Jaguar XJ6 4.2 S3 Saloon

Launched to a disbelieving world in 1968, the Jaguar XJ6 still ranks as one of the most significant cars ever made. 

Its 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.

It remained in production for 26 years, going through three stages of development before being replaced by the X300 in 1994. The Series 3 model (as here) came out in 1979 and was subtly redesigned by Pininfarina with a few minor tweaks to improve safety and wind noise such as bigger rubber bumpers, flush-fitting door handles and one-piece front windows with no quarter lights. The roof-line was also raised slightly for increased passenger head-room and Bosch fuel-injection was fitted for improved economy and performance.

However the really big news was the marked increase in build quality under the hawk-eyed supervision of Jaguar’s new chairman, Sir John Egan, who was rightly concerned by some of the shoddy practices that had slipped in during the production of the Series 2 cars in the late 70s. Available with three engine options (3.6, 4.2 and 5.3 litres), the revamped XJ6 once again became one of the finest saloons on the market and some 133,000 were sold before it was replaced by the rather boxy and frumpy XJ40 in 1986.

Supplied new by Appleyards of Harrogate in April 1985, this particular S3 has the 205bhp 4.2-litre engine and comes in a lovely shade of Westminster Grey with a matching hide interior. It has covered some 126,300 miles to date with 16 service stamps but was fitted with an exchange unleaded engine rebuilt by Jaguar specialists VSE in August 2000 at about 110,000 miles. It has also been fitted with an LPG system for improved economy.

The current engineer owner bought the car in 2002 and it has wanted for nothing during his 11 years’ ownership and has always been kept garaged – though to be fair, it hasn’t really needed much as he and his wife have used it on high days and holidays only, clocking up a mere 3,000 miles during this time.

Recently fitted with new tyres all round and said to drive superbly, it comes with a fitted car cover, a large history file and is taxed until the end of October with an MOT until July 2014. Only reluctantly being sold due to a knee operation which means that the vendor can no longer get in and out as easily as he once did, this elegant and cossetting saloon surely has years of useful life left in it.

CATALOGUE AMENDMENT; Please note that the vendor  has advised us that the  LPG conversion has been electronically disconnected but is otherwise in full working order.