Description
The Heritage Certificate shows that this highly original Jaguar XJ6 Series One 4. 2 SWB Automatic left the Browns Lane factory in January 1971 finished in Light Blue with a Dark Blue leather interior.
Supplied new by Ritchies of Glasgow, the first owner kept the car until June 1978 when it was sold via Mann Egerton of Norwich (their sticker is still in the back window) to a famous tailoring family, Denny of Southwold & Savile Row, who kept it for the next 46 years. Always garaged during their ownership, it was repainted in 1991 and fitted with a new headlining but is otherwise wholly original and unrestored.
I bought it in 2024 and have spent £16k on it since. This includes a full engine rebuild by a Jaguar specialist in Cirencester with a lifetime’s experience of the XK engine which cost £6, 000 in labour with another £3, 000 spent on parts – pistons; bearings; timing chains; valves etc.
Another £5, 000 was spent on work to the brakes; steering; suspension; carbs rebuilt; two new fuel pumps etc. A bespoke Powerflow stainless steel exhaust system was also fitted at an additional cost of £1, 600 with later swan’s neck tail pipes in place of the original straight pipes which were known to suck fumes into the cabin.
Since the work was completed the car has covered just under 2, 000 miles and has been carefully run in, not exceeding 3, 000 rpm for the first 500 miles and 3, 500rpm for the next 800 miles. It has excellent oil pressure, never dropping below 40psi and does not overheat, even in heavy summer traffic. It has now covered just under 80k miles from new.
This car has never been welded and is rock solid throughout. Drives lovely and easily keeps up with modern traffic. Reluctant sale to fund the restoration of another classic car.
