Perhaps one of the greatest testaments to any marque, any nameplate, is how long the car which represents it remains more or less unchanged; the Jeep C/Y/JK and Porsche 911, for example. Among sedan/saloon cars, the one that stands out is the Jaguar XJ. Since its introduction in 1968 to its modern day replacement (bearing the same name) in 2010, the XJ maintained its basic shape and much of the same characteristics as it did when it debuted. Timeless. To many, its zenith came in the Series III of the early- to mid-80s. With its Pininfarina styling queues, Bosch fuel injection and refinements like a sunroof as well as cruise control, the Series III became the quintessential Jag saloon. Despite the more sporting predecessors like the 3.8 MK2 or the more powerful Supercharged version that came after—not to mention the completely advanced new XJ—this is the car, along with the E Type, that comes to mind with the mention of a “Jag;” not unlike the 308 GTB/S will, for many years to come, be what comes to mind when mentioning “Ferrari,” despite the legacy before it or the major advances after. With that in mind, it would be very hard to come by a better representation of what a Jaguar saloon should be than the car presented today. Yes, it is a late-model Series III, but on top of that it is the crème-de-la-crème Vanden Plas, with its Connolly leather, tasteful brightwork, exotic wood trim and rear headrests. On top of that, it has less than 34,000 miles. All original and only one owner to boot. It looks to be amazingly well kept and especially nice in its Alpine green finish, which has held up very well. Find it here on Craigslist in Asheville NC for a relatively reasonable $8,500.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.