David human beings in other parts of the world are being forced to evolve at a heartwarming rate.

Here is an example. LG has double stacked processor chips, impossible to re-solder, even by the multi-million dollar machine that cold soldered it. Look how creative folks in Thailand have become in solving a problem that baffled LG.
Yes you will cringe at the lack of any static precautions, or even lighting. Whata contrast to the clean rooms we have.

 

We had a press catch fire a couple years ago. Melted two units worth of electronics where it breached the cabinets. The rest was protected by pressurized fresh air (explosive environment). Insurance ended up writing a big check and condemned the $15M press due to electronic damage in those two units and some mechanical crispiness.

 

I see your point but this guy is just re-flowing cold solder joints under a Ball Grid Array chip using a heat gun and flux. This is common practice and has been done like this for years. I did hundreds of them when I worked in a lab years ago. By hand and with multi thousand dollar re-flow machines.

 

This is the sad truth. Gearheads and car culture are dying a slow death. My experience with Millennials and their even younger counterparts is that many would rather sit and stare at a mobile device in virtual connection with their friends than hop in a car and actually do something with their friends. And if they do get in a car, they'd rather Uber than drive so they can keep staring at their phones over the length of the trip. In 30 years when self-driving cars and clean energy are the norm, collecting gas-powered cars of any make or model will be akin to collecting steam-powered cars today, and only a very very select few will be deemed worth the effort.

 

Here are my random (and long) musings on the subject:

1) In terms of general collectability, some of it depends on the Jaguars of the future. If Jaguar releases iconic cars that capture love of gearheads/collectors, then it can only be good for past generations of Jaguars. If they are well-built/reliable, gorgeous, fast, luxurious, and iconic, then enthusiasts will pursue the brand. Modern and classic Jaguar cars will benefit.

2) We can have some impact. Active Jaguar clubs, especially those making an effort to bring in younger enthusiasts, help to create a culture of appreciation--and future buyers-- for these cars. Owners need to bring their cars to informal car events too. The BMW/Porsche crowd seem to hit every Cars and Coffee event. Jaguars--specifically XK/XKR/F Type--need to show up to these events and be the desire of every kid and 20 year old who can't afford one yet. These are the potential buyers of our cars in the future.

3) I suspect the values of the X150 XK's/XKR's will be a bit like the Lotus Esprit's have been for a long time. While the cars are extremely different, I think there are some parallels worth looking at. Go to a Lotus forum and you will find the owners--who clearly love their cars--extolling the virtues of the cars but wondering why they struggle to bring more than $20-35k for a decent example. These cars are rare, iconic, beautiful (or at least striking and demonstrative of the design language of their time). By all means, these should bring higher values. Our cars are all of these things too, and more reliable! Our cars are for the discerning and those with unique/particular and exquisite taste. The build quality is high. We enthusiasts love them. Like the Esprit, the X150's-- except the last, rarest, or most desirable variants--will probably hold values in the $20-35k range for a long time. They will represent a strong value for those that hold them, and for new/younger enthusiasts like me (GenX/early millenial) represent incredible value as the depreciation has brought the cars within reach.

4) Good examples of X150's will gradually become harder to find. Accidents, poor maintenance, extensive/questionable modifications, etc. will take their toll. Accidents will have an especially big impact on the supply. Due to the expensive and specialized repair required for the aluminum monocoque chassis and body panels, many of these cars will start to be totaled by insurance for even somewhat minor collisions. All of this will leave prime examples in an excellent position to increase in value because of their rarity.

All of this leads me to think the cars will do well over the long term but will not be blue chip investments. They will provide great joy to those that own the cars, holding value while giving many "smiles to the gallon."

 

Interesting and troublesome thought because I don't think any current Jaguar model is iconic. Sure, the F-Type is great but there is really nothing iconic about it IMHO. The XJ, yes, beautiful luxurious sedan, but nothing as iconic as the the X300 series XJs. XF and XE... Sorry, they look like a fancy Camry.

The X150 is the last Jag that makes my knees weak.

