JAGUAR XJ6
50 YEARS ALREADY OF THIS AMAZING INDUSTRY CHANGING PART OF MOTORING HISTORY
There’s a first time for everything — and some initial experiences are more memorable than others. When I first drove out of Palmerston North early in 1969, at the wheel of one of the first Jaguar XJ6 saloons to arrive in New Zealand, the immediate impression was, wow, this car is really special — it was, and it still is.
The well-balanced styling was easy on the eye, the soothing ride and handling were top of the world, and the interior looked and felt like a gentleman’s club. This Jaguar was a landmark car, slinking down the road in near silence while its occupants admired the organic-looking tightweave carpets and enjoyed the smell of luscious expensive leather and polished wood.
Here was the ambience of a Rolls-royce, and all for a bargain $7012 on our market. You could even pay a miserly $5696 for the 2.8-litre version instead of the 4.2-litre straight-six — but best avoid the smaller power plant that failed to do justice to such a magnificent car, was no more economical, and was sometimes prone to piston failure. And a decade after its introduction, the XJ6 was still considered an outstanding car.
What else could you buy for that amount of money in the late ’60s? The competing Mercedes and BMWS were almost $2K more expensive. Meanwhile, the XJ6 provided a combination of performance, comfort, roadholding, and quietness that no rival could match, regardless of price.
Nothing’s perfect, of course, and the fierce Palmy winds during that early test drive affected the car’s stability slightly. Nor were we were enamoured of the knifeedge finish to the tops of the doors and the less-thanimpeccable build quality. Yet, here was the most refined, safest, and most advanced car ever to roll out of the Coventry plant — indeed, a four-door saloon that set new standards and was, at the time, the best saloon that Jaguar had ever produced.
The choice of royalty
How appropriate, then, to celebrate half a century of the XJ, the car that has been the choice of royalty, politicians, business leaders, and celebrities; the car that US
Car and Driver magazine described 50 years ago as “the best-balanced and quietest car” that it had driven.
It is also time to ponder the many fine XJ saloons still running, including Sir William Lyons’ very own Sable Brown Series 1 4.2 XJ6, which is showing a mere 71,000 miles and now belongs to the
Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust in England. Also owned by the trust is the Queen Mother’s Series 1 long-wheelbase Vanden Plas version, finished in Claret and sporting an orange coachline along its graceful flanks. Inside is timely Radiomobile eight-track cartridge audio and a speedo reading 62,000 stately miles.
There are some rather nice XJS on our shores too, such as the immaculate first-generation 4.2 XJ6 owned by Stephen Ward in Katikati. Originally finished in Ascot Fawn and now repainted Silver Birch, Stephen’s car was first registered in the UK in December 1968 before
being shipped to Sydney in March 1969. Significantly, this was the first XJ6 that went to Australia, yet it has been resident in New Zealand since 1997.
First shown in London
The XJ6 broke cover at London’s
Royal Lancaster Hotel on 26 September 1968, and guests were wowed by the elegant blending of art and machine. It was the start of a distinctive dynasty that was further enhanced four years later by the arrival of the XJ12 — the world’s only mass-produced, 12-cylinder four-door car, and the fastest sedan at the time.
The car inherited the influence of boss Sir William Lyons, and looked relatively compact with a superb profile; it was unmistakably a Jaguar. The body and chassis structure was exceptionally strong, with the strength concentrated in the lower half of the body so that there was little need for thick pillars, while the bolt-on front wings were easily replaceable.
Coils and wishbones up front replaced the torsion bars of earlier Jaguars, and Girling shock absorbers were mounted outboard of the springs, allowing increased travel and more effective control because they were attached to the outer end of the wishbone. Anti-dive geometry was rare in 1968, but the XJ6 had it, and the Girling four-wheel disc brakes were highly effective. The E-type rear springing and suspension also impressed the pundits.
For the first time in a Jaguar, rack-andpinion steering was fitted with power assistance and, while light, provided good sensitivity, with 3.2 turns lock to lock. On my debut drive, the handling felt completely reassuring, body roll was minimal, and overall stability outstanding. In spite of the soft, comforting ride, the car’s handling instilled confidence and never felt vague.
Higher bumper
The Series 2 was easily distinguished by a higher front bumper with under-riders and park light and blinkers mounted below the bumper. There was also improved ventilation, and column switches for lights and wipers. The venerable and much-loved twin-overhead-camshaft straight-six XK engine with an aluminium alloy head and twin SU carburettors required no changes, producing a lazy 245bhp (181kw) and generous 385Nm of torque at 3750rpm.
By 1973, the list price had risen to $9848. Five years later, the price had climbed to $22,500, but there was still a two-year waiting list. Local availability improved with the Nelson assembly of the XJ6 from 1971 until 1978. It is estimated that 1266 4.2-litre Series 1 and Series 2 XJ6S were assembled here. With slowing demand for large, costly cars in the late ’70s, the anticipated low sales volume for the newer Series 3 did not justify the cost of tooling up at Nelson. Cape Town, in South Africa, and Belgium were the only other territories outside the UK to build the XJ6.
Nelson assembly
I visited the Nelson plant in September 1971 to watch the first XJ6S being assembled at the modest rate of five cars a week — although the target was to increase this to 10 a week. Four versions were being built: the 4.2 auto, 2.8 auto, 2.8 manual with overdrive, and the Daimler Sovereign 4.2 auto.
Twenty years earlier, about 30 Mark V Jaguars had been assembled in Auckland and
Christchurch, although the project was not entirely a success.
Apart from the trailing arms needing to be attached, the rear independent suspension arrived from the UK intact and was easily fitted to the car. The rather complex independent front suspension was also assembled and the camber angles set back in England, requiring no local adjustment, while the inboard disc brakes were already fitted with pads.
It took seven working days at Nelson to produce a Jaguar, with the task that took the longest attending to the soft trim and seating. While the wood trim was imported, New Zealand content included leather, headlining, windscreen glass, handbrake cables, the speedo cable, brake hoses, horns, road springs, the radiator, and the ignition coil. A special import license was needed to import the Dunlop E70 VR 15 SP Sport tyres that were specifically designed for the XJ6, whereas other locally assembled cars were required to be fitted with New Zealand–made tyres.
The first of the built-up Series 3 cost about $50K in New Zealand in 1979, rising to $71,500 over the next two years. Final examples in 1986 sold for $89,500 (XJ6) and $102,500 (Sovereign).
Jaguar had built 98,227 Series 1 models by 1973, with the 4.2 short-wheelbase the most popular — comprising 59,077 of that total. In spite of the oil crisis, Series 2 production reached 91,227, while the Series 3 total was 132,952, of which 10,500 were V12s.
The Series 3 had a subtle Pininfarina redesign, with a raised rear roof, smoothedout guards, increased glass area, flush door handles, and revised rear light clusters; build quality was definitely improving by this time. While the Series 3 XJ6 ended in 1987, as the newer generation XJ40 arrived — another story for another time — the thirsty 5.3-litre V12 version continued until 1992, making a total of 318,000 XJ6 and XJ12 models in the 24-year production period.
Old Jaguars may seem cheap, but, be warned, they can be expensive to run and it is a wise enthusiast who allows for high maintenance costs. British Leyland management and production dilemmas hit the Series 2, and Lucas was at a low point with switchgear, alternator, and other component problems. Get it right, however, and there’s nothing like a good XJ — a car that looks like a cat; moves like a cat; and, in many ways, has the personality of a cat.
Happy birthday, pussy.