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Amazingly Original and Rare: 1976 Jaguar XJ6 Coupe

Take it from me, these big cats are prone to rust. I once saw a similar coupe from this period that was so comprehensively pummeled by tin worm it’s amazing it still stood on four wheels. But this 1976 Jaguar XJ6C here on eBay in Miami, Florida has miraculously escaped that fate. Likely it’s that relentless southern Florida sun, which unfortunately has resulted in a warm-state hazard—perished rubber parts.

The asking price is $35,000, not cheap for one of these. But the car is truly in outstanding condition, considering how easy it is to bung them up. The cloth interior is lovely, though there seems to be a color variation between the front and rear seats — may be a trick of the light. Is that the original AM/FM cassette unit? There is said to be no rust to this one-owner car, though undercarriage photos would be useful. All the trim is shiny. The Jag has been “maintained fastidiously” and “runs and drives great.” But the window rubbers are old and hard. Otherwise, “no needs.”

The odometer shows 93,000 miles. There’s no word if it’s had any engine work, and I might worry about it needing an engine rebuild sometime in the near future. The owner claims, however, that “paint, chrome, trim, interior, motor, tranny and chassis” are all excellent.

If you know these cars, then you’re aware of the rarity of XJ6 coupes of this period. The four-door version was immensely more popular. The XJ6 debuted in 1968 with both the 2.8-liter and 4.2-liter versions of Jaguar’s famous twin-cam straight-six. Some tech was carried over from the Mark X, this car’s precursor and a big, floaty vehicle that once graced my own garage.

What’s for sale here is a Series II model, basically, a facelift introduced for the 1974 model year. The Series II sedan and coupe were the last cars to get direct input from Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons. U.S. cars got a smaller grille and upgraded heating and AC. In 1975, revised bumpers with rubber overriders and embedded turn signals were added.

Only 9,378 pillarless “C” coupes were made between 1975 and 1978, 6,505 of them six-cylinder models like this one and 1,873 with the V-12. The C used lengthened XJ sedan doors, with the welds showing under the door panels should you be improvident enough to remove them. Building these coupes was work-intensive, and water leaks and wind noise were reported problems. But they were certainly handsome.

A vinyl roof was standard, but a source of rust/aggravation, and this one has had it removed. The original rubber front bumper is still there, though it has been replaced with later Series III versions on some cars. A very few were modified into convertibles by Lynx, and there were a very small number of Daimler versions.

Old Jaguars can be big question marks, and this one is pricey. But it sure looks like an outstanding example of a rare car.

Comments

  1. Avatar Bluetec320 Member

    If it is such “amazing” condition, why take the Ebay pictures in the rain, soaking wet?? There are plenty of sunny days in Florida. For 35K, I would expect it to be perfect.

    Like 14
  2. Avatar alphasud Member

    I know these have become valuable in the last few years and it’s definitely one of my favorites next to the XKE. The inline 6’s are pretty robust so I wouldn’t be worried about a rebuild unless you see the signs of a tired engine. Red isn’t my favorite color on this car. I feel greens, grey, and some blues work better. It is a clean car but not 35K clean. I will watch though as I may be out of touch with the market on this one.

    Like 6
  3. Avatar angliagt Member

    This is the kind of car that you take your master mechanic
    buddy with you,in case you get caught up in the moment,& talk
    you out of it if he sees things that you don’t about the car.
    I did that after I looked at a ’74 XJ6L,in that gorgeous
    deep Maroon color.I went back with my buddy Dave,who’s a
    a true Mechanic.The car had been sitting a while,& he talked
    me out of it.
    After some deep thought,I decided that it’d be easier to get
    a cutting torch,cut a hole in the trunk,& pour $100 bills into it.

    Like 5
  4. Avatar Haig L Haleblian

    This one of the cars I put in the “never again category”. Loved the shape, but swear I could hear the thing rust at night. Pure unadulterated, but beautiful, junk.

