manufacturer, whilst others simply do not get it at all, often revealing itself at times as an almost blind faith that seems to remain intact throughout troubled times caused by ill-conceived or poorly executed products. Now before reviewing the XJ6C I have to very quietly, just to be polite you understand, admit that I haven’t ever really fully got Jaguar. There you go I’ve said it. Now I loved the two V12 E-Types that I drove on the Great Escape – Cotswold Rally because at the end of day they are iconic cars and universally revered. But the Great Escape Classic Car Hire XJ6C, I wasn’t so sure about, after all this was going to be a taste of something closer to what mainstream Jaguars were all about. Well, if I’d actually said it out loud, right now I would still be chewing my way through an off white Le Mans baseball cap. This car let me get inside and disappear off as one of its biggest cynics to return as someone who had to stop a few times en-route just to give his brain the chance to re-calibrate. How so? Well there was the fact that this was the coupe model with frameless doors allowing you to lower both front and rear side windows leaving large crescent shaped openings either side. How cool is that? Then there was the punchy six cylinder and, iconic in its own right, 4.2 litre powerplant. Not one that is as silky smooth as the V12, but an engine that you can work with, being gentle low down and then getting much more aroused when stirred. This for me served as a very fitting tribute to this British prestige car manufacturer and as I was slowly beginning to appreciate being very ‘Jaguar’. These things definitely helped ‘oil the wheels’ on my personal journey in understanding this brand and then whilst looking around to find fault, as you do, I clocked the dashboard. Suddenly I was there because I like car interiors, particular classic car interiors, and I often find there is either not enough dials, or maybe incoherent switchgear. But the more I stared at the inside of this particular Daimler derivative model I realised I’d found it, the complete walnut covered, analogue dialled and rocker switch combination I craved. Perfect.Combine the superb interior view with the fact you can stick the XJ6C into drive, sit back and relax into your journey, until you need to hustle this surprisingly spritely sports coupe into action, then you will not be disappointed. This car delivers on many levels and has room for four passengers plus luggage. Jaguar I salute you. Verdict 1975 Jaguar (Daimler) XJ6 Coupe Driving As relaxing or racy as you want it to be, although its charms mean you soon find yourself chilling out on your journey Engine Jaguar’s six cylinder unit is refined at a gentle pace with some useful grunt further up the rev range to whistle you past any pesky peasants Performance 0–60 mph: 8.6 secondsTop speed: 125 mph Brakes Good match for the car’s weight and performance Handling You can hustle it, but feel far more inclined to adopt a more leisurely pace. Does move around on the profile of the front tyres when first entering a corner at any sort of speed. Desirability Relative rarity puts it above similar Jaguar saloon models Pro’s Cossetting family sized cruiser that makes you feel a cut above the rest Con’s Renting – None. Buying – Nothing other than the usual tin worm worries that accompany a British built car from the 1970’s, particularly those hidden by the vinyl roof in this case Overall 4/5 For more details on hiring the Jaguar XJ6 coupe from Great Escape Classic Car Hire call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/
Showing posts with label daimler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daimler. Show all posts
Sunday
Jaguar XJ6 coupe road test
Jaguar (Daimler) XJ6 Coupe road test by Matt Nichols Do you find that you or some of the people you know tune into a particular car 
manufacturer, whilst others simply do not get it at all, often revealing itself at times as an almost blind faith that seems to remain intact throughout troubled times caused by ill-conceived or poorly executed products. Now before reviewing the XJ6C I have to very quietly, just to be polite you understand, admit that I haven’t ever really fully got Jaguar. There you go I’ve said it. Now I loved the two V12 E-Types that I drove on the Great Escape – Cotswold Rally because at the end of day they are iconic cars and universally revered. But the Great Escape Classic Car Hire XJ6C, I wasn’t so sure about, after all this was going to be a taste of something closer to what mainstream Jaguars were all about. Well, if I’d actually said it