Jaguar Sovereign XJ6 SIII

Launched to a disbelieving world in 1968, the Jaguar XJ6 still ranks as one of the most significant cars ever made. It's astonishing standards of handling, comfort and silence, coupled with the traditional Jaguar attributes of performance and value for money, immediately made every other car on the road look over-priced and old-fashioned. 

No wonder a CAR magazine panel voted it Car of the Year in 1968 and later, in 12-cylinder Daimler form, Best Car in the World. The car on offer today is the last and the best of the early 'Series' XJ6 cars, being a fuel-injected Series III model which was launched in 1979. Slightly faster and more economical than the preceding models, it offered limousine refinement and sportscar performance in a classically beautiful Jaguar body style which had been subtly redesigned by Pininfarina. It was replaced by the much less elegant XJ40 in 1986.

This top spec Jaguar Sovereign 4.2 was first registered in August 1984 and has had five owners from new. In 2000, when the car had reputedly only covered about 13,000 miles, it was treated to a bare metal respray in the lovely steel blue shade it sports today. The interior woodwork was also refurbished and the speedo replaced with a new unit – this currently reads about 18,600 miles so the car has actually covered around 32,000 miles from new. Although there is insufficient history to warrant this mileage, the general condition of the car and the superb tan leather interior would appear to bear it out and it is said to drive exactly as a low mileage car should.

About two years ago new springs and shock absorbers were fitted all round, the brakes were overhauled and the Pepperpot alloys were refurbished and fitted with new white-band tyres. The car is now in excellent condition throughout with everything working as it should, including the air conditioning. Supplied with an MOT until February 2012 but currently on SORN, the car looked and sounded great when we went to view it. It comes with the original owner’s handbook, most old MOTs back to 2000 and a nice private plate, 261 CDL. Altogether a most superior example of this wonderful model.