    Like 3
  5. Avatar Mikefromthehammer

    @ Jim: I believe the two in-line 6s were 3.8 and 4.2 liters in displacement, not 2.8 and 4.2. Maybe a typo?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Tad Todd

      The Series 1 XJ offered a 2.8 liter six, mostly for the home market (taxation on displacement). I’ve got a RHD manual example. A lot of fun as it’s a higher revving engine.

      Like 8
    • Avatar Chris

      No, the displacements were 2.8 and 4.2. The US o Lu received the 4.2 engines. The 2.8 were for the rest of the world where engine displacements dictated the amount of tax paid as well as concern for fuel consumption (Not that the US wasn’t concerned about fuel consumption in ‘75).

      Like 4
    • Avatar luke arnott

      The first XJ6 models were 2.8 & 4.2.

      Like 2
      • Avatar Mikefromthehammer

        Thanks for the info. My memory is of the e-type in-line 6. I assumed Jaguar being a smaller company would have used the same engines in multiple products. I guess I was wrong though.

        Like 1
  6. Avatar Christopher Gush

    $35K a bit ambitious and at the top of the market….. Reasonably reliable cars with the six cylinder and GM transmission built for the long haul. These are touring cars, heavy, smooth, and wait for it acceleration. Clearly a candidate for pre-purchase inspection, and dangerous to buy it on Ebay without one, given the Ebay auto sellers often distorting the reality of the car, either through ignorance or deception. Caveat emptor as is often said….

    Like 3
  7. Avatar DeeBee

    Looks like the company directors car! Didn’t want the everybody else’s Rover.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Chris

    For that price I’d expect a museum piece. This one clearly is missing its leather interior which has been replaced by cloth. The engine bay looks to need help. I’d expect for the price also that the engine bay and underside would have been rebuilt/restored. It’s a nice car (although the color and styling of the cloth seats detracts a little to my eye) but it’s not 35k nice.

    Like 7
  9. Avatar RichardinMaine

    This is overpriced by easily $10,000. It’s one of two the seller has had on EBay for 2 months with no takers. The interior is a bodge; you’re looking at 5K just to replace the seat covers before everything else is reduced to match. The mechanical condition is questionable at best. At this age it could cost an additional ten thousand to get engine, trans, and brakes squared away, before you dig into the suspension. I know them well; I am on my third example, which was in very very good running condition when I bought it for 7 grand less than this one. And I had to spend over 4 additional to replace a fuel tank, the steering rack,brake pads, and tune it properly
    Love the cars, but not this one at that price.

    Like 7
    • Avatar V12 mech

      As a 40+ yr. Jag mechanic , note what Richard stated, he’s correct.

      Like 5
  10. Avatar Tony Primo

    These XJ-6’s are like Chevy Vegas, all of them are being converted to small block Chevy power.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Jake Loring

    Lots of. Questions on this car, obviously repainted when the vinyl top was removed and these pics raise more questions. At $35k seller is fishing. Way overpriced as lots of questionable things, like who did the interior, what is the sheet metal like under the repaint, and many more. Save your money and walk away from this as it needs way to much and will be just throwing cash into the wind.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Gerard Frederick

    35 large? Only in the sellers wet dream. At half the price, one must be an inveterate Jaguar fan to buy it – and then one must be an optimist .

    Like 2
  13. Avatar SubGothius

    The vinyl roofs weren’t just a standard feature, as if you could get one finished any other way. They all came that way from the factory to disguise the weld across the roof where they cut-and-shut the original sedan roof stamping, cheaper than finishing it to a standard that wouldn’t show through paint.

    Someone invested a fair bit of money and/or personal labor into stripping the vinyl and smoothing the seam to a paintable standard on this one — at least, one would hope they did it properly, rather than just skimming it over with Bondo. This also almost certainly means the rest of the paint is not original.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Pierre-Yves LAVAL

    Can’t think of a jag without a leather interior !

    Like 3
  15. Avatar Graeme I

    I’ve had a couple of these and yes, rust is the enemy. My local Jag guy assures me that he’s seen these literally break in his workshop when trying to put them on a lift.

    Like 0

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