Description
H&H Classic Auction @ The Imperial War Museum, Duxford/ Cambridgeshire
9th October, 2024 13:00
1971 Jaguar XJ6 4. 2 Litre
Denny family ownership since at least 1978
Estimate
£9, 000 - £11, 000
Registration No: YGE 67J
Chassis No: 1L13067BW
MOT: September 2025
Owned by the Denny tailoring family of Southwold whose clients have included the author George Orwell since at least 1978
Repainted in its factory colour and treated to a minor overhaul in 1990/ 1991 but otherwise highly original
Regularly MOT tested but little used in recent years
Nicely proportioned short wheelbase variant
Credible 79, 000 recorded miles
"If you do not intend to buy a XJ6, don't try one, for ordinary cars will be spoilt for you thereafter. This is a very special kind of motoring" Autosport (06/ 08/ 1970)
Introduced in September 1968, the Jaguar XJ6 was an automotive exemplar of the saying that a whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. There was nothing radically new about the model's four-door monocoque bodyshell, all-round independent suspension, power assisted rack and pinion steering or four-wheel disc brakes and yet it effectively moved the goalposts of luxury car design. Another of Sir William Lyons' stylistic masterpieces, its bluff radiator grille, slim-pillared glasshouse, pronounced belt line and quad headlights gave presence aplenty. Powered by a choice of 4. 2 litre or 2. 8 litre straight-six XK engines allied to either four-speed manual plus overdrive or automatic transmission, the XJ6 was a strong performer (though, the smaller-engined variant felt somewhat less powerful than its 1. 4 litre deficit suggested). Belying the saloon's exterior dimensions, the cabin felt reassuringly cocooning thanks in part to a generous transmission tunnel. Hailed by Sir William Lyons as "the best Jaguar ever" during a series of 1969 television adverts, the first generation XJ6 won that year’s ‘Car of The Year’ award and remained in production until 1973.
First registered in Glasgow on 5th February 1971, chassis 1L13067BW was purchased by the vendor’s father from Mann Egerton of Norwich seven years later at a time when the family tailoring business - ‘Denny of Southwold & Saville Row’ - could boast George Orwell, Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, Alfred Munnings, Adrian Bell, Rennie Mackintosh and even the future King Charles III as clients. Treated to a respray in its original hue, sundry mechanical fettling and recoloured leather during 1990-1991, the Jaguar had its power steering overhauled in 1994 and headlining renewed in 2002. Believed but not warranted to have covered some 79, 000 miles from new, the XJ6 passed its most recent MOT test on September 10th 2024. Pleasingly original in terms of its factory-fitted 4. 2 litre engine, interior trim, boot liner and dashboard etc, ‘YGE 67J’ rode the country roads to and from the photography location notably well. Representing the iconic XJ6 in its purest form, Series 1 cars are increasingly sought after especially when finished in such a fetching colour combination and coming from long-term ownership. Offered for sale with V5C Registration Document, history file and current MOT.
