How Did You Fall in Love with Jaguar? Our Members Share Their First Jaguar Experiences

By John Coyle - July 8, 2020

Every Jaguar Forums member has a unique story about how they came to love the marque.

Back in May, I wrote a story about my first time seeing a Jaguar. Over four decades have passed since I encountered that beautiful XJ6 on a Philadelphia street, and in those years, my love of all things automotive has become a profession as well as a passion. Now, it’s impossible to know whether I’d have wound up writing about cars for a living without that chance encounter. Given my love of speed, loud noises, travel, and frankly, fancy stuff I can’t afford, it’d be entirely unfair for me to blame my questionable life choices on where a stranger parked their Jag during the Carter administration. One way or another, I’d have likely have wound up just where I am.

That said, I do credit that XJ for igniting a spark in my mind, and treasure that memory. So when I wrote that piece, I posted in the forum asking members about what drew them to Jaguar, and as expected, I got some great responses. Because as we all know, the cars themselves are a relatively small part of the car hobby. The truly magic elements of this alternately fantastic and frustrating pursuit are always the interactions we get with like-minded folks, the ones who laugh incredulously when I relay that my Jag’s Lucas electricals worked perfectly, or sympathize when I describe how a Los Angeles landscaping crew blocked traffic to help pop start my recalcitrant MGB GT.

I’ve cherry picked a few responses from that thread below, so check them out — and don’t be shy about heading over and adding your own!

Given what a revelation it was upon its debut, it’s no surprise that spotting an E-Type led a few folks down the road to Jaguar ownership. It’s interesting to remember that, as The Mekon mentioned in his comment, that deliriously gorgeous machine was more than a pretty face, as its performance rivaled the best in the world.

Around 1965, I had my first close up look at an E type. It was a BRG coupe and I was fascinated that you could see some of the engine parts through the bonnet louvers. Made up my mind I would have one when I grew up. 1977, having finished a long tour of duty at sea as a junior officer, came home with pockets full of money. Bought a used 1970 series 2 roadster. What a revelation the performance was! In a time where all new cars were strangled by emission regulations it was leaps and bounds over most cars on the road. I used to joke that I never looked behind, as the only thing that would keep up was a Ferrari Daytona, and they were very few. Sold it in 1981 just before I was married. I like to say that car is in the walls of our house.

Another post, from JessN16, is little more bittersweet, but it was one of my favorites. For lots of enthusiasts, the love of cars is a family affair that’s passed down from generation to generation, and that’s definitely the case here.

My dad introduced me to them. He grew up very poor, nearly died in childhood a couple of times and ended up serving in the Marine Corps on Midway (post-Battle of Midway) in a dive bomber squadron. When he came home, he used his GI Bill to attend medical school rather than going back to work on the farm.

The first time he ever bought anything big for himself was in 1963, a brand-new XKE 3.8 coupe. Among other things, it came from the factory with a form in the glove box noting the top speed in all gears, 0-60 time and top speed — all filled in by hand, by a tester at the factory where it was built. I wish he’d kept it, but he traded it with the car in 1970 when it got to be too difficult to find a repair shop that would agree to work on it here in our little town.

As long as I’m able, and as long as gasoline is made and old Jaguars are allowed to roam, I will try to have at least one older Jag from the Leyland years, because whenever I drive my 87 or my 89, I feel like I’m riding with Dad.

Now, I condensed this comment to highlight some of the more relevant bits. But I’d highly recommend heading to the thread to read the entire thing, as it’s a moving testament to his father, and sure to resonated with anyone who loves the stories old cars tell.

Of course, there’s plenty of humor to be found in the thread as well, as illustrated by this story from metalbasher. Can you imagine being able to pick up an SS saloon on the cheap?

My introduction to Jaguars was through my Father and his experiences owning an old SS saloon.Growing up in the Liverpool, UK area right after the War he had acquired a well-worn SS 2.5 litre saloon as his first car. Petrol rationing was in effect and car parts were quite scarce so such vehicles could be acquired on the cheap.

He had been seeing a girl but became suspicious she was merely interested in the car. On a date night he decided to confirm his suspicions. He killed the ignition and coasted the last few yards up to her house. The high hedge in front of the house hid the car from view. When he met her at the door her first inquiry was “where’s your car?”.He replied with the quite plausible pretext that his petrol ration was getting low so they would take the bus. She then complained of a headache and maybe she should stay home. He bid her good night and walked back out to the street. As soon as she heard the car fire up she came tearing out of the house. He turned around in the cul-de-sac and waved to her as he drove off.

There are a couple of other great stories from members like LnrB, who remembers a boyfriend freaking out over an E-Type. Initially she didn’t get it, likely because the car was yellow, but she ultimately wound up falling for an XJ6. Another member, Darrenmb, had a first Jaguar experience that seemed remarkably similar to mine, and realized his dream of getting an XJ6 years later. Unlike me, he still has his, and there’s a pic of his car below.

There are plenty of other great stories on the thread, so head over to read them all. Of course, I’d love to hear your stories about how you fell in love with Jaguars, funny stories about ownership, the one that got away. So if you’ve got one, make sure to share it on the thread — and include some pics too!