Peter Braybrooke's Story
My love of the brand began in 1963 when I would have been 6 years old. My father sold his blue and white Sunbeam Rapier and ordered a MkII 3.8 in opalescent metallic blue, with dark blue leather, registration 4484 KR from KJ Motors. It was automatic and had power steering. Back then it was a big car and my dad had to push it in and out of his garage as it was too narrow for him to be able to open the doors!
My best memory was that, before he sold it in 1967 in favour of a Daimler Sovereign (420), at some point he let me sit on his lap and drive it. Well, steer at any rate. I remember most things in that era by linking them to his succession of cars. After the Sovereign came a Series 1 Daimler Sovereign in sable with tan seats in 1970, then a Series II in 1975 in a much lighter brown with a cream vinyl Webasto sunroof, I used to borrow the Series II sometimes and remember once having to pilot it through the Paris rush hour when still "new" as we came back from a family holiday in France and I failed to stay on the Peripherique by mistake!
However, he went off Daimlers after owning that one (who can forget the BL era quality?) and bought a BMW 3.0CSI, and later an Audi 200 turbo but he did go back to the brand for a final time in 1980 for a silver Series III.
One of the reasons he moved to BMW was that he ordered a new Series I Daimler Vanden Plas from the Motor Show launch in Coral with olive green leather, which KJ Motors continually failed to deliver. The Series II came out whilst he was still waiting for delivery, and my dad complained directly to Jaguar. Our dealer turned up shortly thereafter with Lord Stokes' former VP Series I company car castoff, which made my dad even more cross and affronted to be offered a second-hand one. I wished he had bought it though, as it looked beautiful and had the magic V12. By then he had given up on the VP, given the BMW to my mum and bought the Audi.
The experience with the MkII got me hooked though, and I leaned about the LeMans wins and watched ventures with the XJS and later racing cars in the late '70s and '80s. It wasn't until 2000 that I managed to acquire my first Jaguar - I bought a new S-Type SE 4.2 in Carnival red which I passed on to my mum. Replaced that in 2004 with another in Zircon blue - a 2.7d. I kept that nine years, so it was fully paid for on my company car allowance. Then an Evoque for 2½ years (they are great fun to own) and last year bought a new XFS petrol in metallic white. In 2010 I bought a 2001 MY XKR convertible, which I still own after seven years and am now looking for an X150 type as I fancy a change. Still bitten - wouldn't want to change for Audi or BMW today. I even have a t-shirt that says "Keep Calm and Drive a Jaguar". Says it all!
Martin Murton-Douglas
My first encounter with Jaguar, apart from seeing pictures and newsreels (Yes I am that old) was when I was about 17 or 18.. I played rugby in my youth and up until I was well over 30, but the Jaguar bug bit me in the early days. One of my team mates bought a big black Mk 10.. (did you know that you can get ten rugby players in a Mk 10.) He used to ferry us to away matches, followed by a Morris 8 with the other five players in it..
I remember one day the person (or persons) sitting in the front, were complaining that we would not get to the away ground on time for kick off and he took the steering wheel off ( the car WAS moving) and passed it across to the passenger side and said.. If you can do better you drive... Much to the panic of every other occupant of the car. Apparently he had lost the nut that held it on....
My next encounter with Jaguar was when the local garage owner bought a gleaming Mk 2. I used to just go stand and look at it for hours.. One day he let me sit in it and the best was yet to come.. He took me around the block in it. (He did know my parents). After that I used to look out for Jaguars and write down the registration numbers of every one that I saw..
Getting married and having a family put paid to any aspirations of owning one for a while, but I still bought Jaguar bits and pieces..
I remember buying a black Jaguar Tennis bag and a green one for my wife (We both played tennis) and one day a not nice person said to me why did I have jaguar bags when I didn't have a Jaguar car. I replied that I loved all things Jaguar. He replied in a sarcastic tone.. 'That is a close as you will ever get to owning a Jaguar'. His dentist bill was not that bad!!!
Finally I was able to have the funds to buy a JAGUAR... I chose a 1998 XKR in Antigua Blue with cream leather. The car only had 30K genuine on the clock and 14 years later still only has 50K. It is tucked up in bed every night alongside its older brother because four years ago I bought a Series 2 E- Type to keep it company as it was getting old and lonely.
Am I finished buying Jaguars?? Not as long as I have breath in my body. I am already looking to enlarge my stable.. Now what will that be??? Haven't decided yet, but you bet your life it will be beautiful.
Brian Lee says..
We have had "JJ" our beloved 1983 Jaguar XJ6 4.2 S3 almost from new! My eldest brother came back from long service overseas with the RAF In the mid '80's and needed a car, and as I was working for: PJEvans Ltd,Birmingham Jaguar Main Agents .He naturally called me as he assumed being in the motor trade I could get him sorted out, as it happened we had this beautiful Indigo Blue XJ which had gone on loan to an elderly Gentleman. He had ordered a DD6 which were difficult to get at the time so we agreed he use this car until his DD6 arrived, some weeks later that happened and I explained to Brother it was 'in to view'.
They duly came to see it and he said "I don't want a Jaguar they are an old man's car"!! His wife however, was smitten and they purchased "JJ" I said I would like first refusal if you ever sell it. At this point I must explain my Sister-in- Law called him 'JagJag'!!
When I finally got him 20yrs later the first thing I said was if you think I am calling it 'JagJag' you must be joking, but as a gesture to my Sis-in-Law I abbreviated it to "JJ". After using "JJ" for several years now I still love the ride,smell, graceful lines and luxurious power of that silky smooth fuel injected 6.
