All Entries in the "JAGUAR" Category
ADLX Classified: Jaguar E-Type / XKE Wheels For Sale
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: Jaguar XKE / E-Type Wheels
FOR SALE: original set of Jaguar XKE / E-Type wire wheels.
Each E-Type rim is triple laced with 72 spokes – all of which are accounted for and in strong condition. By no means pristine, these 15″ E-Type rims are still in good overall condition, original, and were fitted to my mother’s 1970 Jaguar E-Type, Series II roadster.
As she no longer owns the E-Type, she really doesn’t have use for the spare set of Jag wheels. Though my inner gearhead thinks they’d make for good decorative pieces on the wall in her garage, I’m sure they could be put to better use.
Three of the E-Type wheels are still fitted with the original Michelin 185 SR 15 radials and one with a period, studded snow tyre.
She says she’ll gladly consider all reasonable offers. gunnar [at] automobilesdeluxe [dot] tv
Max Bling: Jaguar XJ75
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Jaguar Cars ::: Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept
“The XJ is thoroughly modern, and captures the innovative and daring character that our founder Sir William Lyons built into every Jaguar.” – Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director Jaguar
JAGUAR message: what’s new = what’s right and proper.
So out with frumpy old elegance, wilton carpet, and thick, aromatic hides. Down with evolutionary design and on with the revolution! Let’s set upon every fad and pounce on every technological trend, ill advised or not. ‘Cuz it’s what the people surely want!
As Jaguar pitches itself out of a black hole and hopefully into some black ink, the company is as busy as ever shedding the Holland & Holland patina of yesterday to embrace Burberry plaid with all the force and speed of England’s rugby team.
Speaking of rugby, have you heard of the Jaguar Academy of Sport?
The Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept, is a key, showy part of Jaguar’s 75th Anniversary celebration, and it marks a decisive turn to all that blings. A direct appeal, in other words, to all those high-rollahs in Flo-Ridah and footballers in Manchester.
Right and proper. Let’s hope this strategy works.
Remembering Connolly Leather
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Jaguar Cars ::: Connolly Leather
PRECIOUS few automotive experiences ranked as luxurious as stepping into a new Connolly leather interior.
Jaguar’s own specially commissioned Autolux hides were a particular slice of heaven-sent bovine. If you opened the door of an X308 gen. Vanden Plas, as I did, the most wonderful perfume greeted your olfactory senses as you slid into a seat tightly bolstered with thick hide and punctuated with perfect, oatmeal piping.
In terms of G-rated leather-fetish experiences, sitting on Connolly leather ranked somewhere above slipping on a new Gucci loafer.
Founded in 1878, Connolly was a family business that catered extensively to the British auto industry over the course of 125 years. Their reputation for the bulk of their tenure was widely viewed as beyond reproach.
Connolly provided for Ferrari drivers, Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners, Aston Martin aficionados, and even MG sadomasochists devotees. Those slatted seats in the House of Lords chamber at the Palace of Westminster are by Connolly. As were the hide bound interiors of royal coaches at the turn of the 20th Century.
Sadly, following a botched expansion scheme into the US in the late 90s, which among other missteps saw corrupt executives pilfer company funds and low-volume Connolly try to supply mass-market Ford and GM, the company fell into financial duress and then slipped the market’s surly bonds in 2002.
Luckily for those who own Connolly upholstered cars, Connolly “Hide Food” is still sold and firms like Leatherique and GAHH are go-to resources for either restoring or replacing original Connolly hides.
Seems a shame, though, that when we think of Jaguar, Bentley, Aston, or Rolls interiors now, we can no longer give credit to King Connolly. All the more reason, then, to appreciate their craftsmanship in the classics.
eBay Watch: Jaguar XJS V12 Convertible. Cheap to Buy. But To Own?
