The Best of the Best – Daimler XJ40

However, rather than bow out with grace, the Series III car was forced on by bosses at Jaguar. This was of course a financial decision, seeing as sales of the Series III never seemed to waiver. In fact, they rose toward the end. But what many don’t realise, is that Series III’s stay of execution was needed to secure the future of its successor, the XJ40.

Jaguar wasn’t taking any chances with its new car, and as such, subjected it to testing the likes of which had never been seen at the company. It wanted the car to be perfect, so it took its time and made sure it was as well-engineered and as such, as well-built as possible. In fact, the XJ40 project had been in development since the 1970s. However, it wasn’t just fastidious engineers slowing things up. There was also the small matter of the oil crisis, and of course, as you’d expect from a British car company in the ‘70s, there were issues from the British Leyland management. But despite these external factors, the design and development went on, even if a release date kept getting pushed back.

In 1981 British Leyland finally gave Jaguar the funds it needed to build the XJ40 project in the from of some £80,000,000. The target release year was 1984, and all was looking well until Jaguar left BL in favour of going private. But it wasn’t privatisation that delayed the XJ40. Once again, it was the pursuit of perfection. Sir John Egan, who was at the helm of the new and privately-owned Jaguar, saw an opportunity. Despite being pushed on in years, the Series III was enjoying a resurgence in sales, probably from die hard Jag fans who were scared of future offerings, so Egan capitalised on it and delayed the XJ40 further. The old car was selling, so why rush out a new one? This rekindled showroom passion for the III gave Jaguar more time to work on the XJ40, more time to get it right, and to quash the waiting critics ready to slam the ‘new’ Jaguar’s first offering.

The plan worked. If you ever hear anyone say the XJ40 was rubbish, ignore them, because it wasn’t. Egan’s drive to deliver never before seen levels of quality worked, and the XJ40 was a hit from the off. In fact, demand far, far outstripped supply, and in the late ‘80s XJ40s were selling for ridiculous sums. People liked this new machine, and they wanted it. Yes, there were electric issues on early cars, but as we address in a bit, they were soon ironed out. Plus, a British car wouldn’t be a British car without some sort of electronic idiosyncrasy.

Of course, when it comes to Jaguar, you can’t say the name without thinking Daimler, which is what brings us to the car you see here; John Kay’s 1988 Daimler 3.6.

Jaguar was and always has been a luxury brand, but that’s not to say it capitalised on what luxury could mean. For that, there was Daimler. It would take a model from the Jaguar line-up and turn the luxury up to 11. More walnut, more leather, more picnic tables, more everything. John’s car is representative of Daimler doing its thing perfectly. This is a sumptuous, cosseting, refined country club of a car.

John’s is somewhat more special though. Being a 1988 model, this is now a 31-year-old car, but as we turn up to the wonderful Plas Maenan country house for the shoot, we’re taken aback. This Daimler isn’t in good condition. It isn’t in exceptional condition. It isn’t even in ‘as new’ condition. It’s better than that. This is a car is on another level in terms of condition. And it’s no trailer queen. John drove it here, some 60 or so miles, and he happily drove it home.

A 3.6 pre-cat model, this car has a 221bhp straight-six engine mated to a silky smooth four-speed automatic transmission. Flawless Solent Blue metallic paint adorns the panels, whilst magnolia leather fills the innards. As was the style of the time, the dash is awash with LED lights and more buttons than a shirt factory, but they all work on this model. Pleasing, considering that the only real issue for early XJ40 cars was the electrics, though this was ironed out after Ford’s 1989 takeover and consequent cash injection, but we digress.

How does a car of this vintage come to survive in such a way though? Well, in the case of John’s Daimler, the key ingredient has been passion.

The car was bought new by a Lincoln-based businessman who spent his days of blue sky thinking, synergy and whatever else business-people do in the back seat. He never actually drove it, instead choosing to be chauffeur driven. Yet even so, he developed an unbreakable bond with the machine.

A man of his standing could have traded in the old Daimler for something newer, and frankly given the slump in values these cars saw in the late ’90s, that would have made more financial sense. However, that wasn’t the path he chose. Instead, when the Daimler hit 100k, he entrusted it to two former Browns Lane engineers and subjected the car to a no expense spared restoration. On closer inspection of the car, it’s evident that no nut, no bolt, no wire and no stitch has been left untouched.

It was during the Daimler’s staggering restoration that things took a sad turn. The original owner who so obviously loved the Daimler passed away. Shortly after, the company of which he was at the helm went under, but not before some £50,000 had been paid out for the Daimler’s extensive restoration.

It was shortly after this in 2012 that the Daimler came into John’s possession care of Sherwood Restorations. With an indicated 600 miles on the clock, John basically got himself a brand-new Daimler for a fraction of the cost. John knew it was a good, no, a stunning car. Little did he know just how good though. So good that ever since his purchase, the Daimler has been racking up trophies left, right and centre ever since. Concours, the Endeavour Trophy, Power for Passion, this car has scooped them all, and rightly so.

As John walks us around the car, he does so with pride so engaging it’s tangible. It’s always pleasing to chat with an owner who is passionate about their car, but John takes that notion to another level. He explains everything about the car, tells us of all it’s had done to it like search the UK for a set of perfect and period correct Avon metric tyres, and he does so with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the car. But he’s no bore, he talks us through it with enthusiasm and charm. We’re swept away by the car we’re looking at; it truly is absolutely flawless. And that’s despite the fact John has racked up some 19,000 miles during his tenure.

John’s Daimler is proof that you can have your shiny cake and you can drive it, too. He has the best of both worlds. John strikes us a man who loves to drive his car as well as cherish it, and while he makes no secret of that being hard work, he doesn’t seem to mind. But then, when you consider he gets to say he owns what is, in our eyes, one of if not the best Daimler 3.6s in the country, it’s understandable.

Many thanks to the Plas Maenan Country House for the shoot location.