Oh well, what do you expect from a guy that doesn't know well enough to come in out of the rain...

 

I like my leaper... I think it's classy.

Funny enough, the leaper is all I have left from my first XJR. When I got sandwiched, my leaper managed to bite its teeth into the SUV in front of me, breaking away and embedding itself into her bumper.

As I was walking away from my sadly destroyed car, I reached out and grabbed the leaper, plucking it free. Have had it on my desk as a paperweight over the last few months since the accident .

I suppose its a good backup for my current XJR.

 

"....doesn't know well enough to come in out of the rain..." ? I don't get what you're referring to. <shrug>


Cheers
DD

 

To me , the leaper is every bit as iconic as the "winged lady" on a Rolls Royce. It tastefully , instantly and unmistakeably identifies the car as "a Jaguar". Its absence on late model Jags is a testimonial as to how out of control "politically correct" the UK has become when a bunch of far left loons demanded its removal because it was " a safety hazard" ?? Does it get any loonier than that?

One of the great things about a jaguar is its understated elegance . ie no garish fender emblems emblazoned with "V8 supercharged blah blah ". Aside from the Jaguar and XJR low key plaques on the rear , without the leaper most people would say " What a gorgeous car. What is it?" The legendary and iconic "leaper" answers that question immediately.
My 2003 has the best of both worlds.... the leaper and the silver growling jaguar "face" on the front of its hood.....

The British and the Germans have almost barbaric tastes ( which I enjoy) when it comes to emblems and motifs ........
Who else would put an incredibly nasty picture of a vicious looking sabre toothed wild boar on a Gordon's gin bottle ? The vicious , snarling "cat face" on the front of a Jaguar is not a whole lot different

 

Yes, but it isn't just 'late model' Jags. Long, long before regulations and political correctness Jaguar was very selective about using the leaper.

Let's review history.

Among the models NOT factory fitted with the leaper are....

XK120-140-150 (1948-1961)
E-type (1961 -1975)
XJS (1975-1996)
Ser I-II-III sedans (1968 -1992)
XJ40 sedans (1986-1994)

The leaper was optional at extra cost on the X300 cars. (1995-1997)

Not sure about X308 and later.

It might be that Jaguar was just being cheap. (always possible with Jaguar)

Or it might be that they decided that a leaper didn't look right on *every* Jaguar. (good thinking, IMHO )

Or perhaps they felt that a Jaguar could be recognized as a Jaguar without the extra adornment. (true in most cases, perhaps more 'then' than 'now', though)




A person might say that having one or the other is sufficient, and that having BOTH moves away from 'understated' and leans towards 'overstated'.

I really don't expect to convince anyone of anything. If you love leapers, you love leapers. If you don't, you don't

Cheers
DD

 

Doug:
Both XJ40s I have owned had/have leapers, along with most of the US spec cars I've ever seen or can be found on Ebay, etc. I always had the impression (probably wrong) that if you bought an XJ40 off the lot it would come with one unless you requested otherwise! So I"m guessing it was an optional extra for those years as well.

Also, don't you think that Americans in particular seem to be especially fond of their hood ornaments? I've seen a few new XJs with leapers, which to me seems more out of place than on my X308...

That said, I like 'em on both my cars.
Scott

 

They're added on, either by owners or dealers. Very popular.




Indeed, indeed !

Other styling features that we're fond of, now or in the past, are gold plated emblems and/or "gold packages', "Brougham" trim packages, anything that says "special edition", opera lights, mud flaps with chrome naked ladies, padded tops, faux convertible tops......

I think you can see where I headed with this

I'm not saying that leapers are as gaudy and utterly tasteless as some of the examples I just mentioned. But that's sorta what I think of when I see 'em. I just have an aversion to them, that's all.

It's just me. Pay no mind

Cheers
DD

 

Some valid points have been made. Yes. On some of the smaller models of the Jaguar, the leaper , probably because of its sheer size, does not look quite right.

That said, the larger "land cruiser saloons" models look naked without the leaper. The fact remains is that the leaper is so 'cool" its probably the most stolen part off Jaguars world wide.

 

When I park my XJR somewhere, I'm not worried in the slightest about the car being stolen, I'm worried about some kid viciously ripping the leaper off the hood.

Not so much because of the cost of the leaper, but because I've seen the damage people do to hoods when they rip it off .

Anyway, I do agree that the long saloons are naked without it. On an x-type, I'd say it looks silly. On an x308? It's a necessary part of the car. I don't mind it on the newer ones either, although that's a BIT more debatable... https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...arrived-61867/

It looks good though, imho.

 

No leaper on my X308, and I don't want one either. It just ruins the curves of the bonnet.

 

Its why they have menus in restaurants

 

Went and looked out the window at my 97 XJR in the lot with its factory leaper.... yep, looks good





Lots of good points, and valid personal opinions. But I think it is very Jaguar, and is right at home

.

 

Obligatory IMHO.

 

On the hood of my 308, that is. It is, to me, a statement of the car's provenance. And a reminder that it may weigh a little less than a small moon, still proceeds down the road, cat like, while lesser cars struggle to keep all 4 wheels on the ground pointed in the same direction.

That being said, with my XF, it would look totally out of place and ruin the lines of the hood.

So, it depends. I have two cats in the driveway. On one, it's almost obligatory. On the other, out of place. So, you CAN have it both ways.

 

If you have a leaper on a US Jaguar saloon, from 1994-2001, and it is the safety mascot, 122 mm long with the spring mounting, it is not a UK Jaguar part!


It was commissioned by Jaguar Cars Inc (US) and was made by a small company (Kennedy Inc) in Rhode Island.

 

My five year old loves the leaper on my xj8, couldn't get rid of it until she's what ten? I think the leaper just above the growler is redundant though.

 

I grew to dislike the "Leaper" on my XJR and installed a Supercharged badge instead.

 

Now, one thing I like less is the combination of both growler on the grill and leaper on the hood.... a bit busy and superfluous.

I think one or the other works better, but it is what it is as we didn't get that option as all the grills have the growler





Regardless, I've yet to see a US X300 or X308 without a leaper from the dealer, not to say there aren't any, but it does seem to be more the norm than the exception. So I think most US owners would consider the leaper "factory" and typical on that series of cars versus an option.

.

 

Just had to chime in here.
I cannot imagine my 2001 VDP S/C without a leaper! I, (and all my real friends) think it says it all! I'm even contemplating putting one on the boot; rear facing of course. However, that would probably prevent me from installing a pedestal trunk spoiler at some later date!
Cheers!

 

I LOVE the leapers I have on my X308 and XJS. I can't imagine not having them, especially on my XJR. I like driving down the road and lifting my head up a little and watching the leaper cruise down the road. I know, it's a little obsessive. :-)

The leaper on my XJS is a small version, about a third the size as the one on the XJR. A regular size one would look out of place, I think. I didn't install it, the previous owner did. And I'm glad the previous owner removed the growler badge when installing the leaper. Having both looks awful.

I agree with others, the leaper looks out of place on some Jags, especially the new models. I've seen them installed in new XJ's and I can't decide if I like it or not.