1987 Jaguar Sovereign - 3.6

Development of the XJ40 series began as early as 1973, with the aim of replacing the XJ Series II around 1978. As a great deal of time was spent within the hierarchy of the BLMC corporate structure on matters of principle (deciding between tradition and modernity in vehicle development), the project was not approved by the BLMC board until 1981. The decision was made to adopt the conventional Jaguar style: classic proportions, combined with traditional craftsmanship (using materials such as wood, metal and leather). Thanks to its proportions, side profile and ‘hip swing’ the XJ40 continued the traditional design of its predecessors, reinterpreted in a modern key. The XJ40 was one of the most technically ambitious cars of the 1980s, particularly in the field of vehicle electronics. At the same time, production was organised more efficiently than with the Series III, as the bodywork consisted of a smaller number of larger pressed steel panels. The XJ40 was fitted with the AJ6 3.6-litre six-cylinder in-line engine, familiar with the XJ-S. A smaller version with a 2.9-litre engine was not offered in continental Europe for market strategy reasons. Regardless of the engine variant, there were two Jaguar versions with different specifications (the Jaguar XJ6 and the Jaguar Sovereign), as well as the Daimler with the 3.6-litre engine (traditionally marketed in the USA as the Jaguar Vanden Plas) as the top-of-the-range model in the series. This Jaguar Sovereign, fitted with a 3.6-litre inline six-cylinder engine producing 184 hp in the catalytic converter version, an automatic gearbox, power steering, air conditioning, electrically adjustable leather seats and an electric sunroof, was handed over to its first owner on 6 July 1987 by Garage P. Keller in Coppet. The elegant British car remained with its first owner until mid-1990, after which it moved to the Zurich area. The documents do not reveal how many owners it had there – at some point, however, 8x16” Fondmetall wheels were fitted and entered in the vehicle registration document in place of the original 390 rims, which had caused problems when sourcing tyres. In early 2026, the Jaguar was purchased by the seller and added to his small collection. Over the past few months, he has driven the car for around 500 km and is now selling it to make way for a new addition to the collection – true to the motto: when one comes in, another one has to go. With 117'300 km on the clock and a well-stamped service history book, the Jaguar is in good, well-maintained condition – the only issue is the well-known problem of a sagging headliner, which can be rectified if necessary. The last veteran MOT took place in January 2026, meaning this beautiful saloon can be registered immediately.