As part of a new series of blog posts, we will be inviting a number of XJS owners and Jaguar enthusiasts to contribute to our blog, telling us exactly why they love the XJS. This week, we’ve gone across the pond and asked California-based, Rhett Redelings what makes the car so special to him.

• 1988 Jaguar XJ-S coupe in Glacier White with a Mulberry interior, an HE V12 engine [...]
  Read More ...

  British classics, British motoring, classic car, classic car restoration, More Tags

It’s important you consult a reputable broker who specialises in classic car insurance, in order to get the best possible cover for your classic car. We would recommend researching the following insurance companies, but there are, of course, other reputable brokers available:

• Peter James
• Lancaster
• Peter Best
• Adrian Flux

We would highly recommend going for ‘Replacement Value’ insurance cover, in case of unexpected damage, such as a collision or accident as you drive your freshly-restored classic away from KWE! This helps to overcome issues relating to the ‘book’ value that insurers sometimes offer, which might be a tenth of what you’ve just spent.

The above insurers provide specialist advice, and really know their stuff when it comes to classic cars. While they might offer only a limited mileage policy (typically 6,000 miles per year), they should be fine with insuring the car for a more accurate replacement value. KWE can confirm

A big thank you to everyone who visited our workshop this weekend for our open day, celebrating 40 years of the Jaguar XJS. The event was a great success, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

We were delighted to welcome customers old and new to our showroom to join in the birthday celebrations, many bringing along their prized XJS cars.

Classic car and Jaguar enthusiasts from across the country were treated to a motoring spectacle, as Greenham Business Park was awash with an array of stunning Jaguar XJS models.

• The very last XJS Eventer ever built – 6.0 litre TWR version
• An XJS currently being upgraded with an Omex Digital Engine Management system
• Six Series XJs and an extensively refurbished X300
• The day before the event a unique car had been collected from us by its owner. This was a test mule

Classic insurers say owners have unwittingly kept their cars’ agreed values at the same levels for years, despite recent price surges, particularly for 1970s and ’80s models.

Marcus Atkinson, marketing director at classic car insurer Hagerty, said the majority of classic cars are under-insured simply because owners are unaware of how much their cars have increased in value after recent price rises.

New Top Gear presenter, Chris Evans, is selling off £11million worth of classic cars at auction next month. Evans, who is replacing Jeremy Clarkson as the new presenter for the BBC show, has consigned 13 cars to the Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The items include the rare right-hand drive 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy, with an estimate of £2.6-2.9m, the 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 ‘Daytona’ Spider,

According to Wikipedia, a Grand Tourer can be defined as: “a performance and luxury automobile capable of high speed or spirited long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement”.

The term derives from the Italian ‘gran turismo’, and is a tribute to the tradition of the grand tour, which sees GTs of various marques and models embarking on long-distance, high-speed journeys in both style and comfort.

According to author Sam Dawson, “the ideal is a car with the ability to cross a continent at speed and in comfort, yet provide driving thrills when demanded”, and it should exhibit the following:

• The GT should have been devised by its designers specifically as a Grand Tourer
• It should be able to transport at least two in comfort with their luggage and have room to spare

On a hot Friday afternoon, Theresa spotted an XJS on our business park with an RAC van in attendance. Rushing to the rescue, she found that the RAC engineer could only tow it away because there was a big misfire and overheating exhaust. To the owner’s relief, Theresa pointed out that KWE was only a few yards away!

We leapt on the damsel in distress (the car, that is) and found the cause was a big ignition problem, with one bank of the V12 not working at all. In the end, we had to replace a faulty coil, leaking ignition leads and the distributor cap, while the owners basked in the sunshine.

All now being well, the owners went on their way, and we received the following email this morning:

“THERE IS A JAGUAR XJS GOD AFTER ALL… I could not believe my bad luck in breaking down on a lovely hot sunny afternoon,

We received this video from YouTube vlogger, Martyn Stanley. Hear what he had to say about the increasingly popular XJS, and why he thinks restoring with KWE is the way forward.

In line with growing investment potential, and as the car comes up to its landmark 40th anniversary, the XJS continues to get drivers’ hearts racing.

If, like Martyn, you’d like to restore a classic car back to its former glory, get in touch. We pride ourselves on our ability to back to ‘better-than-new’ quality, in line with your specifications.Call us on 01635 30030, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Thinking about restoring a classic Jaguar XJS? Well now’s a very good time, as this model is becoming an increasingly good investment opportunity. But how can you ensure you’re getting a good deal? And what can be done to minimise restoration costs? This post aims to shed some light on what to look out for when buying an XJS; it could save you a great deal of time and money!

First of all, it’s important to consider that sellers – in particular garages and dealers – will have gone to some trouble to make the car look pristine on the outside; but it is very unlikely that a seller will have done a proper restoration-quality repair of rusted areas. Therefore, a perfect-looking car is often in much worse condition than one with visible rust, which has not yet been ‘tarted-up’.

As with all