That's CATS for sure.
Again it proves there was no real logic in the scope of supply, just a long timeline of changes and upgrades.

 

Thanks for the correction!

Crickey! I wouldn't want them on my car! The replacement costs are just faaaaaar too high for what they do...

Again, thanks for the correction... Never seen a 3.2 or even 4.0l non SC here before with CATS... Must have been a really expensive option!

 

Then again, here in Germany, most people opted for a 4.0l. The 3.2 is rare and the sport is even rarer. Most 3.2l are just an "XJ8" or, like in my case, a "wanna be" XJR with the interior of teh XJR models but the exterior of base model and then with the XJ8 Executive badge...

 

According to the 2001/02 Price List I have CATS was £1935.00 including VAT at 17.5%

My car despite being 3.2 was spec'd out by the first buyer with nearly every extra available. There are Sovereign and XJR's out there with less equipment than my car. It cost him £41,140 when the base price of a 3.2 Sport was £35,950.

Ones to look out for are the XJ8 SE models which are the very last X308's built and have everything fitted as standard. They were offered at very attractive prices and were exceedingly good value for money.

 

So, as now it is clear what you got, I got your point, as these CATS ones are rather expensive.

If it was me, I should be on the look-out for a used one, just to have it matched, my brain could not accept knowing there are 2 different ones under the car ...
Then buy new ones once finances allow.

Having said that, I guess if the shock does not have ill effects on the car, just leave it like it is till a full replacement is affordable (or needed).

 

My Executive has a weird mix and match of parts...

I have both front seats fully electrically powered (headrest and co for passenger and driver), with heating function, I have the autodimming mirrors all round, powerfolding mirrors but oddly: no memory function. Then it has the headlight washers and cruise control as well as a sunroof but no CD player... It has the lowered springs (as the "sporty" Executives were supposed to) but it was delivered on 16" rims (instead of the normal 17"). It has no chrome around the windows (which is my personal favorite) but instead came with chrome grill and plinth...

Really weird combination. The owner bought the smallest and cheapest model, and stuffed it with some nice kit. It would otherwise have been with cloth seats and naked...

Weird owner!

 

I've never seen an X308 with cloth seats, every UK brochure I've ever looked in lists leather seats as a standard item on all models. I've seen X300s with cloth seats, they look awful. Some very early low spec X308 cars came with manual adjustment on the seats.

I'm on the lookout for a really good pair of replacement front seats for my car, but being the later design sport Type they are rare it would seem.

 

My X300 had cloth seats! I loved them Really comfy and grippy.

I've seen two (!) with cloth seats, but they weren't executives but more so simple "XJ8" badged models. They were totally naked inside. Really really naked. No heated seats. No power adjustments (i.e. not as much as most have). No sunroof. No CC. No headlight washers. Heck, IIRC they had covers in where the foglights were!

I can keep my eyes open for a set. What colour do you have?

 

No worry guys, glad to offer you a platform to discuss your cars

I have seen those stripped naked Jaguars too, I guess they tried to find an inroad in some markets by going low.
Don't think it worked well.

 

They were probably more so pointing towards fleet buyers... Cheap entry level to get the prestige (like they do today with "business editions" etc.).

 

I find that interesting actually, I've never seen a poverty spec X308. I've seen plenty of XJ40's with cloth seats and dull interiors, and I've seen one or two X300 cars with cloth seats too. Weird.

However when the X Type was launched, a Jaguar for the masses, there were plenty of them around in low spec flavour. Seeing them with their cloth seats, manual heating controls and plain dash panels was almost funny. The higher spec ones offered some things you couldn't get on a 308 like bluetooth, two stage heated seats, and big screen navigation with the option to add TV. But the joke was the highest spec version of the mondeo on which it was based offered even more.

Time has not been kind to the X Type, the majority of the ones I see are beaters. Scratched, dented, smoking wrecks which just keep going by some divine intervention. There are plenty around with questionable styling modifications and ones owned by old men who've adorned them with every bit of chrome add on eBay can provide.

 

Yeah, they sell here for nearly nothing and nobody wants one. Why? You can get a Mondeo for the same price with more engine choices (smaller petrol engines) and more transmission choices (automatics and manuals on all engines). The Mondeo has proven to be more reliable and handles a lot better... Oh, and Mondeo parts are a lot cheaper!

If you use youtube, look for "ChrisFix". His dad has an X-Type saloon and he is frequently having to repair things. He bought a V6 model which wouldn't start anymore and the workshop tried getting it to work but ripped everything apart to find out they couldn't. He broke it up and used the parts for his dad's X...

 

I know there is a lot of dislike, a lot of bashing towards the X-type.

However, I have never really seen the base for that bashing, it was supposed to be operating in an other, lower level that time.
I do agree they did perhaps they did not do the best of jobs on the design by shrinking an XJ, and perhaps the use of Ford parts was also not the best of choices, but what the heck, times were different, and they tried at least.

I also seem to remember the X-type actually sold very well for Jaguar, in spite of all the negativity.

There are quite a lot of X-types here, and in the right color, with the right rims, and preferable lowered an inch, I think it is still a car which stands out in the crowd, even now, not to be confused with anything else.

I myself should prefer an X-type over any same generation / same class car, including the 3 series and the Benz of that time, even knowing it is perhaps not as good.

 

Taste, Eric...

In my opinion the car is too small to wear the design. If they had have put the XF design on it instead, it would probably have done the job better. The design was too large to a car of that size. The "swinging hip" behind the rear doors, the huge headlights but the too curvacious lines... The design was for my eyes too busy. The X350 wore the same clothes better, because it was longer and the proportions worked. Like the distance between front doors and wheel. You see a mile away, that the car is a FWD base. The nose is too long and the wheels are too far back. The rear is like a nasty "nip tuck". Pull here, twist that, expand this... But again, opinions.

Opinions are like bum holes - every one has one!