History of our XJ6

The Great Escape Jaguar XJ6 is a 1974 Series 2 car fitted with the 4.2 litre straight six engine and is a long wheelbase version. It was bought in June 1974 so comes from the first year of Series 2 production.

Our Jaguar XJ6 has had a remarkable history. It was sold new to the director of a local Astwood Bank family firm by the Jaguar dealership P J Evans in Redditch. When he retired he bought the car and lived locally in Feckenham, where Great Escape Classic Car Hire is based. By the time it was put into storage in 1999 with a classic Jaguar specialist in Droitwich the car had covered just 36,000 miles.

Unlike many stored cars this one had been MOT'd annually and the engine regularly run and the car moved. So it was mechanically good. The low mileage and storage meant that it was immaculate inside and had never been welded or painted. Apart from some minor cosmetic defects, it was perfect.

The car is desirable because it is an early Jaguar XJ6 Series 2, which means that it is relatively simple to work on and built before Jaguar quality deteriorated significantly under British Leyland. The long wheelbase version is also the better car because it makes the rear seats much more comfortable.

Our Jaguar XJ6 features Sable paint and green leather interior with immaculate walnut dashboard. The car also features optional green tinted glass. This colour combination has period character but also appeals to modern tastes. It is very similar to the specification of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons' favourite personal Jaguar - a Series 1 XJ6 with Sable paintwork.