Rides from the Readers: 1977 Jaguar XJ6L
Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to us at the above email.
Today’s featured vehicle is a 1977 Jaguar XJ6L, the second of three generations (or series, in Jag nomenclature). Though a V-12 was also offered in ’72 and after, the 162-hp, DOHC straight-six variants like this one boast improved reliability and are much easier to wrench on yourself. The last Jag model designed by the company’s founder William Lyons, this cruiser balanced leather- and walnut-trimmed luxury with confident performance and admirable handling.
This particular XJ6L belongs to Tim Peterson, who first encountered it in ’77 when he and his best friend, both commercial tuna fishermen, indulged in well-earned new car purchases after a particularly profitable year of business. Peterson’s friend Bruce first bought the Jag, while Peterson took home a Cadillac Seville. Then, 35 years later, Bruce sold the XJ6 to Peterson. Other prospective buyers planned to swap the Jag’s straight-six for a 350 V-8, but Bruce wanted to ensure the car stayed original, and that was Peterson’s intent.
Though Peterson writes that he’s a relative newcomer to the car enthusiast community, he’s taken loving care of the Jag and maintained it in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. “I just had the eight-track repaired,” he writes, “and I find myself in a good place, riding down the freeway with the Eagles tape playing perfectly and the engine purring along.” Here’s to more cruises, Tim!