out loud, right now I would still be chewing my way through an off white Le Mans baseball cap. This car let me get inside and disappear off as one of its biggest cynics to return as someone who had to stop a few times en-route just to give his brain the chance to re-calibrate. How so? Well there was the fact that this was the coupe model with frameless doors allowing you to lower both front and rear side windows leaving large crescent shaped openings either side. How cool is that? Then there was the punchy six cylinder and, iconic in its own right, 4.2 litre powerplant. Not one that is as silky smooth as the V12, but an engine that you can work with, being gentle low down and then getting much more aroused when stirred. This for me served as a very fitting tribute to this British prestige car manufacturer and as I was slowly beginning to appreciate being very ‘Jaguar’. These things definitely helped ‘oil the wheels’ on my personal journey in understanding this brand and then whilst looking around to find fault, as you do, I clocked the dashboard. Suddenly I was there because I like car interiors, particular classic car interiors, and I often find there is either not enough dials, or maybe incoherent switchgear. But the more I stared at the inside of this particular Daimler derivative model I realised I’d found it, the complete walnut covered, analogue dialled and rocker switch combination I craved. Perfect.Combine the superb interior view with the fact you can stick the XJ6C into drive, sit back and relax into your journey, until you need to hustle this surprisingly spritely sports coupe into action, then you will not be disappointed. This car delivers on many levels and has room for four passengers plus luggage. Jaguar I salute you. Verdict 1975 Jaguar (Daimler) XJ6 Coupe Driving As relaxing or racy as you want it to be, although its charms mean you soon find yourself chilling out on your journey Engine Jaguar’s six cylinder unit is refined at a gentle pace with some useful grunt further up the rev range to whistle you past any pesky peasants Performance 0–60 mph: 8.6 secondsTop speed: 125 mph Brakes Good match for the car’s weight and performance Handling You can hustle it, but feel far more inclined to adopt a more leisurely pace. Does move around on the profile of the front tyres when first entering a corner at any sort of speed. Desirability Relative rarity puts it above similar Jaguar saloon models Pro’s Cossetting family sized cruiser that makes you feel a cut above the rest Con’s Renting – None. Buying – Nothing other than the usual tin worm worries that accompany a British built car from the 1970’s, particularly those hidden by the vinyl roof in this case Overall 4/5 For more details on hiring the Jaguar XJ6 coupe from Great Escape Classic Car Hire call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/
manufacturer, whilst others simply do not get it at all, often revealing itself at times as an almost blind faith that seems to remain intact throughout troubled times caused by ill-conceived or poorly executed products. Now before reviewing the XJ6C I have to very quietly, just to be polite you understand, admit that I haven’t ever really fully got Jaguar. There you go I’ve said it. Now I loved the two V12 E-Types that I drove on the Great Escape – Cotswold Rally because at the end of day they are iconic cars and universally revered. But the Great Escape Classic Car Hire XJ6C, I wasn’t so sure about, after all this was going to be a taste of something closer to what mainstream Jaguars were all about. Well, if I’d actually said it out loud, right now I would still be chewing my way through an off white Le Mans baseball cap. This car let me get inside and disappear off as one of its biggest cynics to return as someone who had to stop a few times en-route just to give his brain the chance to re-calibrate. How so? Well there was the fact that this was the coupe model with frameless doors allowing you to lower both front and rear side windows leaving large crescent shaped openings either side. How cool is that? Then there was the punchy six cylinder and, iconic in its own right, 4.2 litre powerplant. Not one that is as silky smooth as the V12, but an engine that you can work with, being gentle low down and then getting much more aroused when stirred. This for me served as a very fitting tribute to this British prestige car manufacturer and as I was slowly beginning to appreciate being very ‘Jaguar’. These things definitely helped ‘oil the wheels’ on my personal journey in understanding this brand and then whilst looking around to find