Sometimes, a car is so maligned by collectors and the motoring press that its value seems permanently stunted. The Jaguar XJ6 is a terrific example of this, as it doesn’t matter the era or the features list, there’s a perception of these being simply awful cars. This particular XJ6, a 1971 model, looks quite handsome sitting here on eBay with its reserve unmet. Bidding has reached $3,550 and an XJ6 this clean surely deserves more than that.
When you look at the XJ6 from this angle, you can almost feel sheepish for not appreciating just how beautiful this car is. Especially with the smaller chrome bumpers that do nothing to mar the wonderful lines of this elegant sedan. When a luxury car like this can look as good as it goes without any ornate wheels or other “dress up,” that’s saying something. It’s like how the W123 Mercedes-Benz cars have always rolled around on the understated “Bundt” wheels.
The interior appears to be in unrestored condition, with plenty of evidence of wear, such as the wrinkled piping on the leather seats, creases in the upholstery, and some bagginess on the armrest lid covering. The seller notes “general wear” on the dashboard components, but that doesn’t tell us much. He actually refers to the XJ6 as being a good candidate for a daily driver, which is about as strong as it gets for an endorsement for a notoriously risky car.
Unlike most vintage British car sellers, the listing doesn’t talk much about recent mechanical work or improvements. It barely touches on the car’s condition or history, the latter of which is usually profoundly important to enthusiasts. While the seller does disclose some rust issues, they seem fairly minor. The rear suspension has been rebuilt, which is the lone maintenance item of note. The brakes are also said to be new. Overall, for what I assume to be a low reserve, this beautiful XJ6 looks like a smart buy for a tragically underappreciated model.
Nice looking Jaguar but no pictures of the engine compartment. To me it’s important to take pictures of the engine. To see if it was maintain on the outside. Example valve cover gaskets leaked on the 6 cylinder. And make sure everything else is hooked up properly by looking at it. This is exotic vehicle. It cost money to maintain it. I like to know what happened to the exhaust pipes in the back? Did they replace the exhaust system? I have way too many questions and people have to beware of this vehicle to put a bit in. 🐻🇺🇸
Absolutely! The more pictures one can post, the better. Whether we buy the car or not, we would like to see as much of a car as possible, warts and all.
Its like the “Siren of the Sea” calling and daring you to bid, tempting you with promise that everything’s ok. Or, in modern health insurance lingo…no coverage for pre-existing conditions.
I have a clue as to why this is being sold. The seller needs cash reserve for future repairs on his BMW in one of the background pictures.
I looked hard at a 72 sedan a couple years ago, 6 cylinder, silver with navy leather. I poked around, it wouldn’t start, on-board rear disc brakes scared me as did a funky electrical junction in the trunk that looked like knob/tube wiring from an old house.
Great looking cars that require deep pockets or above average diy skills. Nice find nonetheless.
Inboard rear brakes
Yes the real secret to happiness with Jaguars is have some Knowledge or skills and a willingness to DIY
If you go running to the dealer with every concern they are absolute experts at cleaning g out your wallet and bank account.
But in this case it’s a simple 6 cylinder in line 6 that is extremely straight forward to work on. It continued for another 15 years. The automatic is really a sturdy piece and continued work in production ( with various updates ) for another 15 years.
Replacements are readily available cheaper than most Chevy and Ford vehicles because there is so little demand for them.
The rear disk brakes take an hour or so to drop the whole rearend assembly and then work on them is very straight forward. And easy. They go back together even faster. ( Or you can spend many many times that trying to work in places where human hands don’t fit and getting grease and dirt in your eyes.
Electric components don’t work or work funky? Check the black ground wire. Including the connection itself. 90% of the time that’s the problem.
Change oil based on time not mileage.
The Jaguar Forum is filled with helpful people. And a shop manual is your best friend.
I recently acquired a 1972 in the same shape, nearly rust free, low mileage engine. Near perfect interior.
But I’m going to engine swap it! Put a Jaguar V12 in. Because unlike common “knowledge” it’s a fantastic engine that actually didn’t become available until 1973.