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via eBay ::: 1989 Jaguar XJS 12 for sale
POP quiz hot shot, there’s an ‘89 Jag XJS with a V12 for sale on eBay with 49K on the clock. Seller lists no reserve, says the cars got a clean CARFAX (for what that’s worth) and the current bid price is $960 – what do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO??
I think I’ll forever associate the venerable XJS convertible with the Reeves/Hopper film Speed.
[eBay]
Jaguar Gets Geared Up For The World Cup
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Jaguar Cars
YES, it would seem that even Team Jaguar is getting geared up for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Their marketing department has even created a special logo and a kind of award series called the “Jaguar Academy of Sport” designed for recognizing British athletic success stories.
Slick as the concept is, it leaves little doubt as to which country Team Jaguar supports which might not suit their Indian parent corporation.
But pounds sterling trumps nationalism, so hopefully this bit of patriotism (rare these days of multinational firms) will play well for Jaguar’s UK sales somehow.
Rule Britannia! PM’s New Jaguar
Presented by Elle, no less…
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via Current + PistonHeads ::: Prime Minister Cameron’s Jaguar
FOR those monitoring the British elections and their aftermath, car fanatics and Jaguarphiles alike have noted the bevvy of previous generation XJ sedans ferrying the outgoing and incoming PMs to and from Downing Street.
This doubtlessly marks good publicity for Jaguar as Coventry have had two of their finest older generations on display – the X308 and the aluminum X350 – both in gleaming form.
That said, there were worried grumblings from some over what car the next prime ministerial ride would be. Surely, it couldn’t be something so lavish as a Bentley or Rolls? The tax aggrieved, recession-slammed public wouldn’t wear it.
Rover no longer makes cars. Bristol’s best is an esoteric super car. Morgans would be subject to the threat of attack by terrorists and termites. The new Audi A8? The PM riding in a German limo, what?
Perish the thought.
Ah, the new XJ! Perfect choice, if not perfect timing. It’s been reported that the armored PM-spec XJ costs as much as £200,000 ($295,000); £120K more than the standard kit XJ. UK government’s paying Bentley prices after all!
According to PistonHeads, No. 10 took delivery of the new X351 generation Jag on May 11th and the official car of state is now on display before Her Majesty’s peoples, the Commonwealth, and the whole of the world.
Hooray for Jaguar. Rule Britannia.
Plus One Year: 2010 Jaguar XJ
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: YouTube ::: 2010 Jaguar XJ
IT’S been nearly one solid year since car guy Jay Leno unveiled the X351 (current) generation XJ Jaguar flagship in a posh London art gallery.
Months prior to the reveal, Jaguar teased us blogger folk with furtive images of cat-like silhouettes and LED headlamps piercing through blackness. It was exciting. Some might say arousing. And then the reveal.
Has the XJ lived up to the hype since? Difficult to say, really. Despite Callum & Co.’s best efforts, in the XJ there seems an awful lot of Citroën C6 mixed with Audi A6 mixed with who-knows-what.
But Mr. Leno gives an encouraging few bons mots for Jag design in this video; referencing what old men want and so forth.
Enjoy.
TRT: 02:57.
A Friendly Reminder: Jaguar is 75.
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Jaguar Cars, Ltd ::: Jaguar 75 Years
SEVENTY-FIVE years. Don’t they go by in a blink?
Founded in 1922, the Swallow Side Car Company featured roadsters with model designations starting “SS” (i.e, SS100). During the war, Jaguar boss Sir William Lyons had the good sense to change the name of the company to “Jaguar”, deftly navigating round unpalatable connotations with the enemy.
In case you’re doing the math, Jaguar is marking 2010 as the 75th anniversary of the company using the Jaguar name. The historical milestone calls for a celebrations of sorts.
Jaguar’s brought the RSR XKR GT2 to the American track; racing in the American LeMans Series (ALMS). Jaguar also aims to make a special splash at Pebble Beach this year, too.
A right year for the Coventry cat then? With the launch of the next XJ, set against an aging S-Class, LS, and one-year-old 7er, good motor press clippings are likely to follow in the months ahead.
