Here’s something you don’t see every day: a Japanese-market British sedan sold here as a Jaguar but labeled a Daimler in overseas markets. Confused yet? This is a survivor-grade 1992 Daimler XJ6, otherwise known as a Jaguar Vanden Plas. While fairly unnoticed stateside as a collector’s item, finding one in nearly mint condition from a Japanese owner who clearly loved it makes this car listed here on Facebook Marketplace worthy of a closer look. Plus, it’s just $6,000, which seems like a great deal for a daily driver-friendly luxury sedan.
The Vanden Plas, otherwise known as the XJ40, represented a significant change in design for the classic Jaguar sedan. More squared-off and purposeful, Jaguar sought to correct some of the issues with its brand identity as it related to quality by improving the ownership experience with higher-quality construction and more bulletproof engines. I always felt that models like the Vanden Plas got a bad wrap not because they were poor cars but because they were poorly maintained. The AJ6 inline-six engine was quite durable, and the styling (to my eyes, at least) it still handsome. This Daimler looks outstanding in pretty sage green paint.
The best thing about buying a Japanese-market anything is the level of care that goes into servicing and maintaining these vehicles that in other countries – like the USA – are trashed and abused to no end. Between the more restrictive driving regulations around older vehicles and just a general sense of pride in keeping a vehicle in good running order, finding a “JDM” vehicle is safe bet for finding a car in better condition than almost anywhere else. The leather in this Jaguar looks nearly new with barely any signs of use, and note the rug on top of the floor mat to keep the factory mats in excellent condition. The wood trim is also beautiful, along with the chrome strips on the B-pillars.
I doubt the back seat was ever used based on this photo. The seller is a touch light on the details, and the North Carolina license plate on car listed for sale on the Jamaica, NY Marketplace page is also confusing. The 4L inline-six engine produced a healthy 223 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque when new, and while it won’t be a snappy driving experience, it will still make for an outstanding in-town and highway cruiser. I suspect the miles are quite low but they are unlisted here; if this Daimler shows less than 50,000 miles, it looks like an absolute steal to me.
If this is a JDM vehicle, shouldn’t it be right hand drive? Maybe it was intended to be in a market outside of Japan but somehow ended up in the Land Of The Rising Sun. It’s a beutiful car inside and out and if the car wasn’t across the country, at that price I’d take a swing at it. (btw it’s “bad rap” as in rap sheet).
You are correct.
The ad says “imported from Japan.” It’s entirely possible the owner there wanted — or was satisfied with — a left-hook car. But that begs the question: “Where was it imported from?” It’s a trail that probably should be explored.
XJ6es in all their varied forms were lovely cars. Handsome, nice to drive, wonderful to ride in and, jokes to the contrary, pretty reliable. I dig the color, too.
At $6K, this looks like a steal.
I have the same car in the same color , although ours is known as Alpine Green. The XJ6/XJ40 had several levels of trim, the Vanden Plas being the upper crust with the fold down picnic trays, individual rear buckets, additional rear seat lighting for reading and illuminating what was on your picnic tray, the spot between the seats for your ice bucket. Overseas the VDP was known as the Daimler. Our car has just over 100,000 miles, runs great and the only issue it ever gave me was the fuel pump, which is quite easy to change out. It does have a couple of electronic gauge issues .. ours being an 88, it had all the funky electronic graph style gauges instead of analog. By 92, they went back to analog.
Agreed that as a JDM, it would have the wheel on the right, so this was imported INTO Japan from a LHD market .. possibly even America?
This era of Jaguar is definitely a red headed stepchild and values of these great cars stays low. You don’t see many out there. As a matter of fact, ours is the only one at our local Jaguar club shows and events.
They actually handle a lot better than most would give a 17′ long car credit for. They used to have an entire race series in the UK based on the XJ40.
The asking price is market correct and Jeff is correct, it is a great bang for the buck.
Just a question – wouldn’t a Japanese-market car have the steering wheel on the right like they did in England, and mirrors further up on the fenders …
Pretty sure by this time fender-mounted mirrors were no longer required by Japanese regulations.
As for the LHD, it’s not as if Jaguar didn’t make RHD versions for the UK etc. as you say, so I suspect this one wasn’t originally made/sold for the JDM but rather, sold new elsewhere and privately imported to Japan at some later point.
Also curious that it has the Daimler fluted grille but not the fluted plinth on the trunklid over the license plate. Zooming in on the grille, I couldn’t make out if the badge at top-center is the Jaguar “growler” or Daimler “D” logo, but a growler there might suggest it was originally sold in the US market, where we got Daimler-trimmed cars badged as Jaguar Vanden Plas, due to Daimler-Benz holding the trademark on Daimler here.
It also has the Jaguar “leaper” hood ornament that AFAIK was never fitted to stock Daimlers, tho’ it’s mounted oddly far back, so I suspect that was an owner addition at some point.
If it is truly JDM, where are the seat doilies?
Antimacassars, properly speaking. Maybe nobody ever manufactured any for Jaguars there?
This would have been a European market version of the XJ40 – based Daimler. The weak point in the design is the self leveling rear suspension, and the buyer should ask for photos to check. It’s doubtful the system has lasted this long; if I remember correctly it’s about $1500 to change to shocks.
I finally succumbed and replaced my self leveling system. It worked until about 10 years ago, when it started getting temperamental. It would work sometimes and sometimes not and when it didn’t, the back end would bounce up and down over bumps .. the replacement springs, kit to close off the hydraulics and the KYB shocks was purchased as an entire kit for $485 about 5-6 years ago and we installed it at a Jag club tech session in about 2-3 hours.
I think they phased out the self leveling by 92 though, as they had so many warranty issues with it.
When I was working for the local Ford Dealer where I used to live I was the Jan salesman, we were just a sub dealer because the company I worked for wouldn’t buy the expensive diagnostic equipment so lost the full dealership so we became a sub dealer to a Brisbane company. It was quite funny because I had a Demo long wheel base and the owner of the company who drove an LTD as a rule would come and ask if he could borrow the Jan for the weekend and I would have his LTD. They are a really great touring car and the miles just float away under you. The comfort is truly great. As one motoring journalist wrote on our wheels magazine here in Australia who had done a comparison to a Mercedes and a Jag wrote the difference is you ride on a Merc and became a part of the Jan and rode in it. That might have been imported to Japan from Europe or the U.S.A. because as some have said here if it was a Japan order it would have been right hand drive. The really are a great car especially on a long drive.