fault, as you do, I clocked the dashboard. Suddenly I was there because I like car interiors, particular classic car interiors, and I often find there is either not enough dials, or maybe incoherent switchgear. But the more I stared at the inside of this particular Daimler derivative model I realised I’d found it, the complete walnut covered, analogue dialled and rocker switch combination I craved. Perfect.Combine the superb interior view with the fact you can stick the XJ6C into drive, sit back and relax into your journey, until you need to hustle this surprisingly spritely sports coupe into action, then you will not be disappointed. This car delivers on many levels and has room for four passengers plus luggage. Jaguar I salute you. Verdict 1975 Jaguar (Daimler) XJ6 Coupe Driving As relaxing or racy as you want it to be, although its charms mean you soon find yourself chilling out on your journey Engine Jaguar’s six cylinder unit is refined at a gentle pace with some useful grunt further up the rev range to whistle you past any pesky peasants Performance 0–60 mph: 8.6 secondsTop speed: 125 mph Brakes Good match for the car’s weight and performance Handling You can hustle it, but feel far more inclined to adopt a more leisurely pace. Does move around on the profile of the front tyres when first entering a corner at any sort of speed. Desirability Relative rarity puts it above similar Jaguar saloon models Pro’s Cossetting family sized cruiser that makes you feel a cut above the rest Con’s Renting – None. Buying – Nothing other than the usual tin worm worries that accompany a British built car from the 1970’s, particularly those hidden by the vinyl roof in this case Overall 4/5 For more details on hiring the Jaguar XJ6 coupe from Great Escape Classic Car Hire call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/
Wednesday
Wales in a classic car
When my wife Janine and I decided to organise an 'away day' to plan 2011 for our classic car hire business Great Escape, Wales was the obvious destination. Although many of our customers head towards the Cotswolds from our Worcestershire HQ, the few that venture westwards come back with tales that have often tempted us.So we booked ourselves into the superb The Drawing Room near Builth Wells for dinner bed and breakfast. This B&B is a real find, located just 90 minutes from our Worcestershire base in the heart of the Welsh Borders, it offers real home comfort and superb food in its small restaurant.
With the easy part done - choosing the B&B - I was left with the hard job of selecting a classic car to take. Strange as it may seem for someone who is in and out of classic cars all day, I very rarely get to drive the cars in my leisure time. We are usually hurrying from location to location to deliver cars or organise repairs, hardly the stuff of classic drives.
So I was faced with an unusually tough choice. In the end it came down to two cars - either my mint Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti or my equally good Daimler Sovereign Coupe. With poor weather forecast and feeling knackered from another week hussling classic cars, I chose the Daimler.
The Daimler Sovereign is essentially a Jaguar XJ6 coupe with nicer seats. One of 1,500 4.2 Sovereigns made, this car is Regency Red (memorably described by Jeremy Clarkson as 'the colour of a vet's arm') with a tan interior. Many customers tend to overlook this car, favouring instead the Jaguar Mk2 and E Type, but anyone who does chance upon it absolutely loves it. The Daimler is quite easily the nicest riding car I have ever driven and is effortlessly stylish - there is something novel and entertaining that never quite wears off about dropping all four windows and experiencing the 'pillarless effect.'
So we packed up the Daimler and hit the road, travelling to Builth Wells via Witney, Leominster, Ludlow and Brecon and arriving a couple of hours later. The road were quiet but endlessly entertaining, even in a big old barge like the Daimler, Despite featherlight steering, the car handles beautifully. The roads around Herefordshire and the Welsh Borders are generally quiet but constantly amaze with oustanding scenery and an endless variety of dips, turns and straights.
Suitably rested and planned-out we hit the road the next day, stopping at Hay on Wye and then on to Symonds Yat before returning home to meet some customers.
All in all, a very relaxing and hugely rewarding journey of just a couple of hundred miles. So if you're planning a trip in one of Great Escape's classic cars, go West!
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