What better way to mark 75 years then?
The Sweet Smell of Luxury: That New Car Scent
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Land Rover ::: new car leather scent
VOLATILE organic compounds or (VOCs) are what account for most of that heady scent each and every time you step into a new car. Essentially, that new car smell is a perfume of air born molecules emitting from freshly applied glues, plastics, vinyls and, of course, leather.
For some, that new car – leather smell is a kind of aphrodisiac. Or at least was.
In an effort to be environmentally friendly, car makers are cutting back on VOCs as a way of preempting EU safety nannies; eager to levy taxes on anything deemed unhealthy or un-green.
The result is kind of sad for the auto aficionado as most of those blissful scents of new hide bound interiors are gone or subdued from contemporary cars.
Sigh. Let’s wind back the clock 10 years to headier times with lovelier bouquets. The following were the best new car leather scents in the biz.
6) Lexus
5) Saab
4) Land Rover / Range Rover
3) Volvo
2) BMW
1) Jaguar
Find yourself inside a new RX300 back in 2000 and the smooth hides seemed to embrace you in a buttery aroma so rich you couldn’t believe it wasn’t. And, in fact, you did salivate.
Saab’s 9-3 convertible and hatchback featured hides that awakened our nasal senses with tea-tree oil and perhaps a bit of eucalyptus. Sub. Lime.
Land Rovers and Range Rover came fitted with a thick musk as standard equipment which seemed to espouse the very essence of the great outdoors as catered for by Abercrombie & Kent. Decadent.
Volvo’s leather once emitted a luxurious perfume, so full yet zesty like the Saab. A V70’s interior was an uncommonly decadent space, considering the safety focused Swedish company that marketed its models to a decidedly pragmatic clientele.
BMWs through the 90s into the early 00s seemed to lace their hides with pheromones, particularly if you opted for special edition Montana leather packages. The electricity was in the air even before you turned the ignition.
But, by far, the finest scent ever produced for any automobile was the AutoLux hides produced for the Jaguar Vanden Plas (Daimler) by Connolly. Easily trumping Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and vastly superior to the deluxe interior packages of the current XJ. Those piped hides emited a peerlessly rich, luxuriant bouquet that seemed to permeate life’s finest ingredients.
Picture it: reposing in the rear seat, leather soles meeting the soft cushion of deep pile Wilton carpeting, gazing through the stretched window framed in chrome and boxwood and breathing in the most heavenly automotive scent ever created.
Connolly should’ve bottled that essence and sold it next to Gio and Cool Water. Magnificent.
Jag v. Dump Truck: Another Day on 95
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: Jaguar vs. dump truck ::: img via IMCDB
NEVER mess with the irate driver of a Jaguar.
Particularly if said driver carries a loaded weapon and uses both gun and Jag to carry out a vendetta against you -or – in this one instance on I-95 in Virginia, a dump trunk whose driver also suffered from an acute case of road rage.
Per the Washington Post:
[T]wo Woodbridge men [were] jailed and facing attempted-murder charges began with jockeying at a merge lane, escalated to demolition-derby-style ramming and ended with gunshots [...] four witnesses told [the police] that the dump truck “intentionally rammed the Jaguar” and that “the dump truck struck the other vehicle several times, pinning it against the guardrail on the right shoulder then against the concrete wall on the left shoulder,” leaving it with “significant damage.”
The driver of the M.Y. 2004 Jaguar pulled over, exited car, brandished piece and shot at the truck as many as 13 times across crowded I-95.
His fury not quite sated, its reported that the driver then got back in his Jag and went off to attack the dump truck by ramming into it until State Police pulled both vehicles over.
But here’s the real question burning our inquisitive minds – was the Jaguar an S-Type of X-Type? The Post didn’t say.
Oh, but they did report that there was a toddler riding shotgun in the car during the entire event.
