It’s not just new cars that Jaguar, brought
to the Geneva Motor Show this year. It also took the occasion to exhibit a very
special vintage XJ sedan. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the XJ line, this
1984 XJ6 was commissioned from Jaguar Classic by one Nicko McBrain – best known
as the drummer from the heavy-metal rock band Iron Maiden.
The result of 3,500 man hours of work, the restored
XJ6 has been remade in consultation between Nicko, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works,
and designer Wayne Burgess. It features new bumpers (front and rear), flared
wheel arches, 18-inch wire wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires, and new door
sills. But that’s just the start.
The door handles, wing mirrors, and fuel caps, are
all new. The suspension is upgraded, with adjustable rear dampers. The
headlights have been modernized with LED units and “halo” DLRs. And the whole
thing has been repainted in a unique shade of mauve.
As you might expect, the interior’s been thoroughly
worked over as well, with red leather, black piping, and dark gray-stained
sycamore veneers to mimic Nicko’s favorite snare drums. There’s also better
sound insulation, more padding in the seats, a new three-spoke steering wheel,
a pushbutton ignition, remote central locks, ambient lighting, and modern
electronics including a touchscreen navigation system and high-end audio with
machined aluminum knobs inspired by a Marshall guitar amp.
Under the hood, the original 4.2-liter straight six
packs the triple 2-inch carbs from the E-Type, breathing through quad exhaust
pipes. It all strikes us as a build no less impressive than Jaguar design chief
Ian Callum’s own Mk2 sedan. No wonder the automaker chose to showcase it
alongside its latest products at Europe’s premier auto show.
