This year marks fifty years since the original Jaguar XJ6 first hit the streets, and it's hard now to conceive the impact this low-slung, groundbreaking beauty had when it was launched way back in 1968. It's possible no other four-door saloon has engendered such deserved affection and left such a lasting impression, and no other Jaguar since has so successfully encapsulated all the qualities that the marque would like to think it possesses.
It looked bloody marvellous, for one, with perfect proportions and that wonderful blending of the sporting and the luxury. It was chock full of exquisite design detail, too, from its handsome grille and four-headlamp front to the sweeping rear haunches over its large wheels. If it was a visual delight, it was even more impressive to drive and to be in: no other car at the time was so hushed, and no other rode as well. The E-Type might have been the car that liberated speed, but it was the XJ6 that brought refinement to the masses, and it sold well because it gave the sort of people who bought a Jaguar exactly what they wanted.
The Series 2 improved the breed subtly while the Series 3, with its ugly bumpers and raised rear roofline, improved the space but lacked the grace. Something new was needed to launch the XJ into the modern era. The all-new XJ40, launched in 1986, was the answer, after a spectacularly long time in the gestation. Its angular styling and modern interior with all that electronic wizardry didn't initially meet with the wholehearted approval of traditional Jaguar lovers either. However, it was a great car to drive, with a wonderfully compliant ride and smooth new all-alloy inline-six engines; it also had a chassis so good it won over all who tried it.
What didn't win it so many fans was the build quality, and the XJ40 soon developed a reputation for trouble from which it's never completely recovered. That all-electric instrument panel gave problems, and the various mini-computers and microprocessors behind the scenes were known to suffer component failures too. Rust was a huge problem, and those delightful engines had a question mark over them, with oil leaks and reports of head-gasket problems, and even the hydraulic suspension gave trouble.
However, there are those who say this reputation isn't completely deserved, especially on the later models, where a lot of the electrical and mechanical issues were eventually sorted. This one, plucked from our classifieds, is one such later model, a well-maintained 1993 example with a full service history and only 80,000 miles on the clock. At £4600, it represents pretty good value for an XJ, though of course all the usual warnings and caveats will still apply when buying this or an old Jag of any sort - expect to spend loads.
Remember too that in its way the XJ40 was as groundbreaking as the Series 1 car, being a pretty radical departure from the model it replaced. It might not be held in such high esteem as the 1968 XJ6, but you won't put a good one of those on your driveway for this sort of price now.
SPECIFICATION: JAGUAR XJ6 (XJ40)
Engine: 3239cc, inline six cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 197
Torque (lb ft): 219
MPG: 22
CO2: 247
First registered: 1993
Recorded mileage: 80,000
Price new: N/K
Yours for: £4600
1 / 3
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 4 3"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1 1"%3E%3C/svg%3E)