I agree. A long time ago.say 1980, we had an XJ6, It belonged to my then almost new girlfriend . It was the quietest car I have ever driven. Like riding in an airtight cloud. Unfortunately I blew a head gasket on it on the 405 In LA…..in the middle of traffic. Just about the only slushbox I would want now though Id rather have a sunroof XJ coupe. Love the color of this one.
I happen to be talking to the owner of the ridiculous Jaguar EPace SUV at a recent car show.all I could think of was what a stupid machine. LOL. nice lady though.just now short of a hundred grand or so.
The description says it has a V6, so maybe it hasn’t had the requisite SBC conversion. Buick in place of the poor XK I6? The lack of an exhaust system seems like a concern though.
Doubtful.
Probably indicative of how little the (I’m assuming) owner knows about the car.
As mentioned above, a shot of the engine room is essential. ESPECIALLY between Lucas electrics, and all their obligatory patches and shunts, and the needy OHC six.
This is no doubt a limited-interest car. NO WAY is it going to work as a DD. It’s going to be needy – not a car, but a puzzle you never completely solve. It will own you.
A museum or collection is the obvious best place for it, but why would this one be especially interesting?
I wish the seller all the best luck.
I tend to disagree on your statement. These cars were a lot more reliable than people give credit. I think it’s a beautiful car and the best thing you can do is bring it up to daily driver status and drive it daily. Every classic car I have both owned and worked on for others has been at its best when driven often. I think that is why Jaguars get that reputation from people who treat them as garage queens.
I owned a 1972 XJ6 for a few years and it was a daily driver. The biggest problem was having to mess with the carbs every week or so, but other than that it was a very nice car to drive. Fortunately mine had A/C, which meant a Bosch charging system instead of Lucas, and the AT was Borg Warner.
I agree with alphasud. I have owned a couple of XKE’s, a XJ6 and now a 1999 XJ8. I found the XKE’s fairly easy to wrench on, the clutch and inboard brakes were the time consuming tasks. The XJ6 was reliable and I had it for 4 years but wanted more oomph so I went with the XJ8. The parts are there and this is nothing like a PPI to assess the condition and projected costs. Jaguars do cost more to operate, they are not Toyotas or Hondas, but if you have the extra coin there are not a lot of rides out there that feel better. Don’t let them set and do the preventive maintenance and they will reward you with years of great driving.
It’s Willow Green. Had an XK-E that color.
Lucky man! Great color for the E. I had a black Ser 1 coupe and a red Ser 3 roadster … I guess I’m pretty lucky too!
I think this is a good looking Jag, and I do like most of their models, but the stigma of spending more time in the mechanic’s garage far exceeds the looks. I’ve know 15 Jag owners over the years, and that was their biggest complaint… just can’t keep the darn thing on the road for any length of time before heading to the mechanic.
Old Ranger: the fifteen Jag owners you knew over the years were people who bought Jaguars from people WHO DID NOT MAINTAIN THEM PROPERLY. If you do the following two things when you buy a Jaguar new or well restored, you will have a pleasant Jaguar experience: 1) Abide by the Owner’s Service Manual maintenance directives…and 2) make sure you take the car to a proper Jaguar shop that services competently the Jaguar of your era. Don’t go to the kid around the corner at the filling station.
You, Jeff Lavery, “JustPassinThru”, Troy and George Dray, are people who easily buy into the chauvinistic myth that anything that doesn’t have an American V-8 is crap/junk. That supposedly crummy/leaking/unreliable/bad quality 6 cylinder Jaguar motor WON LE MANS FIVE TIMES. During the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans all boasts/claims/bombastic rhetoric meant NOTHING. Only RESULTS related to power/endurance/reliability counted. During those particular five years where Jaguar won outright at Le Mans with that engine, there were plenty of American V-8-powered cars that LOST to it.
