12 Jaguar XJ6

The XJ celebrates its 50th birthday this year, but you’d never guess from looking at it. The blend of refined luxury and outright power proved a huge hit in the late ’60s and early ’70s, delighting the kind of upwardly mobile folk who secretly fancied some German sophistication but were determined to buy British. And it’s still quite the looker today: lithe, stylish and sporty.

The Series 1 came with 2.8- and 4.2-litre versions of Jaguar’s venerable XK ‘six,’ with a 3.4 arriving with the Series 2 in 1974. S2s are more affordable, but the S1 is the one to go for: by ’74 the British economy was tanking, and Jaguar wasn’t immune from needing to cut costs. The 2.8s are relatively rare but surprisingly good value: expect to pay anything from £4000 to £10k-plus. The more plentiful 4.2s are costlier, but you can pick one up within our budget cap.