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Jaguar Heritage to auction off part of its classic-car collection

A few years back it was reported that Jaguar Land Rover had purchased the James Hull classic car collection in its entirety. The collection is beyond significant, as it was at the time of sale the biggest single collection of British cars in the world and the largest private car collection in the UK. Consisting of 543 cars, it ranged from the mundane to the obscure, including some extremely rare prototypes. There were 130 Jaguars, for example, from the C-type to the D-type to the XKSS. When the cars were put up for sale in 2014, the asking price was a not-insubstantial $170 million. JLR didn't reveal how much it spent to buy the cars, but now it seems the carmaker is about to recoup some of those costs. At least 50 cars from the collection will be sold by auction house Brightwells, as part of the Affordable Classics at Bicester sale on March 21; some reports have said JLR would be eventually offloading as many as 100 cars. Looking at the listing, there are some definite gems in there. Not all cars are British, as there are Citroens, Mercedes-Benzes, a Fiat and a Goggomobil. Jaguars and Land Rovers are notably absent from Brightwells' listing, which we take as a clue that the sale will consist of cars not crucial to JLR's wellbeing and heritage. That said, for a lover of British cars there's a possibility to grab something truly interesting: For example, the Reliant Scimitar Ferguson 4x4 Prototype must be worth preserving. A 4WD pioneer also known for Massey-Ferguson tractors, Ferguson fitted its system in Jensens as well as a prototype 4WD Mustang in the 1960s. The fiberglass-bodied Reliant sports car is an interesting sidenote in Ferguson's history. Then there's a Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS, which is a veritable rally-bred RWD hot hatch in comparison to the American market Chevrolet Chevette, its distant relative. On the hot hatch front, there are also Metro and Maestro turbos, which offer plenty of poke in a light, boxy body. Or if you view the internet's popular "Worst Cars Ever Made" lists as shopping lists, you could build your own collection of slightly dodgy cars: Start with the unfortunate-looking Vanden Plas Allegro, continue to the malaise-tastic Morris Ital Camper, and finish it off with a late-model Lada Riva wagon from the mid-1990s. Some cars are in tip-top shape, and some are best seen as restoration projects, like the very pretty Borgward Isabella coupe from 1960.

2017 Jaguar F-Pace First Drive

We know what you're thinking, and we tend to agree: The world probably doesn't need another crossover. But premium European automakers keep building them because people keep buying them. Before we even got behind the wheel of the 2017 F-Pace, we knew that it would be Jaguar's best-selling model by year's end. Now that we've driven the brand's first crossover, it's apparent that there is more to the F-Pace than future sales success. This is a real Jaguar. It would have been easy for Jaguar to borrow a platform from corporate sibling Land Rover. Instead, Jaguar's engineers decided to chart their own course, starting with the aluminum underpinnings of the XE sedan. As it turns out, that was a brilliant decision. The F-Pace looks and drives like a proper Jaguar, but it has some surprises hiding under its shapely sheetmetal that make it the most practical vehicle the brand has ever offered. The F-Pace sports a familiar face, with a voluminous chrome-ringed grille flanked by twin air intakes that are almost as large. Long horizontal headlamps flow into the fenders, and just behind the front wheels sit additional vents that are the only extraneous bit of styling flair on the entire vehicle. The overall look is smooth and taut, with lots of surface tension along the car's bodysides. Not that Jaguar would have done it, but we're glad this is not an overwrought Lexus RX clone. The F-Pace's proportions emphasize the chassis' rear-drive roots, although Jaguar will only sell the crossover with all-wheel drive in the US. By default, 90 percent of engine torque is routed to the rear wheels, and that can drop to as little as 10 percent as dictated by available traction. While the good old KISS acronym applies to the car's styling, it applies equally well to the driving dynamics with one slight modification: keep it sporty, stupid. A rigid aluminum chassis – it would be all-aluminum if the rear floor weren't steel to ensure proper 50/50 weight distribution – is derived from the same architecture as the XE sedan, rejiggered to sit higher off the ground and allow for greater suspension travel. As you'd expect, the F-Pace drives a heck of a lot like a sport sedan, only giving up the illusion if you notice how high you're sitting from the road. Jaguar has nailed the driving dynamics of the F-Pace. Steering is linear and, in Dynamic mode, perfectly damped. The ride on models equipped with adaptive suspension is firm and controlled, even with massive 22-inch wheels fitted.

2014 Jaguar F-Type V8 S [w/video]

Withhold judgment on the world's greatest exhaust note until after you've heard the Jaguar F-Type V8 S (scroll down now for a sneak peek). Its cackle, boom and pop under deceleration will have you rifling through its glovebox looking for a tool to remove the stereo as an in-dash audio system.
Combining modern technology with age-old exhaust plumbing, Jaguar's British engineers have developed a way to propel spent combustion gases into the atmosphere in a manner that elevates the complete driving experience. At idle, it purrs. Under acceleration, it roars. During cruise, it soothes. Perhaps most compellingly, during deceleration, it titillates.
Thankfully, the newest two-place convertible from Jaguar isn't only defined by its mesmerizing soundtrack - the F-Type would be an impressive sports car even if the world went silent.