Quite a few sports car makers rely on the images of wild animals as their mascots: Ferrari has the prancing horse, Lamborghini employs the raging bull. Jaguar Ltd. christened itself with the name of the irresistible feline, and perhaps no other manufacturer's products are quite so aptly named. A Jaguar is quick and nimble, sounds ferocious, and surprises with dizzying speed, all the while keeping an elegant composure.

While all Jaguar motorcars benefit from their remarkable genes and hold a special position in the automobile world, it takes more for a newly introduced car to achieve instant collector status. Such is the case with the JAGUAR XJ Coupé, conceived three decades ago. In 1975, after the XK-E's demise and before the XJS was introduced to the public, the XJC was JAGUAR's celebrated flagship, the finest Jaguar money could buy.

Based on the most successful Jaguar in history, the beautiful XJ sedan (in its short wheelbase incarnation), the stunning-looking, elegant two-door hardtop was the last automobile design Sir William Lyons himself supervised during his decades-long tenure at the helm of this distinguished British marque.

Despite displaying unmatched poise, the big cats nevertheless suffered from vulnerable 6 and 12-cylinder engines. Not too stressed, thermally, in Her Majesty's mostly cool and dark Kingdom, they felt rather unhappy--and broke more than a sweat--exposed to sustained three-digit ambient temperatures often found in popular feline hangouts such as California, Arizona, or Texas.
American ingenuity, to the rescue!

Luckily, this cat is as happy as they come. When the original lump of British iron--quite expectedly--expired, the owner, an entertainment maven from Thousand Oaks, California, did exactly the right thing. He commissioned a local specialist to install a Chevrolet Corvette power plant and TH350 automatic transmission, curing its ills once and for all, and creating an automobile that carries the best of both worlds.

The 1975-vintage 350 cu.in. small block Chevy fits like a glove. Installation required just a few re-worked brackets; no engine bay alteration or shoe-horning was necessary.
Engine looks clean in and out (and features factory roller rockers); K&N filter screens the air. A single four-barrel carburetor dispenses the go juice, while ACCEL components help to ignite it. The dual exhaust with stock manifolds sounds sonorous. Large, thermostatically controlled electric fan keeps things cool at all time. Maintenance and tune-ups are child's play.
Jaguar has been inspected and is smog legal in California. Being a 1975 model, the car has just passed its final CA smog check, ever. (Vehicles 30 years old or older are smog exempt in the Golden State.)

As of today, the cat's odometer reads 63,526 miles. Although the entire car, specially the condition of the perfectly preserved interior, indicates that this is indeed a low mileage vehicle, it is exempt from federal odometer statements.
According to its former owner, there's only about 5,000 miles on the V-8 conversion.

Reading is always fun! Trunkful of printed materials include:

• Original owner's manual
• Comprehensive repair manual
• XJ Restoration book
• XKs Unlimited catalogue
• Fold-out maintenance chart
• Electrical and A/C wiring diagrams
• Cruise control manual
• Stereo system operation manuals
• Various documents outlining XJ6C history and V-8 conversion

Surveying the Jag again, its outstandingly preserved body makes even the most jaded collector's heart skip a beat or two. Covered with a smooth coat of immensely lustrous British Racing Green paint--the car's factory color--accented with hand-applied maroon and gold pinstripes, there are no dings, dents, or scratches to be found, anywhere.
Absence of the usual vinyl top accentuates the car's flowing lines. Some serious money was spent in 2001 to create this handsome hybrid cat!

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According to literature, only 3,900 left drive XJ6 Coupés were built during three years of production in the mid-Seventies. Back then, factory-applied rust protection was still marginal at best, leading to terminal corrosion problems on most XJ Coupes.
This one, a California car since day one, miraculously was spared the brown cancer, and that's guaranteed! BRG beauty surely qualifies as one of the finest surviving examples.

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Cat's paws are excellent, original artillery-style wheels, shod with as-new 215/75-15 radial tires and capped with stock Jaguar dog-dish chrome hub caps.

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Inside, you are greeted in style by the breathtakingly beautiful burl walnut dashboard. Aside from a Rolls Royce, there is nothing like it in the automobile realm. Mirror-like varnish provides lasting protection. Dash top and surround are crack free. Floors are covered with the original dark tan WILTON wool carpeting; not surprisingly, it's in excellent condition. Note the orignal factory shifter. Who would guess that it operates a TH350?

View of the beautiful 6-gauge instrument cluster. Apart from the additon of a wonderful NARDI wood-and-aluminum steering wheel--check out the Jaguar horn button--this cat looks all original. Its stock, white-on-black SMITHS gauges work perfectly. Just the clock has a mind of her own.

You might be pleased to learn that CONNOLLY, for years the World's leading manufacturer of top-quality automotive leather, chose only hides from healthy and deliriously happy cows grazing on protected areas of the Scottish highlands. It would be a futile task to try to replicate this outstandingly preserved interior. The craftsmanship so abundantly displayed here is simply priceless!

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The front seats look invitingly comfortable, and indeed, they support one's body perfectly. XJC Cockpit is very roomy. Black buttons on E-Type-like embossed alloy console operate power windows and central locking system.

Like a luxurious rail car, the rear compartment offers all the amenities even the most fastidious passenger would expect.

Black velour lines the super clean, very spacious trunk. Chromed spare rests out of the way, below wooden floorboard.

You might be waiting to hear how this big cat performs. Well, then, here we go.
All of these pictures were taken on Saturday, September 13, during a very enjoyable trip to our favorite Mulholland Highway rest spot. (It's an open-air bar, actually. Hi, Diana . . .)

It's a joy to be seen in the classic Jaguar Coupé. Again, Rolls Royce comes to mind when attempting to assess the overwhelming sense of well-being felt while chauffeuring this fine machine. I would even venture so far as to claim the V-8-powered XJC to be nicer overall than the equally rare Corniche Coupé. This particular Jag is just such a nimble, easy-to-drive automobile!

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My car is my castle. This one starts, runs, drives, handles, and brakes wonderfully. It sounds good, too, with a brand new PIONEER DEH-P7300 high power CD player with remote control and FOSGATE Punch 45HD amplifier. What'll it be, Handel's "Wassermusik" or Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic"?

Smiles abound. Driving the XJ Coupé is a very satisfying experience, especially when considering the historical significance of this fine motorcar as Sir William Lyons' final pet project.

With its smartly updated drivetrain, finely preserved, sumptuous interior, and unmolested body and chassis, this cat represents a rare opportunity for the knowledgeable enthusiast to acquire one of the few remaining, fully sorted LHD examples of the XJ Coupé.
In the tradition of distinguished British marques featuring powerful drivetrains Made in the U.S.A., i.e., Bristol, Gordon Keeble, or AC, it's a sports car for the family man, the finest business express imaginable!