1968 Jaguar E-type Fixed Head Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Junkyard Gem: 1977 Jaguar XJ6L

British Leyland began selling the Jaguar XJ in 1968, and production continued through multiple platform generations (and corporate owners) until just a few years ago. The original XJ was facelifted twice, in 1973 and 1979, with sales of the six-cylinder version extending into 1987 (Series 3 cars with V12s were built through 1992). Production numbers were never very high, but these cars proved popular in the United States and I still find them every so often during my junkyard travels. Here's a Series 2 XJ6 saloon that showed up in a Denver-area self-service yard last winter. Jaguar introduced a long-wheelbase version of the XJ saloon for 1972, giving it a four-inch stretch in order to better compete against the planned Rover P8. Since Rover was a fellow British Leyland brand, this was like Buick pouring big resources into crushing a threat from Oldsmobile, to the detriment of the overall company. In any case, the long-wheelbase saloons proved so successful that the short-wheelbase four-doors got the axe a couple of years later (the coupes stayed on the shorter chassis). Jaguar continued to add the "L" badging to the saloons for quite a while after that, presumably because it looked classy. The paint on all the upper body surfaces has been nuked down to the steel by the relentless High Plains sun, so we can assume that this car spent a decade or three sitting parked outside. It may have started out in Arizona, one of the few places with fiercer sunlight than eastern Colorado. Is it possible that it really turned a mere 46,630 miles during its life? With most cars of this vintage, I'd assume that the five-digit odometer has been turned over once or twice. With a Jaguar and its troublesome electrical components made by the Prince of Darkness, however, that's not such a sure bet. To own a car like this, you need to be willing and able to give it the money and work it requires to stay on the road; not many are suited to this responsibility. The interior looks to have been in very nice condition before the car got parked in a field somewhere. The wood interior trim has seen better days. Back in the 1970s, Mercedes-Benz had a big edge over Jaguar with mechanical sophistication and build quality, granted, but Jaguar beat those Stuttgarters hands-down when it came to making a car interior feel like a billionaire's library. The engine is a 4.2-liter XK6 straight-six, rated at 162 horsepower and 225 pound-feet.

Xcar drives Jaguar C-X75, other Spectre villains of 007

James Bond returns to US theaters very soon in Spectre, and with the action-packed film wrapped, the producers are lending out the keys to some of the movie's automotive stars. We've already seen Jay Leno behind the wheel of Bond's Aston Martin DB10. Now, Xcar's Alex Goy has taken a turn in some of the flick's villainous rides from Jaguar Land Rover, including a very special Jaguar C-X75. The crew from JLR's Special Vehicle Operations team certainly did an impressive job of giving the movies baddies some appropriately nefarious rides. To challenge Bond, they turned the Land Rover Defender into a beast with chunky, off-road tires and blinding-spot lights. They also made the Range Rover Sport SVR even more diabolical than normal with a blacked-out look and LED lightbar. Of course, the king of Spectre's villain cars is the C-X75. According to Goy, most of the ones in the movie use the company's 5.0-liter, supercharged V8, but two are actually original prototypes with the hybrid setup. He gets to drive one of those special examples in this clip. While limited to some low-speed cruising, the coupe still looks wonderfully menacing on the road. Related Video:

Jaguar Land Rover may buy Silverstone racetrack for new HQ

Jaguar Land Rover might add another chapter to its venerable motorsports legacy by purchasing the revered UK racetrack Silverstone to use as its new company headquarters. JLR could reportedly offer 22.7 million pounds ($34.1 million at current rates) to buy the circuit, according to Automotive News Europe, which cites several British media sources. The British automaker would then invest the equivalent of $78 million to turn the historic track into a celebration of the brand, including a museum, experience center, and hotel. The company would also construct space for its marketing team and engineers, Automotive News Europe reports. Motorsports would still continue there, too, which means the course's Formula One legacy is safe. Neither JLR nor the British Racing Drivers' Club, which leases the track, have confirmed the rumors. The BRDC only suggested that it received several confidential offers to purchase the circuit. Silverstone has a motorsports history that goes back to the late 1940s and is often the home to the Formula One British Grand Prix. The track's organizers have a long-term deal to continue hosting the F1 race, too. Today, the course also features major events from MotoGP and the FIA World Endurance Championship. In November, Jaguar released a video that celebrated some of its legacy at Silverstone by bringing the modern XJR and Le Mans-winning XJ-R9 LM at the track. If the company's purchase happens, you can expect to see a lot more Jags and probably some Land Rovers lapping the course. Related Video: