JAGUAR

XJ Series 1

The Jaguar XJ Series 1 was launched on 26 September 1968 and represented a bold gamble by Sir William Lyons, who replaced Jaguar's sprawling 1960s saloon range with a single, world-beating model. The result was a triumph: the Jaguar XJ Series 1 combined a sublime ride, near-silent refinement and genuine sporting ability in a low, elegant body that Lyons himself considered one of his finest designs. At launch it used Jaguar's proven 2.8- and 4.2-litre XK straight-six engines, with power-assisted steering and leather upholstery standard on the higher-specification cars and air conditioning available as an option. In 1972 the range gained a true showpiece: the magnificent 5.3-litre V12 engine, making the XJ12 one of the few twelve-cylinder saloons in the world and arguably the most refined car money could buy. Badge-engineered Daimler Sovereign and Double-Six versions broadened the appeal, and a long-wheelbase body added rear-seat space. Praised by press and public alike, the Jaguar XJ Series 1 sold strongly through to 1973, with total production of all variants reaching 82,126 cars before the Series 2 took over. Today the Jaguar XJ Series 1 is cherished as the purest and prettiest of the breed, its chrome-bumpered styling and creamy six- and twelve-cylinder engines making it a quintessentially British classic.