I am on my third Jaguar with that “useless” XK six and have found all three cars to be wonderful to own. My current ’69 E Type roadster is reliable and a pleasure to drive, because I follow the servicing intervals and know how to work on it. If something beyond basic hand tools comes along to service, I take it to a shop that specializes in classic Jaguars and there are no problems. Martin Horrocks is right. When the XJ6 made its appearance, it was considered another masterpiece by Sir William Lyons. While British Leyland and Lucas did slack off on quality control for a while during the 70s, the poorly-made components that broke down have since been replaced by decent quality replacements. As I have said before, plenty of American V-8 supremacists like to bash Jaguars for sport, but seem to keep their powder dry when it comes to Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis. Go figure…
You are wrong on several accounts. I’ve owned Honda vehicles since 1979 until we purchased a 2020 Subaru Outback. I haven’t owned an “American” nameplate car since 1979 when I traded it in on a Honda Accord.
The Jag 15 owners I’ve known over the years purchased them new at the dealership. All were drivers who took care of their vehicles and they loved their Jag, but it spent as much time at the dealership shop as it did at his house. When the Jags ran, he was in love. When it needed something else adjusted or whatever, then he would moan and groan. I am not an American V-8 supremacists. The last “American” car I owned that I truly liked was a 1965 Impala SS with a 396… I loved that car and it would pass cars on the road, but it had a difficult time passing a gas station.
So back off your high horse unless you really know what you are talking about. All the guys I knew took good care of their Jags, but they just didn’t seem mechanically sound over those years. All but one finally gave up on Jags and went to other vehicles… some German, some Japanese. The one hold-out still has to baby his Jag and we’ve told him not to complain to us.
If you have ever read my other posts, you would know that I am not enamored of the Detroit cars which are mainly assembled outside the US.
Old Ranger: Exactly.
I haven’t owned a Detroit vehicle, long-term, in thirty years. I don’t see that changing.
But the proof of the pudding is the tasting. We’ve seen plenty of Jaguar and other BL brands, in the States over the years – just as with Fiats and Renaults.
They don’t hold up. Some are great cars to drive. Some are designed to offer value, in whatever market segment…economy or performance or luxury.
But they’re troublesome. Not every one for every buyer…but the only way one can deny it, is to deny owners’ experiences, recorded over decades.
Laurence: Great that they won all those races. I haven’t looked it up; but I don’t doubt it.
Racers, during a race, have pit crews. Standing by. Six or more men ready to fix any problem, of which there are always many.
Few daily-driver users want six mechanics standing by, at all times.
Power, performance and durability are three separate issues.
Weren’t these cars like the current Range Rover they left the factory broken and they are expensive to fix? A old boss had one and it spent more time sitting waiting for repairs then he did driving it.
I’ve owned 4 XJ6s, 1 XJ12, and 1 XJR. All were daily drivers. I’m a decent mechanic, but by no means an expert. The 6s are pretty simple to maintain. The ‘83 and ‘90 were fuel injected and required no maintenance at all. The Ser 2 cars required only minor tinkering with carbs and one power steering hose. Great drivers all. As said above, drive them daily and they’ll treat you right.
Bidding now up to $6250.00 with reserve met. Should sell today.
Friend had a late-model Vanden Plas. Transmission shifter disconnected suddenly. Thankfully Raleigh has a “popular” Jaguar dealership.
Simply don’t recognize the XJ from your opening statements, Jeff Lavery. This was a car which set entirely new standards for its class in 1969, and was widely recognised for the fact by press and peers.
Whatever happened later, in terms of lack of development or investment, poor quality or reliability does not detract from the gact that the XJ6 was a world leading design which British Leyland threw down the pan.
If it had 3 pedals…
Alas boys and girls they were a little less than impressive performers in all categories when new. A friend had one. 6 died. Swapped in a small block Chevy. They used to make a kit for it. What a difference. Far greater mileage and reliability let alone power and handling. Chev is lighter and sits back further reducing nose weight. Bye bye Lucas with todays plug and play.
What a great way to destroy an iconic motorcar by eliminating the venerable, race worthy, iconic XK engine in favor of turning it into a Chevelle and destroy its investment potential in the bargain.
Yes! Why not fiddle around and mess with your Jag, every time you decide to drive more than to the corner ice cream store? There’s a reason that cottage industries grew up around these beautifully brittle beasts.
Amen !!!
