TOUGH ON THE STREETS

With the XJ6, Jaguar turned the luxury saloon market on its head. Now Robert Coucher finds it the perfect car for the city

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Most cities are harsh, noisy and aggressive in character. Those who can will do their best to insulate themselves from the cut ’n’ thrust of the urban jungle, and this includes their choice of motor vehicle. Somewhat absurdly, those who really can will often choose large SUVs and 4x4s for their tough demeanour and lofty visibility when dealing with interminable traffic, never mind that these vehicles are inherently unsuitable, being both gross and unwieldly. Here we have a better solution, one that’s 55 years old...

Launched in 1968, the marque’s first new car since the E-type in 1961, the Jaguar XJ6 cost the company a whopping £6million to develop. In both 2.8and 4.2-litre versions it was intended to replace the dated Mk2 and S-type, the huge MkX and Daimler’s 250 V8. It was known internally as the XJ4 and development began in 1963.

While the XK engine was developed in 173bhp (4.2-litre) and 140bhp (2.8) guises, Jaguar, being engineering-led at the time, could not resist a range-topping V12, a supersmooth 265bhp mill that would see 146mph at full whack, launched in 1972 as the XJ12. Most XJ6s were automatic, with a Borg Warner three-speed slush-box, but the very original low-mileage example you see here (it's showing just over 56,000 miles) features the Jaguar four-speed manual plus overdrive transmission.