Cash-free classics

Jaguar XJ6 Series 1

The XJ has epitomised everything that Jaguar does best – elegant, swift and luxurious motoring – for more than half a century. Values of early XJs in tidy condition – and the rarer Series 1 models in particular – have finally flourished after many years of being worth eyebrowtwitchingly little money. This is good news if you’re looking for something to enjoy and then sell on that won’t run away with your investment.

If that’s your aim, go for the silken XK six-pot. Of course, the deeply lovely XJ12 (introduced in 1973) is also an option, but with 13mpg and noticeably higher maintenance costs, your wallet will need some convincing that it’s going to escape the ownership experience unscathed.

Most of the weaker examples expired years ago, so the remainder have mostly led charmed lives, though they’re now quite thin on the ground. Mollycoddled, dry-stored S1s do occasionally appear on specialist dealer forecourts, and they’re well poised to attract any further appreciation that may still be left in the market, so long as you can negotiate a good deal. However, most of the better examples have undergone some degree of restorative work by now, so they’ll need to be top notch if they’re to be reliable, cashfree classics.

Long-wheelbase or badgeengineered Daimler versions come with a little extra kudos, but originality and solidity matter above all else.

Trouble is, you’ll only get your cash back when you sell, and you might not want to… Theo Ford-Sagers