Born: The 12-Cylinder Animal

A print ad for the stunning 1973 Jaguar XKE.

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XJ6 Parts Diagram

While the specifics of this Jaguar XJ6 diagram from a 1968 manual may not interest you, the cross section of the car and its parts is pretty cool.  It not only highlights some of the features of the vehicle, but it also makes you appreciate just how much goes into the production.

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Jaguar Instagram Snapshots

Here are a few of my latest snapshots of my '99 XJ8 using my new iPod Touch.  You can see more of my photo collages I created using the Instagram app by clicking here.

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1935 Autocar Cover

Another vintage illustration and Jaguar SS featured on a 1935 Autocar magazine cover.

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1932 Autocar Cover

This 1932 Autocar magazine cover showcases a stunning illustration of a Jaguar SS.  Jaguar was actually SS Cars Ltd, until they changed their name to Jaguar after WWII for obvious reasons. 

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1968 Jaguar XJ6 Photo Shoot

They don't make 'em quite like this anymore.  These photos come from an original 1968 promotional package for the new XJ6.  It's an undeniably beautiful sedan.

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More Than Skin Deep

This beautiful Jaguar ad from the sixties shows just how stunning the E-Type and Mark II were in their day.  The truth is, they've only become more stunning with age.

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Nitrous Jaguar - Top Gear

How do you make an old Jaguar as fast as a super car?  Well, add a bit of nitrous of course!

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2008 Jaguar XJ Commercial

The design and shape of a Jaguar XJ, to me, is this smart blend of timeless styling with modern flare.  Time and time again people refer to the XJ as a classic without realizing how new some of them actually are.  This 2008 commercial for the Jaguar XJ showcases one of the final models before the brand adopted an entirely new look.

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Jaguars of the Millenium

The following is an image from a Jaguar press pack, showcasing the 2000 product line.  At the time this included the S-Type, the XJ8/XJR, and the XK8/XKR, pictured in that order below.

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Jaguar Burnouts

While you'd never see me doing this to my Jaguar, there's something incredibly entertaining about watching other people be reckless (or just plain stupid) with their vehicles.  I don't get how burnouts are that cool considering that you're just raping your own tires.  This what YouTube is all about though, right? 

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Summer Days

The sun is out, the temperature is high, and it doesn't take much convincing to get out and go somewhere these days.  There are more casual road trips on the calendar this summer.  For now, I just wanted an excuse to share another shot of my XJ8 in the country.

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1955 Jaguar Car Life Cover

Forget the beautiful Jaguar XK-140 and that pink paint job.  Are the Russians going to invade the world car market!? Clearly the person who questioned this back in 1955 had never actually seen what a Soviet car looked like.  As history would come to show, there wasn't much to be concerned about there.

 

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Jaguar XFR Review - Top Gear

Another reason to love a Jaguar.  Jeremy Clarkson takes the new Jaguar XFR for a test drive to show how it stacks up against the BMW M5.

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Jaguar Racing Lap at Le Mans - 1956

This vintage clip shows racing legend, Mike Hawthorn taking a lap around the track at Le Mans in his Jaguar D-Type to give viewers an idea of what the race will be like.  Even as just a preview this looks a bit terrifying.  I can only imagine what it was like with other race cars in the mix. You can also view some vintage Jaguar racing posters here.

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A Picture Worth Painting

This 1959 print ad features a Jaguar Mark 1 saloon. Although I doubt it was ideal for driving on the beach, it certainly made for a nice picture.

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Leaving the Office

After staying late at the office one night I snapped a few pictures of my car on my way out.  The sunset was creating some cool reflections through the large windows at the front of the building.  It's one of the things that I like about our office being just outside of the city, the prairie sunsets seem more pronounced.

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Jaguar XK Ads

These two print ads from 2006 feature the stunning Jaguar XK.  If I could afford one, and if they didn't seem entirely impractical for winter driving, I totally would.

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Top Gear Jaguar XJS

James May, one the hosts of BBC's Top Gear, takes a drive in a newly refurbished Jaguar XJS from a company that repairs (and modernizes) vintage cars.  The result is a vehicle that's mechanically better than the original ever was, while still maintaining the character.

*UPDATE* The video has unfortunately now been blocked on YouTube.  Here are a few stills of the restored vehicle from the episode.

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Jaguar Leaper License Plate

At the beginning of the spring I decided to upgrade my front license plate with a 3D Jaguar leaper.  This vanity plate is made out of mirrored stainless steel and compliments the other silver accents along the front of the vehicle.  I ultimately chose this license plate over the typical Jaguar plates as the 3D emblem had more character and the mirror effect added another striking focal point to the car.

I found this one on eBay for $25, which is a good price compared to what you'd find in specialty shops.  The only downside to this product is that the leaper itself is made out of plastic, however it doesn't seem to matter as the overall finish hides this quite well.  It's another simple and affordable addition to enhance the look of an already stunning vehicle.

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Your XKE From Coventry

This sixties ad for the Jaguar XKE (E-Type) was targeted at Americans looking to get behind the wheel of their very own British sports car.  Then again, if I could have afforded it I wouldn't have needed much convincing.

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The Most Extravagant Jaguar

That is until you consider most of the other cars that Jaguar ever built.  The XJS was actually a significantly flawed model with poor electrics and sub-par fittings, however it's also a car that seems to get more attractive the older it gets.  In typical Jaguar ad fashion, it was still presented with all the pomp and circumstance. 

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Jaguar First at Le Mans

These posters from the fifties showcase the racing prowess that made Jaguar a force to be reckoned with on the track.  Le Mans (or 24 Hours of Le Mans) was first held in 1923 and remains the world's oldest endurance sports car race.  To date, Jaguar has won seven times.

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Saskatchewan in a Jaguar

I went to visit some friends in Regina, SK for the Canada Day long weekend and it was the first time I'd had a chance to take my Jaguar since I'd got it back in 2010.  It had actually been over a year since I'd been back to the city that I went to film school in, and I can't tell you what a good time I had.

Cruising along the Trans Canada heading east, I had my iPod blasting and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  By the time I arrived I was in such a good mood and it set the weekend off on the right track.  The road home was a completely different story however.

As a beautiful and scorching afternoon turned into thunderstorm warnings I departed for home.  It was only minutes later that I narrowly dodged a hail storm by taking refuge under an overpass.  Then as things cleared for a bit I got further out into the country only to have the lightning return and start playing tricks on my cars electronics.  My computer kept wanting to warn me about random problems when nothing seemed wrong.  My theory that it was the electrical storm causing this seemed to be true when things cleared again and everything went right back to normal and stayed that way.

There was then a final onslaught of blinding rain that forced me to slow right down and try and make sense of where the road was.  It was terrifying to be honest.  However, after the storm subsided I was welcomed by a gorgeous sunset for the remaining couple hours of my drive.  It proved to be the perfect ending to a whirlwind weekend with good friends.

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