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Jaguar’s future owner is still unconfirmed as I write, but one thing is for certain; given the number of memorable Jaguar anniversaries taking place in 2008, when that new owner does step into the driving seat there will be no escaping its attention what a responsibility it is taking on. Of course, notable Jaguar milestones in 2008 include 60 years of XK and 20 years since the marque’s last Le Mans win – but perhaps the most significant milestone in terms of the company’s present is the fast approaching one of the passing of 40 years since the original XJ was unveiled in 1968, an anniversary we celebrate in this issue. The reason the XJ anniversary is so significant is twofold. Firstly it’s a model that, even today, is still having an influence on Jaguar design. The grille of the XF, for example, clearly draws on the design used for the original XJ. In fact, when the XF was first unveiled, Jaguar design director, Ian Callum, was keen to point out: “Cars like the original XJ6 left a lasting legacy and my ambition has been to create something as seminal.” More important still, however, is the fact that the XJ model line is very much alive and that the replacement for the current version, which we expect to see next year, will be the first Jaguar launched with the company under new ownership. Clearly, even though today’s design lead times are a lot less than they would have been in 1968, the final form for that new XJ will likely have been frozen by now and so won’t be influenced by Jaguar’s new owner, although its success once it hits the showrooms may well be – that we shall only find out in due course.