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Junkyard Gem: 1965 Jaguar S-Type 3.8

The first Jaguar XJs appeared on American roads in late 1968, and decades of production made it the iconic Jaguar sedan most familiar to us today. Before the XJ, however, there was the Mark 2, and that powerful and stylish midsize saloon sold fairly well here during the 1960s. The S-Type (yes, the Leaper-badged Lincoln LS sibling built by Ford around the turn of the century took its name from this car) was an upgraded version of the original Mark 2, sold here for the 1964 through 1968 model years. Here's a rough but recognizable '65 S-Type 3.8, found in a Denver-area wrecking yard recently. The feature that set the S-Type apart from the ordinary Mk2 was this independent rear suspension, based on the one used in the bigger and costlier Jaguar Mark X. The base Mk2 and its old-timey solid rear axle remained available in 1965, with a sticker price of $5,419 (about $51,460 in 2022 dollars), while the S-Type cost $5,933 (around $56,340 now). Yes, those inboard disc brakes were just as much a nightmare to work on as you'd think, but they reduced unsprung weight and improved the handling and ride. This car was about the same size as a typical Detroit midsize sedan of the day, but far more expensive and much more prestigious. GM's swankiest S-Type-sized offering, the Buick Skylark, cost a mere $2,552 ($24,235 today) and had a notable lack of real wood inside. Actually, that Skylark with the optional 300-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) "Wildcat 355" V8 would have been a lot quicker than the S-Type, at least in a straight line, and your friendly Buick dealer probably could have arranged to have the hot-rod 401 (and its 325 horses) out of the Gran Sport coupe stuffed into a new Skylark sedan. The S-Type of 1965 got this sophisticated DOHC straight-six of 3.8 liters' displacement, rated at 220 horsepower. As you'd expect, someone grabbed the pair of SU sidedraft carburettors before I got here, perhaps before the car even arrived at this place. The 4.2-liter version of this engine used in the Mark X got three carbs. I suspect that this car was bought by a Denver-area Jaguar enthusiast for parts, decades back, and then was used for outdoor storage of components for future projects.  These cars are worth decent money in good condition, but this one would need the application of tens of thousands of dollars to be worth … tens of thousands of dollars. As someone who daily-drove an MGB for a few years, the sight of all this Lucas electrical hardware makes me sweat a little.

Jaguar is ready for the future, and its cars look the part thanks to Ian Callum

There are few living legends in the car business. Jaguar design director Ian Callum is one of them. The longtime stylist announced Tuesday he's stepping down after a decorated career that's seen the resurgence of Jaguar and its again superlative design. Callum, who turns 65 in July, has overseen Jaguar design for 20 years and shepherded it from an era of mediocrity and uncertainty to success with its current lineup of eye-catching products. The brand's 1990s and 2000s cars, led by the haggard X-Type, were too-often forgettable. But in the last decade, Callum has completely flipped the script, returning Jaguar to its sports-car roots with the F-Type while embracing the new period of electric vehicles and crossovers. "Yesterday I told my team I was leaving as Design Director for Jaguar after 20 years. I've done what I set out to do. Time for a new adventure. I pass the baton onto my good friend and great designer Julian Thomson...." Callum tweeted Tuesday. Thompson, a 19-year veteran of Jaguar takes the reins from Callum, who is staying on as a consultant. The move takes effect July 1. As Callum notes, it's not a retirement, though he didn't elaborate. "Given the strength of both our products and the design team I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects," he said in a statement. The Scottish-born designer studied at the Royal College of Art and was steeped in the tradition of Jaguar and British cars. He had every reason to resist change. He didn't, instead evolving his dream job into an instrument of evolution, and today Jaguar has the most well-rounded portfolio in its history. With EVs like the I-Pace the brand has an elegant and efficient car capable of taking down Tesla, while the F-Pace and E-Pace crossovers are bringing Jaguar to a new kind of customer. "In my view, the World Car Design of the Year winning F-Type, F-Pace and I-Pace – true game changers – are perhaps his greatest achievements. I believe they will be future icons," Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Ralf Speth said in a statement. Through it all, Callum never lost focus on Jaguar's sense of purpose. Along with Aston Martin, McLaren and Rolls-Royce, Jaguar holds a place in Britain's car culture and broader identity. He recognized when Jaguar rolled out a sports car openly tapped as the successor to the E-type – and then called it the F-Type – it carried the weight of history on its aluminum chassis.

2021 Jaguar F-Type First Drive | Can we interest you in some loud?

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type is not a perfect car. There are some cracks in the armor, flaws worth pointing out and nits to pick for car reviewers like us. It’s not a Jaguar version of the unflappable Porsche 911, nor is it a British muscle car. The F-Type has split the difference since the carÂ’s introduction for 2014, and now the two-seaterÂ’s first big update is upon us. Ian Callum left Jaguar more than a year ago, but he was still responsible for this revamped design. Few cars featured better styling than the previous F-Type, and the same can be said this time around. Part of that can be attributed to JaguarÂ’s light touch approach. Horizontal headlights and a new grille differentiate the new F-TypeÂ’s face from the last one. The clamshell hood remains, but its sculpting is less prominent and pointy than before. Combined, these new elements result in a softer, gentler face — Jaguar calls it “liquid metal.” At the back, new, I-Pace-inspired LED taillights now sit flush with the massaged bumper.  ItÂ’s still an obvious sports car design, but Jaguar has thrown away the edgy, aggressive persona of the previous F-Type. Forced to pick sides, weÂ’ll take the previous generation – updating a brilliant design is no easy task – but it remains a beautiful car. Onlookers certainly agreed, as our Sorrento Yellow tester drew a colossal amount of attention. One can thank JaguarÂ’s ear-shattering exhaust for some of that attention, too. How much shattering occurs depends on the engine, of course, and the number of pipes poking out of the bumper. Besides the sound, this is also the best way to tell different F-Types apart. Four-cylinder models get a single, central exhaust; V6-equipped cars get a dual central exhaust, and the V8-powered F-Type R continues on with its quad exhaust pushed out to the edges of the rear valance.  2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 View 30 Photos That's the version we drove. Powered by the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 previously found in the F-Type SVR, the 2021 F-Type R produces 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 24 and 14, respectively. It's then a massive drop to the two engines below, which says more about the R than the unchanged but still amply endowed other F-Types.  The base P300 (gray car in the gallery above) is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the R-Dynamic P380 and its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 produces 380 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque.