﹒Low mileage

﹒Rare top-of-the-range spec

﹒Luxurious wood and leather interior

﹒Fabulous digital dash

The XJ40 generation (1986-94) of Jaguar’s long-running XJ series is considered by many to be a high watermark of the oeuvre. Launched as an all-new successor to the XJ Series III (although, interestingly, both models were sold concurrently until 1992), the XJ40 was a technological powerhouse that had been ten years in the making. This was the model that radically changed the fundamental manner in which Jaguar built cars: a 25% reduction in the number of body panels required, with more complex shapes being formed rather than stitched together from separate pieces, meant that the shell was lighter and stiffer. The AJ6 straight-six engines across the range were proven entities in terms of power and reliability, and the ‘J-gate’ automatic transmission that was launched with this model was something Jaguar continued with right up until the S-Type. With its independent rear suspension and digital dash, it was a thoroughly modern offering for the 1980s, and sold in numbers which reflected this.

There was quite a variety in the specs too; while the base XJ6 had most upgrades offered as cost-options, the fancier Sovereign came very well equipped… however, you’ll probably have spotted that the XJ40 we have here is wearing Daimler badges. This is a top-tier XJ40, the model that came with the highest spec level possible from the showroom. The interior is markedly more luxurious; whereas the Jaguar-badged cars had a flat three-seat rear bench, the Daimler has a sculpted two-seat rear complete with wooden picnic tables. Externally it has the single rectangular headlamps akin to the higher-level Jaguars, augmented by a fluted Daimler grille and bootlid plinth. In essence, then, the Daimler XJ40 is a Jaguar XJ40 that’s just a little bit better… and with just 38 of these cars registered on the UK’s roads today, it’s a rare find.

The car was previously owned by a collector, who stored a few of his vehicles in a barn. We don’t know a huge amount about its history, as the current owner bought the Daimler as part of a collection of ten cars from a deceased estate; it had been stored for a few years, but was all complete and essentially as you see it here. The seller gave it a service and got it running, and it proved itself to be very keen to get back on the road; it drives well, it’s all complete, and judging by its overall condition as well the available history online, the impressively low mileage does appear to be genuine.

The car comes with its original books and manuals, although the handbook is a little water-damaged. We can see from the MOT history online that the car was off the road from 2017-2020, and also for a six-year period between 2006-2012; while there were a number of advisories on the 2017 MOT before it was laid up, the issues appear to have been addressed as the current MOT (issued October 2020) is showing no advisories.

Being the top-level spec in the XJ40 range, the Daimler’s interior is a rather special place to be. Designed to be a sumptuously luxurious cocoon in which to be chauffeured about, the rear of the car features generously stuffed and contoured seats, with tasteful walnut trim on the doors and seat-backs, and fold-down walnut picnic tables. There’s also lashings of walnut in the front of the cabin, across the dash, doors and centre console, all of which is in great condition with no signs of sun wear or lacquer peel. The seats and windows are electric, all of which is working, and undoubtedly the best part of the whole experience is the digital dash display. Jaguar called it the VCM (‘Vehicle Condition Monitor’), and it’s a 32x32 vacuum-fluorescent dot matrix screen which offers readouts of 34 different functions. In later models this dash binnacle was replaced by analogue gauges, but in this Daimler you get an analogue speedo and rev counter and digital readouts for everything else – and it does all appear to be working properly with only a few dead pixels.

The carpets are all in good condition. The headlining is complete, but has come loose and would benefit from being reaffixed; the padded dash trim below the glovebox has also come unstuck around its edges. Aside from these blemishes, it’s a very pleasant interior, with minimal wear in-keeping with its low mileage.

The shape of the XJ40 is eminently impressive, and this Daimler presents itself extremely well. The body panels sit straight and true and are free from dents or visible corrosion. All of the correct Daimler-spec chrome trim is present and in good condition, the window glass and lamp lenses are in great order, and there’s no corrosion around the filler cap. The bumpers are undamaged, and the paintwork is well presented and even without any mismatched fading. There’s a little overspray evident inside the door shuts on the passenger side, suggesting that perhaps one of the doors has been painted at some point in the car’s history. We also found some corrosion inside the door shut at the lower rear of the driver’s-side rear door, and a little along the inside edge of the boot near the striker, but aside from that the body all appears to be very straight. The wheels are all in excellent condition, with matching Dunlop tyres. The underside of the car shows signs of minor surface corrosion here and there, but does all appear to be solid and the current owner has waxoyled it as a preventative measure for the future.

A number of variants of the AJ6 engine were offered in the XJ40 range – in this instance it’s the 3.6-litre version of the straight-six, which means DOHC with a 4-valve head and a peak of 204bhp. This all appears to be in great working order here – the car fires up without issue, idles well, and pulls eagerly through the gears; it maintains an even temperature while idling, doesn’t appear to have any leaks that we could see, and makes no undue noises. It’s a low-mileage unit, largely thanks to the car’s history involving various periods of being laid up in storage, and it does all appear to be in fine fettle. This is also true of the automatic transmission, which shifts smoothly when it should without undue hesitation. The owner also reports no issues with the suspension, brakes or steering – quite simply, it drives like a Daimler.

Jaguars of this era really do look like remarkable value these days. Given the colossal efforts that were taken when it came to model development, the XJ40 was an impressive machine when it was launched, and it’s equally impressive today that they can be picked up in complete and usable condition at such an affordable price point. What’s really appealing about this particular XJ40, however, is the fact that it’s not just any old XJ40. There may be a number of XJs of this vintage on the market, but the rare-as-hen’s-teeth Daimler spec really is a cut above: with all of the spec boxes ticked, and the cachet of being a Daimler, it’s compelling enough – but perhaps what’s most intriguing today is that, whereas this was once a spec-level aimed at politicians, bank managers and captains of industry, it would make an excellent family car today (what youngster wouldn’t want to be wafted around in leather-lined luxury with their own polished wood picnic table?), or be very satisfying as an everyday cruiser – after all, that splendid digi-dash shouldn’t be wasted on a chauffeur, that’s a keen driver’s toy. Whichever way you cut it, buying a 1980s Daimler for the 2020s feels like a solid life-choice.

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