By 1973, the Jaguar XJ was five years old. It was still a very good product but Jaguar gave it a bit of an update in the form of the Series 2 model with a shallower grille and a higher-mounted front bumper. There were no major engine changes - the XK straight six was still going strong and the magnificent 5.3-litre V12 was almost brand new. I saw this Series 2 at the British Motor Museum last year.
In 1968, with the formation of British Leyland, for the second time in a decade, a merger brought a lightweight aluminium alloy V8 engine under the same corporate roof as Jaguar - in the form of the Rover (originally Buick) V8. As we have seen, the first time this happened, Jaguar found a place for Daimler’s V8 in the Mk2 saloon. But its attitude to the Rover V8 was very different. Rover P6 3500 V8 seen at the 2025 Practical Classics resto show
For #Caturday, a (rebadged) Jaguar. By the time the XJ6 arrived, every post-war Jaguar with the exception of the badge-engineered Daimler V8 had been fitted with the XK straight six, which became a defining Jag feature. But V engines appeared in the XJ in 1972 with the 5.3-litre V12 XJ12. On a telling note, the Daimler version seen here at The Great British Car Journey in 2023 was badged ‘double six’, emphasising that straight six XK heritage.
In 1968 Jaguar replaced all four of its saloon models, including the recently featured Mk2, with the XJ6. All XJ6s used the Jaguar XK straight six engine in new 2.8 and 4.2-litre sizes. That included the Daimler badged version, the Daimler Sovereign. But while the Daimler V8 was now off the menu, as we shall see tomorrow, ‘V’ engines would soon become part of the story again. I snapped this beautiful XJ6 at the British Motor Museum in 2023.
JLR has dismissed design chief Gerry McGovern amid backlash over Jaguar’s rebrand and controversial concepts. Despite his major role in shaping Land Rover’s success, recent creative decisions sparked strong criticism. His departure signals a reset in design strategy under new leadership. Is this a necessary change or a risky move for Jaguar?
Jazz de Ville – Dance
David Wilkins
Automobiles
Goodwood FOS 
AUTO.AE