Around the same time as the first Jaguar XJ6 (series 1) rolled off the production line, another Great British classic was born. In 1970, the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) entered the music scene with its ambition to create modern rock songs with classical overtones.

In some ways, perhaps this is similar to the Jaguar XK8 – a contemporary twist given to a classic vehicle. Underneath the XK8’s modern curves lies a classic not too dissimilar to its XJS predecessor.

In Doug’s second guest blog, we asked about any memorable journeys he’s taken in his XJS – and we certainly weren’t disappointed! It looks like Doug’s got the right idea when it comes to classic car ownership, as he gets so much more from the car than if it was kept in a garage all the time.

I’m not keen on cars sitting in garages or concourse-style perfection. Don’t get me wrong, I am pedantic about how she looks, is maintained and drives. The key requirement being that the car must be driven. I bought her to enjoy driving and feel connected to the road, not to look at and polish – granted I do a fair bit of this too.

To this end, we recently took her to the Spa Classic Racing meeting at Spa Francorchamps circuit last May.

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.

We spoke to loyal KWE customer, Doug Wilson, about why he’s fond of his XJS, and what makes it better than the modern vehicles in his garage.

Born in Lanark, Scotland

Occupation: Company Director, Power Utility Company

Interests: Music, guitar playing and collecting, whisky collecting and drinking, shooting, reading, sports and international travel

My wife drives a Land Rover Defender. I use a Mercedes GL350 AMG Sport Bluetech as my daily driver. My V12 Jaguar XJS Coupe (1989) is my classic car choice and I also run a modern sports car. For the last ten years or so this has always been a Mercedes SL500 or new SL 400 variant. However, I have recently traded-in

If you didn’t think classic car ownership could get any better at the moment, there’s yet more good news for pre-HE Jaguar XJS owners.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) rolling cut-off date for historic vehicle tax exemption, means that all cars built before 1st January 1976 will be officially tax-free from April this year.

This means that so-called ‘modern classics’ are now to be described as ‘historic’ in line with the updated rules.

“1975 was undoubtedly a stellar year for new car launches, and their new found tax exemption not only feels overdue, but also inherently right”, comments Classic Car Buyer.

The reduced running costs will help to attract even more eager enthusiasts to the growing classic car market, who will help to preserve these wonderful vehicles, ensuring greater variety on the roads amongst a sea of modern vehicles.

As the Jaguar XJS turned 40 last September, it continues to pick up momentum as

As another great year draws to a close, we’ve taken a look back at some of our highlights over the last 12-months…

It’s been a big year for the Jaguar XJS, as it celebrated its 40th birthday in September. To commemorate this landmark, we held an event at our Newbury-based workshop. We were delighted to welcome customers old and new who joined 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. You may have also read about the event in the Newbury Weekly News.

View the full Facebook album here.

As more and more customers recognise the classic Jaguar XJS as a good investment opportunity, we are pleased to report that business is booming here

There are certain myths and stigmas attached to classic car ownership; however, we believe these assumptions are uncalled for, with no real evidence to back them up. In this post, we aim to dispel some of these niggling doubts, and hope to show you what makes classic cars so great – better than modern vehicles in many cases…

Driving a classic car can be perceived negatively – particularly when it comes to the environment. Environmentalists sometimes view classic cars as being gas guzzling planet destroyers, due to their poor fuel efficiency. In reality, salvaging a classic car is in fact an excellent example of recycling – maximising the use of something rather than just disposing of it.

Keeping an old motor running, rather than just replacing it at the nearest opportunity, is sustainable and limits the amount of waste in our scrapheaps.

In our second instalment in the guest blog series, we ask classic car enthusiast, Rhett Redelings why he chose the Jaguar XJ-S over other available models. Here’s what he had to say:

I was the only child of a single parent. My mother worked in the classic car business, which exposed me to many high-end collectable cars, Jaguars among them. And Jags were always a favourite in our household. But as the only child of a single parent, I was somewhat in need of a male role model and, rightly or wrongly, I looked to film and television to show me the options.

In the summer vacation of 1982, between my first and second year of high school, while most of my friends were away for the summer, one of the local stations began running Return of the Saint

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 with the stock [...]
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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