I owned a 71 and 86,,,the series 1 very simple,,,if it’s rust free,,,that motor will run forever, I never had carb problems, rack was largest $ expense but worth every penny , had so much fun in it..the 86 was beautiful,,,more problematic ,,,I had everything working for about a month,,the AC system was frustrating…but nice driver …if u want 300hp these are not your cars..My 94 XJS is a wonderful convertible…and I still own a 69 E-type as well.
I had the identical model, but I think the color. was called Willow Mist or something. like that. In the bitter cold snaps in St Louis I had to remove the spark plugs and drain the oil every night and return them in the morning. When it was then years old, we packed the three little kids in and drove 1000 miles each way to the Jersey Shore. Twice.
OldRanger/JustPassinThru/George Drag; you luminaries are right. The Jaguar XK six are, as Big C says, is “brittle” and Jaguars are indeed junk. You win. After all, I am only a self-taught–with owners’ manuals– Jaguar six amateur mechanic, who has been servicing his Jags since nineteen…and I am now sixty-five. What do I know? You gentlemen who have never owned a Jaguar are obviously far more qualified to comment on them than I am. I humbly acquiesce to your superior knowledge and am glad to give you the last word. Riddled with embarrassment I am now dismounting from my high horse, Old Ranger, and getting ready to go for a nice long drive in my E Type Jaguar roadster with that junk six cylinder engine, which neither it nor its transmission have ever needed to be rebuilt since new 54 years ago, since before the first lunar landing, because they were never abused and were serviced regularly and competently.
Oh get off your high horse, meat head. I never said Jags were junk. You have your personal experience and I’m happy for you. But not all Jag owners have been as lucky. Beautiful car yes, performance over a period of time.. not so fortunately for all 15 of my buddies who paid a pretty penny to own one. 14 of the 15 decided to move on, just wasn’t worth the problems.
The remaining owner drives his at least once a week but has his phone programmed to his Jag mechanic just in case. His car for 6 days of the week is an Acura TL, and he has had no problems with that vehicle.
Personal attacks are OK?
TO; Auric….. read the entire list of conversations before making a comment like this…. the guy doesn’t listen, just spouts his “expertise” and discounts anyone who doesn’t agree with him….
I have read the exchanges, Ranger, and someone who has worked on Jaguars for 46 years knows more than someone who has never even owned one. I would say you need to take your own “advice” and apply it to yourself. One can also hardly respect the views of someone who violates the blog’s policy of “no personal attacks”…
To Auric again… obviously you failed to recognize the guy’s personal attacks on several of us. I am happy that he has good luck with his Jags, but too many other people have not had stellar performances from their Jags and over a long period of time. Even here, we have a guy who likes to work on old cars, and he loves getting them back in shape, and he has about 15 such cars. One is a Jag similar to this one listed, and he drives it to church and back, otherwise his vehicle for the other 6 days in his big Dodge 2500 when he needs to haul parts, etc and his Acura TL. One guy compared to 100 such other owners is not a good balance. If the guy can dish it, he should be able to take it. I suspect you might be this other guy under a different name, but no matter, I’m through with you both. Have a good day, and please keep from continuing to berate this issue. As far as I’m concerned, it’s dead.
Facts, reported by owners, don’t lie. One, sure. Thousands, no.
And your proof of reliability is, how many races Jaguar has won.
And with that, you offer up a heap of sarcasm at others.
Anyone who wants one, should have bid on it, or buy one elsewhere. That’s fine…but for a seller to say it’s fit for daily use, is just a stretcher too tall.
FWIW, BMW and Jaguar came from roughly the same spot – performance-oriented niche makers.
Which one has thrived, and which one has shriveled into irrelevance?
Why do you suppose that is?
Guys.after reading the various strongly held opinions on the build quality and maintenance issues of Jags, and agreeing with some of each, I’m left wondering: How any angels can fit on the head of a pin?
If Jags are half as bad as some are saying here, how could they still be in business?
Read the history of Jaguar and you might understand its history… Ford purchased Jaguar in 1990 and then sold it to TaTa (India) in 2013. Jaguar was in trouble which is why Ford thought it a good idea then, and obviously it wasn’t, so Ford sold it to TaTa.
