2004 Jaguar S-type Salvage Rebuildable Repairable on 2040-cars

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Chinese patent filing shows what could be next Royal Limo from Jaguar

Someone filed a patent application in China for the Jaguar XJ limousine seen above, but no one's sure who filed it or what the car is for. One camp thinks it's a State limo for UK royals like the Bentley State Limousine, another camp thinks it's the work of aftermarket coachbuilders.
One thing's for sure: Assuming it ever gets made, anyone who buys it wants an XJ in name only; the modifications have removed almost all of the grace of the standard sedan. Estimated to be more than three feet longer than an XJ, the stretched rear doors are backed by an even more stretched rear section that, in losing the trademark XJ C-pillar (the D-pillar on this car), adds all sorts of ungainliness to its backside. What's more, the roof rises from front to rear, we can only assume to make room for people with large hats. Or the NBA player that the Chinese call "Sweet Melon."
Head over to AutoSohu for more photos from the application, if you're sure that's what you really want.

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.

ECD Auto Design Jaguar E-Type Electric First Drive: EV restomods have a bright future

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — If youÂ’ve ever dipped a toe into the restomod world before, thereÂ’s a good chance youÂ’ve heard of the Florida-based company ECD. Originally known as East Coast Defender for the companyÂ’s earliest efforts restomodding Land Rover Defenders, itÂ’s now just “ECD Auto Design.” ThatÂ’s because thereÂ’s a whole lot more than just Defenders being cranked out of the workshop these days. And while weÂ’ve already driven its Land Rover offerings in the Defender and Range Rover Classic, today itÂ’s time to take the companyÂ’s latest creation for a spin: the ECD Jaguar E-Type. ECD announced its foray into the E-Type world about a year and a half ago, and by the time we showed up, itÂ’d already produced seven restored and/or heavily modified E-Types. Before we get too far into first impressions, though, some history. The E-Type, formally known as the XK-E here in the states, was produced between 1961 and 1974. It was a bombshell of a sports car when new, touting impressive performance for a solid price from both its inline-six and V12 engines. Jaguar went through three main iterations of the XK-E before wrapping up sales here: Series I, Series II and Series III. And while ECD has restored a Series I, itÂ’s focusing on the more widely available (and more affordable) Series II cars for this project. The E-Type was available as a coupe or convertible, and while ECD is allowing you to stick with either of the original powertrains for restoration builds, itÂ’s also offering some rather tempting swaps. If thereÂ’s something you should know about ECD, itÂ’s that this company loves a good American V8. YouÂ’ll find an LS- or LT-based General Motors V8 in most of its Defender builds, and thatÂ’s exactly what ECD is offering in the E-Type, too. GMÂ’s 450-horsepower LT1 can be plopped under the long hood of the E-Type should you want to turn it into a tire-destroying muscle machine. On the other end of the spectrum is an electric conversion option, which is the E-Type variant we got to drive. Before you scream “sacrilege!” we wonÂ’t bury the lede on this one: An all-electric E-Type is actually a hoot to drive. Admittedly, what makes it fun to drive is also what makes other modern-day sports cars fun to drive. ItÂ’s lightweight at just 2,940 pounds (thatÂ’s 60 pounds less than the V8-powered version), features a 51/49 weight balance, has a 305-horsepower motor doling out power solely to the rear wheels Â… and you can take the roof off!