47, owned my first XK8 at 41.

 

I turned 28 Monday and I bought my XKR at 23. I also bought my XJR at 27.

 

I'm 57, and feel mentally 17, but working on cars all my life, and having all the physical maladies that go with that, my doctor says even though I am healthy, my body says I am more like 65. Thank God for air tools, and the kids wanting to learn down the alley. I promised my wife, this was going to be my last project, because of the difficulty I physically had putting my XK8 together, so it looks like I am going to be a Jaguar and Porsche owner, til I die.....Mike

 

I'm 69. Even if I'd been able to afford an XK8 when they first came out I still would have been older than you are now. Sorry dude, but it is what it is. And yes, If I'd been able to afford one in '96 I would have bought one then - I've always thought they were one of the most beautiful cars ever made. And now that I can afford to own one, I'm equally impressed with all the rest of the aspects of the car. Just drive what you want, I say. Age doesn't matter as long as you're happy and in good company, eh?

 

I am 38 but maybe I have an older soul...I love the classic lines of XK8 and XJR ... I'm much less interested in the XF and F type ... but I love XKR-S ..I hope in 10 years I can own one.

 

I went to the British Sports car Club meet her in London Ontario last weekend, a pretty thorough mix of Jags, MG's, Triumphs and Jags. The average age would seem to be late 50's through 70's, I am 66 with my XK8. It may be that both the time and diposable income necessary to maintain the passion drives the demographics of toy car ownership.

 

I'll be 22 in September. I've never been told that I drive an old man's car. Can't say the same thing about the month I drove myself in an VDP while my XK8 was getting fresh paint.

People do ask me if either my car was a gift from my parents (implying I am spoiled) or if I have somehow made it at such a young age. If only they knew how much these cars have depreciated.

 

I'm 68.I bought my 1st Jag ('63 E Type) when I was 22. Traded it when we were expecting our 1st child & planning a move from Pennsylvania to Utah in '72. Didn't get another Jag until 2009 ('07 X Type). I bought the XK8 in 2011.

 

My future wife will have to pry the keys to my jag from my cold dead body if she ever wants to get rid of my Jag.

 

Another observation: I briefly had a Mazda Miata and realized every one I past seemed to also be owned by middle aged, or older, men! So I don't just think it's Jaguars!!

 

I noticed this also. There are 3-4 Miata's in my neighborhood, all driven by middle aged men & women.

 

Here at the retirement home we love 3 things, Cruise ships, pudding, and Jaguars.

Just kidding, Way back in the 80s I belonged to a British sports car club. We were all in our 20s and 30s then, well, I went to a meeting not long ago and it was the same guys! There wasn't a single person under 40.

 

I agree most Miata's are owned by mid aged men/

 

I think that, as it has been stated many times, our cars are updates of the original XKE which many of us "older folk" lusted after when we were young in the sixties and seventies. The newer generation, those in their twenties and thirties, and even in their forties are probably not even aware of the XKE. If they saw one on the street (I have seen only one in the last fifteen or twenty years only about a year ago, and I had forgotten how small that they really are) they wouldn't even know what it was. In fact, I have only had two people who has seen my XK8 and knew what it is and one of them is a good friend of mine who knows someone who owns one.
Our cars just don't register with the younger age guys either as an update of the XKE or even as what they are, since they hardly ever see one.
In fact, almost everyone who has seen mine has thought that it is only one or two years old and don't have a clue as to what it is.

 

My average age keeps going up; currently 55. Yes I am another middle aged owner and I do refer to my XK8 as my mid-life crisis. For many years I drove sensible family cars capable of taking the family on holiday, towing a car trailer (for my restoration project), and bringing planks of wood home from the timber merchants. My wife had the fun car. It was only when my boys had cars of their own that I realised I could have the car I had lusted after when it was first released. As a child I lusted after the E-type and remember seeing them being blasted along the M1 by the factory test drivers, who used it as their test track. I believe this practice is one of the reasons that they first introduced the 70mph speed limit on motorways.

 

I owned an early 60s MG Midget for more than 35 years and sold it a couple years ago so I guess I just missed owning a British roadster. The Midget was really not what I'm into now and was getting awfully hard to get in and out of.
I do miss a manual transmission and this is my first automatic in decades (other than the wife's cars). I was looking at Boxters for a while but before buying the XK8 but you can't access the engine from the top so they seem to be no fun to work on. I always liked the XKE but just didn't feel like putting out the cash needed to get and maintain one. The XK8 seems like the perfect "compromise" of modern motoring and classic style.

And by the way, I'm getting very close to 60.

 

I bought mine ten years ago and I am also 60 years old.
I notice contemporary Jaguars decrease in value by year then at a certain point regain. My 77 XJS is worth more than the 98 XK8 now.

 

I was just having a conversation with a co-worker this morning about the future of car collecting and what the younger generations will be collecting 20 years from now.

What I have noticed at least in America is the younger kids by and large are looking for smaller lighter cars like Honda's and Scions etc. I was born in 1964 and so I was not only able to see a great many of the 50's cars still being driven but also able to see so many of the iconic muscle cars coming out new. Add in the XKE's and TR6' and MG's and man what a great time to grow up with a passion for great cars.

I think for myself the main things that have drawn me to the Jaguar sports cars is not only their timeless designs but also the fact that you just do not see them every day. I have always been a fan of the first generation Mustangs and Camaro's etc. but I see rows and rows of them at every car show and simply do not have a desire to spend the money it would take to build a very nice example only to be one of 10 being shown etc.

I like the fact that Jags were built to be driven and can hold their own on today's highways with more contemporary cars.

 

Hi,
First Jaguar at 30. Now 35 years. Few S type 4.0 and XK8 before current one. This is the one planing to keep and I think this car has nothin to do with "granny" type label. It is very few STR Jaguars to face here and tuning these cars is even more rear.

Jaguar later models has same reputation as older men vehicle and as a gentlemen or rich people status comes whit it also.

I dont think newer versions XF,XJ,XE are being labeled as a older people vehicle no more but because the vehicle tax being so high more powerful versions are very rare here...for examble new 2015 XJ 3.0 is something about 150 000€ here (insane isnt it ?)

 

I'm 120 first thing in the morning until I get all the kinks out, but the rest of the day I rock along at 80. It's all in the mind anyway. If you think your old you will be. I've got a neighbor who thinks he's about done in at 78 and believe you me he looks and acts like it. Forget your age and live life to the fullest-----buy another Jaguar.
BTW: Just purchased a Mid Rise Scissor Lift (ATLAS). Got it all set up today, went through all the test and lifted the Jag for the first time. What a great system. I'm happy as ( a Pig eating sh--).