I don’t think there’s a problem with the early Jaguar XJ6. The problem I think is that there weren’t enough specialists able to or willing to service everything on the car that needed servicing. One of the problems I’ve heard this car had was the electrical system.
another well known problem was keeping the 12 cylinders in sync
Another problem would be not enough people who know how to maintain the damn engine.
To Car Nut Tacoma….. exactly. I have nothing against the Jaguar, in fact, in most cases, I love the styling of it…. but overall, for a large majority of people, it’s not been a very reliable car.
Well, sad to say, but my friend who still owns his Jag is in hospice for his last few days on this earth. John has 2 sons, not sure which son wants the Jag, but my guess is they will keep it for sentimental reasons only. It will wind up being parked in the back of a garage. John is 93 and says he is tired and ready to go home. He raced cars since age 18, owned shops to fix up old cars, tinkered with the engines (but left the big stuff to his mechanics), and loved driving the old vehicles around here for the last 20 years or so. I suspect he might last another 3-4 days, and he is gonna be missed.
A final word about all the Jaguar fur that has been flying in this blog. Take Chrysler, for example. Today it is owned by FIAT in Italy. All a Chrysler of today has in common, with say a 1960 Chrysler Imperial, is the WORD “Chrysler”. Jaguar too has undergone massive fundamental changes over its existence. Sir William Lyons founded the company in 1922 and ran it competently–producing a quality product at a reasonable price. He is considered one of the giants of the international automotive industry.
After Lyons retired in 1972 and his influence waned, Jaguar went from being a proud, independent and profitable company, to being but a brand name of an inefficient conglomerate called British Leyland, which was marked by managerial incompetence, constant strikes and unions working to rule by not caring about quality control. To make things worse, British Labour socialist governments pandered to the unions–one of their key constituencies– by pumping huge sums of taxpayers’ money into the factories run by incompetent managers and unions taking tea breaks every 15 minutes. After Jaguar survived, barely limping, thanks to some of the long-lived designs from the Lyons era–such as the XJ-6 and XJS in their various incarnations–it was purchased by Ford for a while and now is owned by some billionaire from India…and is only going to produce EVs.
All three Jaguars I have owned–a ’64 E Type, a ’57 XK-150 and my current ’69 E Type roadster–are from the Sir William era…as is the ’71 Willow Green XJ-6 of this blog. My three Jags, all with the alloy head XK-6 twin overhead cam powerplant with hemispherical combustion chambers, have been a pleasure to own and relatively easy to look after. Jay Leno, who knows a thing or two about cars, calls the XK engine “bulletproof”. By that way, that motor was also used in rugged army vehicles.
My key point is that just like tossing the word “Chrysler” about as being that of a good car or a bad car, it makes better sense to narrow down the era of the car we are talking about, rather than making sweeping generalizations.
The consensus is ignore Lawrence Boo-yah !!!!
Sad to report, my friend John has passed over to his home in Heaven. He willed his Jag to an old friend, who wanted it to remember John by, so his 2 sons breathed a sigh of relief. John’s other cars have been given to new homes, and the sons got to keep the cars they wanted to have. John used to race various cars over the years and one such old car was a 12 cylinder with 6 carbs. He drove twice at Indy and once at the Indy race in Japan. He also raced Pikes Peak, and for 15 years, raced in the Great American Race. He was featured once on Dennis Gage’s My Classic Car, and Jay Leno was a “car buddy” who once sat in his Green Monster racer. John was one of the nicest guys you could meet, and he will be missed…. but he is now Home with the Lord.
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope his friend enjoys the Jaguar. The car has been everywhere, and I hope it continues to be driven and enjoyed.
Thanks… apparently John spent the last couple of years figuring out new homes for all his vehicles, which would be typical for John. I’m taking a couple of weeks off just to reflect (at age 81 I do that from time to time)…. y’all take care
@ TheOldRanger: I hope whoever buys the old Jag enjoys it and cares for it.
John donated his car to one of his other Jaguar “brothers” who had expressed interest in case John’s family wanted to sell it… John willed it to him, so the car will be in good hands with a guy who won’t be driving it, but it will be taken great care of… I suspect it will be kept in a special garage.