37 own a 2003 xkr and a 1967 e-type love the e-type the feel and should in that car is second to none. The Xkr is a nice GT just wish it was a manual!!!
would like to own a F-type some day.

 

It looks like I'm bringing the average down a bit... I'll be 23 this year (but feel 40 mentally.. always have). Got my first Jag, my 05 XK8, when I was 19.

From the moment I got my XK8, I was told by friends and family that it was an old man's car. But honestly I've never fit in, so naturally I happen to love the cars that most nobody else my age does. And that's completely fine with me.

I like to think that with age comes wisdom, ergo it is the older car guys who have tried everything and settled on the best- Jaguar! At least that's what I tell myself...

And I wanted to address LuvmyXJS' post, as I would be the "younger generation" I suppose:

Firstly, I would posit that most kids of my generation are either not interested in cars, or driving, for that matter from my personal experience. Whether or not this is true, the car used to be something different in America- it represented coming of age and freedom. Now, we have the internet, and the car has simply become mundane transportation for almost all of my friends- really a shame.

I would agree with you that, for those who are interested in cars, they tend to be drawn more to the Japanese/Korean imports OR some of the newer "retro" muscle cars coming out like the Hellcat, etc.

Although this may be selfish, part of me is glad that I'm in the minority of my generation- perhaps that means E Types, XK 150s, XK 120s and the like will come back into affordable territory if nobody else my age wants them, or to a lesser degree at least than today.

Anyway.. just my 2 cents. I tend to write long-winded posts late at night...

In closing, phil, who cares what anyone else thinks about age. Drive what you love to drive and enjoy it!

 

Hi Matthew,

You really are bringing the average age down for many of us Jag owners-LOL. This is great to hear as I often wonder who will pick up the torch and run with it in the future. Just curious to know if you grew up around Jags or is this something you developed on your own?

You made a good point about how cars where viewed or needed years ago and how they are viewed and needed today. When I was in my early twenties the car was your way out to see the world around you ( at least if you were like myself and lived in a fairly rural area like Boise, Id. back in the early eighties).

I actually grew up on a farm outside of Boise so the only way we were going to get into town was to drive our cars etc. I always had a pickup or mundane sedan to drive around back in high school until that glorious day my Dad brought home a almost new convertible and from that day on I was hooked.

You rarely if ever saw a Jaguar around in Idaho back then so I personally did not have much exposure to them until I decided to get my first 1995 XJS about five years ago which of course meant going to California to purchase.

Interesting side note is I did all my research on line since I had no com parables to look at in person and settled on the '95 because of the AJ16 motor. Times really have changed since I was in my early twenties when the only add you had to look for a used car was your local paper or vehicles parked in front of homes etc. with for sale signs taped on the glass.

 

When I was 15 or 16, my dad bought a 2003 XKR with about 30k miles on it, and that's what hooked me. He had other sports car before that, a C5 corvette, 97 trans am, and some mustangs and MGs before my time, but I'd never fallen in love with any of them until the XKR. So that's how I got hooked. I ended up with an XK8, because the R's were out my price range at the time mostly. But I do love it.

You might have seen me over in the XJS forum occasionally, as I got my 87 XJSC last summer. The last XJS rolled off the line when I was 3! Haha. So it's a "classic" to me.

 

66 Here. I bought my first Jag at 16. An XK120 Roadster that didn't run. Did the shade tree swap and crammed a Mopar 392 Hemi into it with a Torque Flight push button Drive. Total investment $400. The hard part was building an Aluminum housing to mount the Push Button Drive to in place of the shifter. I remember the maiden voyage. It didn't stop well with the drum brakes, and old man in front of me assisted with the back end this Oldsmobile.

My Favorite was a series II XKE Roadster with a total of 3 harness fires. I still have the JNCA Best of Class Trophy and my LUCAS PRINCE OF DARKNESS T-Shirt.

My current XKR is by far the most refined and trouble free Jag that I've owned. I'm sure the average ownership age for the XKR is up there because of the same economics that were in place when I was 16 years old. "Everything that I really wanted to own was unafordable".

I say drive it until it drops. 25 years from now is another new generation with different ideas. Smile while you can!

 

I am glad you are firmly grounded now Philhef.
Nice machine too.
I do not think we can simply align ourselves / with Mazda Miata owners and make a simple age comparison, as if a segment of the 'Top Gear' show. Jaguar is a totally different mindset.
It is a different way of thinking, embued with English values and their philosophy.
Stirling Moss and all that...what?
Can we all agree on this?

 

I'm 37. I have a 95 miata (middle aged man car apparently?) and a 2000 xkr. I think anyone that's owned or driven a miata will acknowledge the handling is superb, but they are slow and small and not particularly comfortable (especially if lowered).
I find the contrast of the two cars very enjoyable; after driving the Jag the mazda gets thrown around an awful lot, it feels like a gocart.

 

I was 61 when I purchased 01 XK8 what a car my wife hopes I make it to 62😛

 

72 when I bought my 2000 XK8 a year ago; the pleasure it gives me should hopefully extend my life a few years.

 

Last month I turned 80. I still do all my own maintenance on both my Jags, my motorcycle and airplane. Or at least what I can do without too much special equipment. Have owned the X300 for eleven years and will never sell it. Best car I've ever owned. Bought the XK8 for my wife five years ago for a fun car. Probably will sell it some day as we just have too many vehicles.

 

I think the misconception of Jaguar being an "old man's car" will soon be a thing of the past. The new models are finally putting that to rest! At car events I'm hearing tons of younger people talking about the new XE. A LOTof current 3seriese owners stop and talk to me about my XF and really like it, then start saying they're looking forward to getting in an XE to test it. I think that car will finally put a dent in the BMW brand. But if the XE doesn't offer a good selection of upgrade options, sport styling upgrades, and quickly add two door and convert choices, it may have a short lived influx of 3 series's and C class owners.

