Jaguar World Magazine No.146 XJ-S vs Interceptor Retour à l'édition précédente

For some moral support, I took my father on the gruelling 900-mile
round trek to Glencoe to discover how far an XJ 3.0 SC can reach on a
single tank of fuel (see page 80). It does him good to get out from under
my mother's feet occasionally, plus if I ran out of fuel, he could push.
Forever a Jaguar man, it was on the twisty A82 that he suddenly
said, "I wonder what Sir William Lyons would make of this car?" It's a
question that's been asked many times before but it's still a good one.
A stickler for style, would Lyons have found the X351 to his tastes?
Sir William had also been in my thoughts leading up to the trip because
stored in my garage, ready for this year's London to Brighton Jaguar run a
few days later, was his former Daimler Double Six LWB from 1974. A car that with its oceans of thick veneer and even thicker leather was one of the most luxurious saloons you could buy at the time. While its opulence pales in significance to the current XJ's technological tour deforce – my
old man couldn't get over the many gadgets the X351 has on board – the Daimler's comfort and grace remains. From every angle, the Double Six looks fantastic. Its simple and understated lines make it a true gentleman's express, perfect for a retired captain of industry, whether or not he created the company that built the car.
Although the current XJ is an incredible piece of machinery, I don't think
it has as much grace as its forebear. It's too big for one thing and perhaps too flashy; the last thing a gentleman wants to do is draw attention to himself, yet wherever we went we caused quite a stir. But there's no denying the XJ has a strong sense of style, something I reckon Sir William would have found appealing. Always a fan of the long, low, sleek look (his S.S.1 and Mk X are good examples) the X351's coupe-like appearance fits this perfectly.