Sam Mace
You know a car has made it as a classic when it has its own rally. Well, as a diehard XJ40 fan, I’m delighted to say that it does. The XJ40 Owners Club, which hosts the biggest and best website for all things XJ40, held its annual meeting at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum on Saturday, 20th September. It wasn’t just UK-based cars which made up the entries. Some travelled from as far as Denmark to be there. Others came from Holland, Belgium and Germany. Now that’s dedication for you.
Despite being a stranger, I was made to feel very welcome, and was chatting with many as if we were old friends. Cars have a funny way of bringing people together…
Attending this rally means my fate is probably sealed. My resolve to buy an XJ40 in the New Year has been strengthened even more. Going to one of these events will make you catch the Jag bug, and I can think of few finer ways to get yourself in one than an XJ40. But be quick, these won’t stay this cheap forever.
Editor’s Note: The weekend of 20th/21st September was a good one for fans of some of the best British cars of the late Eighties. It was also one where I was made to ferry family members around and not indulge in my car passions – but that’s probably a good thing or I’d have been faced with the quandary of whether or not to take my 214SEi to Gaydon, or my Jaguar X300 to Beaulieu. He may have been Jag-less (though not for much longer, it sounds), but luckily Sam Mace went there instead, while good old Mike Humble went along to Gaydon. Anyone attending an AROnline friendly event is welcome, nay, encouraged to send in their pics and a brief report, we’ll publish what we can… Craig ([email protected])
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Cheers for this Sam – great to see. If only I’d have had the time I’d have loved to have come down for it.
And I couldn’t agree more about how the XJ40’s day must surely soon come – can they really stay this cheap forever? No, not once the rubbish ones have all gone and there are only nice cars left.
No worries – the plan to get my own will re-continue in earnest in the new year. A place for it to live has been found though (a start I guess). If anyone has a 4.0 Sovereign they’re thinking of selling, please do drop me a line…
Sorry I could not make it…I’m on the other side of the pond ..so to speak..
Hello all
Fine gathering there K716 PAF it may have come even further The car is based in Scotland but it is registered in Truro Cornwall been many miles indeed AF is a Cornish registration.
The owner of PAF was originally based in the South, before moving to Scotland. I’m unsure if he bought the car when he lived down here or not.
Massive fan of the ’40. I’ve always thought they were a real sweet-spot in Jaguar styling. The last forward-looking Jag for decades. Modern enough to look really sharp, but still retaining a classic Jaguar look.
My current one is a 4.0l manual as well!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/81749070@N07/14090237219/in/set-72157644376124874
where were you Biturbo? you should have been at the meet too!
I’d have loved to come, but I was in a remote barn conversion in central France at the time 🙂 took the ’40 on an 1200 mile road-trip with my girlfriend and it performed faultlessly 🙂
I’ve got some pictures I’ll post up on the forum once I’ve finished editing them 🙂
I might be wrong on this, but the example shown in the last images looks like it might have one or two features (e.g. the wheels) from Jaguar’s short-lived Insignia option range.
Yes David, that is correct. 🙂
The 4.0 manual in question at the meet is a 4.0 Manual XJR too. Even rarer. believed to be one of only two, on the road in the UK currently.
shame the picture is the wrong car with quote.
come on Sam! must try harder next time to remember all these cars!
I did notice that yesterday – however don’t shoot the messenger because I think my captions got lost in translation 😉
I will have to go to this next year was ment to this year nut lack of funds, im a totel xj40 nut i have an 94 4.0 sport