of the car, which seemed counterintuitive for a car that was meant to be a continuation of the classic lines of the 1968 XJ6. This was probably a response to criticism of Jaguar putting a classic styling on yet another XJ. When they decided to go with Ian Cullums X351, I was a little disappointed..I was hoping for something like the Bertone concept. Bertone XJ Concept
I disagree that the X350 is "retro styled" -that term is more appropriate for new cars that take on a historical look from a previous model, such as the pony cars did in the early 2000's or one offs like the Plymouth Prowler. The 2004-2009 XJ wasn't retro as much as it was a continuation study of the line.
Jaguar and Ford have took a lot of criticism over making a world class modern car and "sheathing it in old sheet metal" Consider the following two points.
Most manufacturers have typically taken the same platform (or chassis back in the "old days") and given it a new style to convince customers they needed to replace their cars. Every 2 years was the American Experience, even though actual new engineered cars were more like 6 to 10 years apart. Jaguar not only completely reengineered the X350, they produced a thoroughly modern car. Proof is that the CURRENT X351 rides on the platform created for the X350.
Once the X351 came online, the X350 is the last of the "Old School, classic shapes that Jaguar produced. With every passing year these cars, which were basically ignored when on sale, look better and better to people. I drive a really clean Black, long wheelbase example. Almost daily do I get a compliment. How often does that happen in a Lexus. Or even an XF or XE, so fine as they are?
I plan to drive this thing and keep the mileage low as long as I can. Because it is special and there will be no more like it
Funny; a guy approached me at Lowe's a week ago and stated "that's a real interesting project you have there".
My wife loves her X308 but she still thinks my SIII is a prettier car, warts and all. She thinks the latest XJ is bloated and ugly. Methinks she secretly pines for a MkVIII or the old 3.8S.
she might be amazed that the 3.8 'S' is faster off the line than the 4.2 Series 3 XJ-6. AND the 3.8 'S' wipers are faster than the XJ wipers too! The Series 3 XJ-6 and the 3.8 'S' are the best Jaguars ever built.
she might be amazed that the 3.8 'S' is faster off the line than the 4.2 Series 3 XJ-6. AND the 3.8 'S' wipers are faster than the XJ wipers too! The Series 3 XJ-6 and the 3.8 'S' are the best Jaguars ever built.
12-14-2017, 11:08 PM
