The millennial approach to a Jaguar XJ12 Series 1

If you’re young, a 1972 Jaguar XJ12 won’t necessarily make a whole lot of sense to you. It’s strictly conservative styling, hopelessly complicated and underpowered V-12, plus fuel consumption that justifies those dual fuel tanks, probably won’t make the big XJ the number one choice for enthusiasts on a budget.

However, Carfection’s Charlie and George make a good case for your grandpa’s XJ12 Series 1. The Sable Brown makes it a rather rare car, fully loaded. Jaguar only built 3235 V-12 sedans before the Series 2 took over in 1973. Other options for shades of brown included Carriage Brown and Almond, and for those who felt that still wasn’t sufficiently posh, Jaguar made a total of 885 Daimler Double Sixes as well with the same E-Type engine.

Those twelve cylinders are kept on a leash by a “smooth” 3-speed automatic gearbox, with plenty of wood, deep ashtrays, power windows, and acres of Connolly leather to create a fully luxury experience. That’s pretty much all that mattered to people important enough to own a Jaguar XJ12 in 1972, because whether or not they really had a 140mph super-saloon must have been a rude question to ask. Almost four decades later, with V-12s headed for extinction, at least brown should make a comeback.