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Jaguar buys world's largest collection of British cars

Whether you're looking at Bertone going bankrupt or Spyker facing (and subsequently resolving) a large tax bill, it's saddening to see an automaker having to sell off its factory collection. That's why we're glad to report that there are still some acquiring historic vehicles from their pasts. Like Jaguar, which has just bought the largest private collection of classic British cars in the world.
The collection of 543 cars was painstakingly assembled by one James Hull, a British dentist with some 50 dental clinics to his name across the UK and who was keen to find the right buyer to take possession of his life's work and preserve it for years to come.
Of those 543 cars, the majority are of British origin, including over 130 Jaguars. The collection includes seven XK120s, several C- and D-Types, a rare XKSS, eight E-Types, thirty Mark-series Jaguar sedans, nineteen XJS coupes and convertibles, some twenty XJ sedans as well as some pre-war SS models and Swallow sidecars and coachbuilt specials from the company's early days. Among the many noteworthy examples are a rare SS100, an alloy-bodied XK120 and an MK X owned by company founder Sir William Lyons himself, as well as Winston Churchill's Austin, Elton John's Bentley, and racing driver and motorcycle rider Mike Hailwood's E-Type.

Jaguar C-X17 resurfaces in China with gold finish, five-seat cabin [w/video]

Some concept cars make the rounds of the auto shows and are then retired. But a number of automakers are showing that a fresh coat of paint can go a long way towards rejuvenating a show car and giving it a new lease on life - at least as far as the auto show circuit is concerned. Lexus did that recently with the LF-LC concept, initially unveiling it in red at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, then repainting it a dark shade of blue for the subsequent shows in Australia and LA. Mini did the same with the Rocketman concept. And now Jaguar has done it again with its C-X17.
Initially unveiled in electric blue at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Jaguar then rolled the crossover out again in liquid silver for the Dubai Motor Show earlier this month. Now the concept is back again at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China with a fresh coat of rose gold.
Looking decidedly more luxurious than the previous iterations, this gilded C-X17 concept also bears another change: while the previous versions featured a four-seat cabin, this one has been redone with a more conventional five-seat configuration that more buyers would likely go for. It's also got a new interactive infotainment system and another system that warns passengers of pedestrians or cyclists approaching from the rear before they open the door. Check it out in the high-res image gallery above and the video clip below for a closer look.

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.