2011 Jaguar Xk Base 2dr Coupe on 2040-cars

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European automakers gear up for Brazilian production

Brazil is the place to be, apparently. Toyota has been investing in the South American country, as has BMW, which announced a $261 million investment in October 2012, on the heels of an Audi factory announcement in San José Chiapa. The high-end immigration is only set to continue, as Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar-Land Rover have both announced plans to set up manufacturing operations there.
Mercedes is the big news here, as its new facility will see the German manufacturer invest 170-million euros for production of its next-generation C-Class and upcoming GLA-Class. "Brazil is an important future market. With our local production we accept the challenge and take on the competition," noted Andreas Renschler, Management Board member for Production and Procurement at Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Production is expected to begin by 2016.
Jaguar-Land Rover, meanwhile, isn't so concrete in its plans. The news of its investment in South America comes from a job posting for a plant quality manager in Brazil that was picked up by the UK's AutoCar. "Portuguese language skills will be definite advantage" for interested candidates, according to the job listing. The want ad follows on the heels of remarks by Jaguar Land Rover's Dr. Ralph Speth, who said there are "very intensive discussions" with Brazil's government. Unlike Mercedes, there's no mention of which vehicles will be produced in South America, although AutoCar thinks the Freelander, sold in the US as the LR2, is a leading contender.

Junkyard Gem: 1977 Jaguar XJ-S

The Jaguar XJ-S was big, powerful, swanky, and expensive, just the sort of luxury coupe a high-roller in the late 1970s craved. Unfortunately, these temperamental cars needed plenty of regular maintenance, and many of them suffered from neglect once they left the hands of their original owners. I see plenty of V12 Jaguars during my junkyard journeys, but it still gives me a twinge of sadness when I see another one parked among the ordinary Jettas and Grand Vitaras in the import-cars section of a big self-service wrecking yard. Here's a forlorn-looking, V8-swapped '77 in a San Francisco Bay Area yard. Chevrolet small-block V8 swaps were very common with the Jaguar XJs of the 1960s and 1970s, since an ordinary 350 would make power similar to that of the 326-cubic-inch V12 and parts obtainment was much easier. Still, swapping in a reliable-if-oil-leaky Detroit V8 didn't solve all the Jag's reliability woes: the Prince of Darkness retained a powerful grip on this car's soul. The patina on this car suggests decades spent forgotten in an outdoor storage area somewhere. There's a AAA map of California from the 1980s inside. This car listed for $20,250 when new. That's about $87,500 in inflation-adjusted 2018 dollars, but still $5,000 cheaper in 1977 dollars than a new Mercedes-Benz 450SLC (and a grand more expensive than a new Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham). Nobody in their right mind would have been willing to pay to restore this car, but we can hope that it provides some good parts to Jaguars that are still on the road. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1977 Jaguar XJS View 16 Photos Auto News Jaguar Automotive History

Stunning Jaguar collection with O.G. E-Type is a museum exhibit all on its own

At what point does a personal automotive collection become a museum exhibit that's just not in a museum? Dr. Christian Jenny blurs the line between the two with his unreal lot of classic Jaguars that includes not only the first E-Type ever seen in public, but also the "Lost C-Type" and what is considered to be Jaguar's first sports car, the 1935 S.S. 90 Prototype. Switzerland-based collector Jenny is selling 12 cars individually through classic car broker Pendine Historic Cars Limited. The collection includes some of the most important Jaguars ever built, nearly all of which have open-air tops. It's so special, in fact, that Pendine has created an entirely separate tab on its website dedicated to the set. The 12-pack includes the 1935 S.S. 90 Prototype, a 1952 C-Type, the E-Type Series I fixed-head coupe (aka "The Geneva Launch Car"), a 1935 S.S. 90 "Captain Black," a 1937 S.S. 100 2.5 liter, a 1938 S.S. 100 3.5 liter, a 1949 alloy XK120 Roadster, a 1950 XK120 Roadster, a 1955 XK140 SE Roadster, a 1960 XK150 3.8 S Roadster, an E-Type Series I Roadster, and a 1972 E-Type Series III V12 Roadster. All of the cars have been beautifully photographed and recorded by Michel Zumbrunn, author of British Auto Legends: Classics of Style and Design. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Though every one of these cars holds heavy significance, the 90 Prototype, the C-Type, and the Geneva E-Type stand to be some of the most noteworthy in British history. The S.S. 90 Prototype is considered Jaguar's first sports car before the company was even called Jaguar. It has a sidevalve 2.6-liter straight-six engine that makes an estimated 90 bhp and has won numerous Pebble Beach Concours awards. For years, this C-Type was floating in the ether and earned the nickname "The Lost C-Type" when it was the only car of the 53 C-Types that was not located. It was raced for numerous years and has since been restored. Any E-Type is highly valuable, as it's largely considered one of the most beautiful cars ever built, but this specific car has extra history. The coupe shape was reportedly hand-built from an open-top model and became the first E-Type ever seen in public. The experimental prototype, chassis No. 885005, was on display at the 1961 Geneva show. Read more detailed accounts for each car and ogle the gorgeous photography, of which each car has plenty, at Pendine. As of now, only the 90 Prototype has an offer.