COUNTRY FILE
Both of these British V8 cruisers heralded a brand-new world for their makers and they offer a huge amount of modern classic for your money today. Here’s what buyers need to know
‘The Jag is well established in the fraternity; the P38 is more of an enigma’
The P38A and X308 were both hugely important to Jaguar and Land Rover. One represented a modern reboot of a classic theme while the other was a timely evolution of an all-time icon. They both had to succeed in order to guarantee the future prosperity of their respective makers.
The Range Rover was the Rover Group’s flagship and a technical tour de force, showcasing a huge amount of new technology under its conservativelooking skin. It was designed to be the world’s best off-roader but also fulfil the role of luxury limousine for an increasingly wealthy client base.
The XJ’S job was even tougher – it had to appeal to Jaguar’s ageing audience but also encourage new buyers into the fold by being a better luxury saloon for keen drivers. As it would be up against the E34 BMW 5 Series and E38 7 Series and Mercedes-benz W124 and W210-generation E-class, it needed to be very special indeed.
Today both are celebrated modern classics. The Jaguar’s traditional styling and proportions mean that it’s already well established in the classic car fraternity, especially now that the worst of the crusty, neglected examples have started to disappear from our roads. The P38A is more of an enigma. The best V8-engined examples found their place some while ago and are on the up after what seems like an eternity in the doldrums but the Land Rover community still (largely) looks down its nose at it, viewing it as an awkward in-betweener that’s not exactly blessed with reliability. But as long as you have an understanding specialist who will keep on top of its electronic and structural issues – or you’re a hands-on wizard – you should enjoy the full ownership experience.
Here’s what to look out for so you can decide which of these luxurious British cruisers is the one for you.