I have been interested in older Jaguars for many years, as have the rest of my family. Seventeen years ago I purchased my first old Jaguar, whilst still in my early twenties. This car, a fabulously thirsty but stylish Series One XJ12L was a low mileage example in midnight blue, with tan leather trim.

Several happy years were spent owning this venerable and quite unusual Jaguar and although it was not the best example around, it still looked a million dollars and had no significant rot which was quite unusual.

I had owned a number of classic cars by that point, and this old wafter really was a superb car to cruise around in, even if the non-functioning fuel gauges caused me to miscalculate my fuel range and coast to the side of the road with empty tanks.

After a few years I sold the old girl on reluctantly, though ever since I've wondered what happened to this great old car - RAR 115L are you still around?

A few years passed and I acquired a down at heel Daimler XJ 4.2 auto Series 1 for a paltry amount. Despite looking like a car dragged out of a lake it actually drove very well though I didn't keep it long, exactly one month in fact after which I bowed to certain pressures and sold it on.

This didn't deter me from getting another classic Jaguar, and a few years later I bought a Series 1 XJ6 short wheelbase, again with auto transmission and light blue in colour. This was a very presentable car and I enjoyed driving it for a couple of years until evidence of rust began to appear, which prompted me to pass it on to someone who would have the time to look after it properly.

That was some years ago and I still expect to buy another XJ one day. I do get drawn to X300 and X308 XJRs but their similarity to the earlier XJ40 does make me wary of what they may be like once they get a little older. I've read that they can be reliable motors, but equally I've heard of stories that make me slightly cautious. Most likely I'll acquire another Series 1 at some point future.

It's not just me that approves of older Jaguars either - Dad, who introduced me to the classic cat, has had a Series 3 XJ6 and XJ12HE in years gone by, following on from a part share in a decrepit old XK120 way back when The Beatles still bothered with haircuts. His current car is a 3.0 V6 X350 in red.

I hope all Jaguar fans enjoy perusing the many photos that feature on this site, and if I've missed out your favourite please get in touch and I'll see what I can do to rectify the omission.

The dark blue car shown below is the XJ12L I owned. In the first picture it's posed with dad's Series 3 HE. The second photo was from when I spotted it on eBay, several years after I sold it. The pale blue Series 1 was a 4.2 litre example, bought a few years after the V12's sale.

Series 1 and Series 3 XJ12s

My old Series 1 XJ12L Jaguar, seen on ebay several years after I sold it