Pretty Purrfect!

The Series III XJ seems to have it all. It’s a real Jaguar that perhaps forever will symbolise the ’space, pace and grace’ principles of Sir William Lyons. The beautiful flowing lines of car design that have made Jaguar so unique and admired the world over.

When the XJ40 appeared in 1986 with its awkward angular looks it seemed that Jaguar had decided that square shoulder pads were the future - to be fair ’Dynasty’ was the hit TV series at the time. Although why the Jag design team thought that large glass bricks placed either side of the iconic chrome grille would appear more attractive than the traditional round headlights is a tad mysterious. At least they made a welcome comeback on the X300.

Getting better with age

 

There are some cars that are born to be classics. We didn’t know it at the time but that funny-looking Porsche 356 spawned the iconic 911 that we all know and love today - but who would have believed that the shape would still be recognised after 40-odd years?  Is it a ‘classic’ because it was always considered beautiful? Hardly, but it does have that unique appeal that has endured the test of time and of course that legendary build-quality. Then there are those cars that enter our lives like the mayfly only to be referred to by future generations as a ‘timeless classic’. The Jaguar XK8 is a ‘classic example’.