 

Im getting close to retirement (58) however as others have noted feel and act much younger. I have three grown young men that when thier in town "borrow" the JAG! I'll pass it down to them many years from now.

 

53 , just turned. loving the 2001 XKR. Taking it out around Winton Raceway ( where they run the Australian V8 Super cars sometimes on Saturday for a club sprints day. Not too harsh , just a nice punt.

 

For starters, I will be "72" next month. From reading the Forum on the question of age, I was reminded of the last time I was with my father then age "88." At this last visit to a nursing facility he was very frail and I knew this would likely be the last time I would see him alive. He said to me that at "88" he would still think like an "18" year old. While driving home from North Carolina to Virginia, I recollected on my visit and thought about what he had said. I wondered just how old I thought I was? The answer came rather quickly while driving (at that time a 535i BMW) as I passed several "18 wheelers" at well above the posted speed limit. "I think like an "11" year old" and the feeling is still there, whether I am ridding my 2014 Harley-Davidson Soft Tail Slim or my 2011 XK Coupe. It is all in your head - how old you are. Ride and drive safely.

 

There are a lot of young people that like the small german cars; specifically 3-Series/C-Class/A4. I hope Jaguar can compete with them. While the X-Type was a cute ok car; it definitely didn't affect the market in any noticeable way. The XF was a much better attempt and has had more success than the S-Type; so I'm hopeful the XE won't go the way of the X-Type.

I personally am excited about the relatively new XJR Long Wheelbase, and the late 2010+ XKRs, but I buy used and am happier in a larger touring car. It seems a lot of young people like the smaller cars over the larger ones. I prefer flagships as I've found often they're "best of breed," although are often more GT than hard sports cars.

 

Responding to philhef's remark on Jaguar being an old man's car.


They never have been that. Jaguar stands for youth and vigour or maturity and virility. A car ready for action and a modality to achieve that.
The new Jaguars to me seem to be an old man's car or now a woman's car. I mean automatic gearboxes, computerised cues for just about anything. The unimaginitive styling, in most cases it is hard to distinguish a Jaguar from other lesser marques on the road. I do not like the leaping cat on the back as if the designer cannot make up his mind which way it should leap. Does a Jaguar leap sideways? Well like the racehorse with a bit of lead in its ear, achieved by a rifle shot. When a Jaguar leaps, it leaps forward to kill. That is why they have forward facing eyes to attack and kill their prey. The founding manager preferred the leaping cat to face the road in a 120 mile an hour wind. The newly designed sideways cat motif is merely roadkill if you ask me. The current stylists need to be shot AND BRING BACK ALL THE KNOBS AND SWITCHES...

 

First, I never said that Jaguar WAS an old man's car, I said I noticed that it seems most owners at our club were over 60 and that was being kind! And I als said most of the comments I heard about my former Jaguars was "nice car but too old man for me". My XF doesn't get that, quite the opposite.
I have noticed a huge awareness of the "new" breed of Jag form more and more of the young guys at the detail and trim shops I use. They are finally seeing the brand in a new way. And I'm glad for it. Just the other day I had my XF in to have some tint put on the tail light clear section and when the guys walked away from a brand new Porsche 911 to check out my XF, literally sitting in it, revving the engine, and gushing how "HOT" and "sweet" and "bad ***" it is, I beamed.
So like the new direction or not, it's actually putting Jaguar back in the game for younger people. Funny, one guy (owner of shop, 26) said to the others, "have you seen the new XE? I'm totally checking it out when it gets here". He drives a two year old 3 series.
As for the leaper, I don't mind the rear badge but I did remove mine and create a lighted brake light growler. And added a special full leaper on the bonnet in piano black. It's not the little factory one offered.
Oh, and finally Jaguar is bringing back a serious manual gearbox to the brand. There have always been options added to a few older models but too little too late for them.
As long as the price stays where projected for the XE, I think it's a game changer.

 

Oh, have to add my all time favorite comment I've heard was about a last model XJR at my tuner shop.
6 guys, probably 18-25 stood looking at it beside my XF, both getting stainless intake pipes being fitted, and debated the two cars. They agreed the XJR was faster but the XF was agressive. One said "never liked the looks of old Jaguars. Too vintage! (They were discussing the last XJ's X-types and S-types) they are like, I don't know, the Buicks of luxury sports cars! I only see old men and chicks in them."
Again, I'm just repeating what I heard. They admitted they are fast in the R editions but that didn't negate the dated styling in their opinion.

 

Phil, that rear growler looks really nice. I like it a lot more than the flat leaper.

I like the older style but I am not concerned at all with having the newest thing. If I like it, I like it; and I don't worry about stereotypes.

 

Thanks. I am somewhat the same on not having the newest thing. It took me a while to warm to the new model range, in fact I hated the XF at first mainly because of two specific things, one: I never buy a new car, I always buy pre-owned select Jaguars with warranties (let someone else deal with the new car glitches and take the initial depreciation hit) but more for the second reason. I had my S-type in for service when the XF first launched, and the salesman pushed and pushed me to test a new XF while I waited. I wasn't interested and he finally tried a different route. He said "seriously, you should drive one. You realize the S-type isn't even a real Jaguar, it's dated and mostly ford!". I was so mad!
Couple years later I was there to look at an X-type estate I wanted but in person it was in sketchy shape so since they fired the salesman, I gave an XF a test drive and it was amazing. It truely felt like a jaguar behind the wheel and when I realized the back seat folded down, SOLD!
That being said, personally I think the new 2016 models are getting too safe and watered down. When I finally have to trade my XF, I'm lookimg for a used Maserati Quatroporte. I'll keep my 02 XK8.