Jaguar introduced the XJ6 in 1968 as a replacement for the four different 4 door saloon cars they were producing the year before. This left a very large set of shoes to fill and the XJ6 proved to be, by far, the best designed Jaguar saloon yet. The elegant lines kept some of the styling elements of the predecessors but combined them into a unique, long, sleek car, with four headlights and a elegant chrome trimmed greenhouse. The engine was either the same 4.2 liter XK engine design as was fitted to the 420 and 420G, which was the only option for most export markets, or a 2.8 liter version primarily for the domestic market. In the United States, Jaguar opted to sell all the cars with a 3 speed automatic transmission as the only option while international markets received an optional manual gearbox. Suspension utilized Jaguar’s excellent independent rear suspension system with inboard disc brakes, coupled with a double wishbone coil sprung front suspension, giving the car excellent handling combined with a smooth comfortable ride. Another significant upgrade from the preceeding saloons was the adoption of power rack and pinion steering, giving very precise, controllable steering inputs and further improving the handling over the various assisted or unassisted steering boxes in previous models. The XJ6 proved an instant success and through the early 1970s, was the most profitable car for British Leyland, which had absorbed Jaguar in the mergers of the late 1960s. Unfortunately, due to labour issues, strikes, and other woes, Jaguar wasn’t able to produce the cars fast enough to meet demand, coupled with build quality issues caused by the unrest and mismanagement. Still, US market cars had few options presented to the buyer as just about everything that would have been optional was included as standard, like the automatic transmission, power steering, leather seating surfaces, and air conditioning, making them a luxurious car for the time. This Jaguar XJ6 was originally built as an almond green example, with an almond green interior. Although very appropriate for the time, the colour combination didn’t age well and a previous owner opted to repaint it in a metallic green borrowed from a BMW and retrimmed the interior completely in biscuit, creating a much more timeless and pleasant combination. Around the same time, he had Bob Macherione of the Sports Car Shop in Eugene, Oregon, rebuild the engine to early E-Type specs, raising the compression and fitting three 2 inch SU carburettors on a heavily modified E-Type manifold. The end result is that the car is probably one of the better performing 6 cylinder examples out there and it has proved to be an excellent driver. All the XJ6 cars are wonderful cars to drive, with very comfortable seating, an excellent driving position, and wonderful suspension and handling. The biggest flaw is probably the Borg Warner 3 speed automatic transmissions fitted, which have a tendency to upshift just as the engine enters its power band, robbing the car of its potential. I’ve toyed with the idea of fitting a 4 speed GM transmission to the car which would improve the shift points and give me an overdriven 4th gear, and I may do so at some point, but until then, it is still a great highway and touring car and a comfortable cruiser, though the revs on the highway could be a bit lower.