He is in 'intensive care' at present having his engine rebuilt and several jobs while he is in dock he has been having 'TLC' since March and I am really looking forward to having him back, as not to moan, but a Mk1 Golf and Morris Minor as every day transport cannot really compare as much as I love them both.
Jaguar advertising
Jaguar have played on the "aspiring" image of the marque for years and nothing encapsulates that more than the advert which most reminds me of myself. I never quite pressed my nose to a Jaguar showroom, but this is me growing up and into adulthood. The XJ has always been my model of choice, something very appealing about cars of that size and luxury that can go from soft wafting executive saloon to roaring animal at the press of an accelerator pedal.
Brian Leggett
As a small boy of around 11 (or less) I saw world famous, George Formby pull up in a large black JAGUAR saloon at Sam Armstrong’s racing stables where my father worked in Newmarket, Suffolk. “GF” must have had a racehorse (or more) being trained by Mr Armstrong.
I can still recall tentatively approaching Mr Formby and asking for his autograph, which he very cheerfully gave me. I’m not sure now which overawed me the most, “GF” or his JAGUAR, but I certainly remembered both. From that very day I decided I would love one day to be the proud owner of a JAGUAR!
However “wishing ” and actually owning a JAGUAR was quite a different matter. In reality for me the challenge was “did I actually deserve a JAGUAR?” Yes I had some good sports cars MG’s, Triumphs, 2 RX7’s and a Toyota turbo Supra, but never did I feel I could I aspire to the pinnacle of a JAGUAR!
Then in 2002 it happened-- in Sydney, whilst considering what could possibly replace the scarlet Supra, I saw this beautiful 2 year old 3 litre “S” type SE in Sea Frost and bought it for Aus. $72,000 and never regretted it. In Australia particularly, It is quite amazing how much more prestigious is a JAGUAR when compared to a Mercedes, Porsche or Audi. My explanation to Aussies; “it is the dream of just about every “English” boy to one day own a JAGUAR”.
We relocated back to the UK in 2012 after 33 years in Australia and you’ve probably guessed; along came my immaculate low mileage “S” type too. A last minute sale to a friend had fallen through and the removal company built a “table” over it and freighted it FREE in the 40 foot container with all our household contents.
But that’s not the end of my Jaguar story.
In November 2016 I bought a stunning Indigo 2006 4.2 “New XK” convertible with only just over 22,000 miles on the clock, I paid a high price but it is in “show room” condition, however I have hardly driven it and I just can’t bring myself to sell my 2000 82,000 mile “S” type. Driving it is simple and a joy, retaining its immaculate condition (there was no salt on the roads in Australia) and I have just concluded a 6 day, 700 mile round trip to the West country and back with my wife and two friends. It never missed a beat, averaging 32 mph on the run and everyone was so comfortable!!!
So at least for the time being I have become a 2 JAGUAR man plus my wife’s VW--- but one will ultimately have to go.
Stevie Hicks
Hi my name is Stevie Hicks and i am the proud owner of an X type Jaguar Estate, my needs were for a reliable training vehicle with pulling power for towing trailers, i had looked at many different brands of vehicles but none gave me the sense of versatility and many were either automatic or semi manual, then out of nowhere i saw at a petrol filling station an open Jaguar door with a manual gearshift stick in between the seats, a car so prestigious that it never entered my mind to even at that time consider Jaguar.
I started looking further into manual Jaguars and they're availability, same problem thou was that all the models i looked at were automatic, that is until i popped into my regional office to update my appointments diary and attend a couple of meetings, when i overheard a conversation regarding a Jaguar being sold because the driver could not get on with the manual gearbox, rudely i slid into the group and listened for any other interest but, they all had the same idea that an automatic was they're preferred choice of car with larger engine's.
That was the absolute beginning of my affair with my X type, she was bought that week and for the last 10 years has been my trusty work horse, earning me a living wage and teaching new drivers the art of towing and manoeuvring trailers, speed boats, horse box's, heavy plant machinery not to mention payloads up to 2 Tonnes of aggregate and on one occasion at her absolute limit 40 x 25mm 8x4 panel boards in one hit.
Yes she has had a couple of clutches for all her hard work but her versatility of providing the power to pull anything attached to her tow bar at speeds of up to 60mph with no hesitation on hills with her cruise control set, stability of a low ride, and sharp versatile steering capability of getting into any tight space with a trailer on tow makes her my favourite all time towing vehicle.
Her given name is "LynX" and her number plate reflects her cat like style "PUS 51 P" a Pussy cat that Pulls trailers being the theme behind the number plate, she turns a lot of heads with her limo glazed windows and sharp blue paint work, has spent money for which i call her "Vet" bills well she is a cat after all and still a pleasure to drive with hard earned 180'000miles on her milometer.
Only once has she let me down and probably at the worse time i could think of, on a return trip from Belgium the fuel pump had some rubbish fuel go through its system and rip the delivery pumps inners apart sending swarf through the fuel lines, blocking fuel injectors, still she fought on at a severely reduced speed until eventually coming to a halt at tick over speed only.
Stranded on the side of a motorway at a busy May Bank Holiday weekend, eventually recovered to fuel line specialist's who totally stripped down the fuel system from tank to injectors, gave her a good clean up of her fuel lines and everything to do with the fuel system and within a week with readily available Jaguar parts was back on the road and giving back to me a hard earned day of work each time she ventures out, or a day of leisure as we visit the coast lines of East Anglia and Essex.
Am i looking at changing her you may ask and my answer would be a strong no as in my opinion as a long in the tooth mechanic with 42 years experience in the motor trade she is simple the best ....