 

Bottom line in my opinion is this.....Although I have no clue about values in a decade or two.... our cars in "Pristine Original Low Mileage Condition" should realistically bottom out at the mid to upper 20s regardless of time. What else could be bought with the style and performance and relative reliability of the XK150? I'm ok with that as I never purchased my XK as an investment. Regardless, it has been a pleasure to own and drive.

 

The only current gen Jag I've recognized is the dang SUV. XF, XJ looks like every other four door butt hole on the road now. The Leaper on the back is the only way to tell what it is. F type coupes profile looks like the far more common FRS.

Just a whole lot of 'so what?' in the current line up. As Shemp says the XK is the last one that's even interesting. The other stuff post '09 isn't interesting at all.

 

Guys (and Gals) - the basic question that needs to be addressed first is; Will anybody be interested in "old" vehicles from the 20th and early 21st century? If the answer to that question is yes, then the next question gets down to our vehicles. IMO our cars are not a dime a dozen, but are some what rare. As an example there were about 55k 150s produced between 20016 and 2014. When the total count of vehicles produced were probably something in excess of 250m.

Do the math that works out to something around .0002% of the world's total production. Our cars are beautiful, well engineered and well built. So, if any of us around 30-50 years from today we will probably see that the values of the Jaguar X150s have escalated substantially.

 

Ok, show of hands... how many will still be around here 30-50 years from now? ...

 

My hands are tied.

 

KJxk07,

I'm 34....so I hope I'm around for 30-50 more years....

Does this make me the youngest/one of the youngest here on the XK forum?

Peter

 

55, so in 30 I SHOULD still be kicking, but a little closer to the Big Dirt Nap.

 

As Kramer said in that Seinfeld show "I'm out"

 

The fact that the XK is significantly less than cars of similar year and MSRP I think speaks to the future.

People just aren't shopping for used Jaguars. Those of us that have found our way here are "odd people". This forum section, and our unique personalities and skill sets reflect that. I've never really seen a model specific forum with this much discussion of things other than our specific cars! I think its a good thing, but it also indicates just how strange X150 owners are.

 

Only a few might become classics.

To be one of those few, have a set of color and texture choices that evokes strong emotion.

Strong reds, blue's, black, deep green. Metalic gray with the right trim can work as well.

Secondly, go with an amazing set of wood burl, not all burl is created equal. Each is unique; choose something that looks amazing. The thing about burl, is if burl goes out of style, it can always be wrapped over. But you aren't going to get a real wood finish as a wrap. (Although you can imitate).

Having bought a special musical instrument this year, one other thing about wood burls is that they come and go. The winds and seasons make different looking wood, and the burl of today may not be available tomorrow.

Get a light interior color, either slate and ivory, or caramel. Portfolio interiors are also acceptable.

Pick out an amazing set of wheels that evoke emotion.

Overall, I wouldn't give many of the X150's a chance at becoming a collectible, but a few R's may command a premium over the rest of the X150's.

 

So true can not agree with you more

 

Of course I'm bias, but in my humble opinion, the Jaguar X150 is one of the best grand touring cars you can buy as a driver.
It has the looks, comfort, power, and reliability that a GT car should have. In looks, power and rarity, it can compete with the higher priced GT cars like Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Maserati. In comfort and reliability, I think it surpasses these cars.
So why is it that these Jags have depreciated so much?
If you asked the common man on the street as to what they think the Jag would sell for today, they would more than likely double the price.
What is the profile of a buyer of a used X150? Is it that different for those buyers of the higher priced cars?
What we need is a marketing guru who can create a renewed demand for these cars so that the prices rise to the car's real value.

 

Current depreciation has NOTHING to do with future value.
I have had cars thay you could not give away that ended up selling for $100k.

its all about trends, the world you know now is not what the world will be 20 years from now. Who would have thought 10 years ago that on a saturday night the majority of cars would be uber/lyft

 

Some people also won the lottery by buying a ticket. That doesn't mean that YOUR car will be selling for $100K anytime soon. Unless Donald start printing money.