shot by Nathan Williams
Oh my; this is dreadful. And here I thought bad stretch jobs were a thing of the past. This is a perfect argument for using vans with luxurious interiors as a better alternative. Most modern sedans just don’t lend themselves to the stretch treatment.
Does it have a hatchback too?
Probably not.
Obviously the biggest single problem here is that the XJ is a low and sinewy sedan, and as such, its windshield and front doors are all wrong for trying to turn it into a modern day Jaguar Daimler limo, like this one:
Agreed. This Jag does not cut the mustard. Look what I found in my limousine collection on my external drive.
What was the market for a stretch Ambassador? The CEO of American Motors, the Governor of Wisconsin and maybe the funeral home in Kenosha?
The Ambassador limo was ordered by a guy who had a large transportation leasing company in Chicago, and he planned on using it to convince AMC dealers to order them for corporate clients. It was made by Armbruster-Stageway, and is believe to be the first and only one built, at a cost of $100,000 in 1969 money. Several people report various Wisconsin Gov’s using the limo, but there is no written or photographic evidence to back up the claims.
Isn’t it a car belonging to the (British) royal family? Claret body, black roof, that’s their colors…
It’s quite possibly a funeral director’s limo rather than a VIP stretch. Although most XJ funeral cars I’ve found on line are 6-door.
Closer inspection shows it to possibly be a Royal car. You can just make out the standard placard on the roof above the windscreen.
Plus the street sign says Reston Place, Kensington. Home to a few High Commissions and Embassies.
In the below picture of this car’s twin (NGN-1), we can see the roof-mounted crown in more detail… also a mounting platform for a large hood ornament (I suppose if desired/warranted by the occupant):
NGN 1 IS a number plate dedicated to the Royal Household. It was formerly used on a Vanden Plas Princess limo, along with an identical limo displaying NGN 2.
The Princess limo that displayed NGN-1 is currently on display at the Royal Family’s private automobile museum in Sandringham. In 1989 I was allowed to sit in it and drive it a short way.
The crest displayed is not one of the central Royal Family crests, and I suspect this one indicates it is in use by people conducting business on behalf of the household.
FYI — the other Princess, NGN-2 [if I remember correctly] was the limo Princess Margaret and Mark Phillips were riding in when a kidnapping attempt was thwarted by her security detail. The car was rebuilt to “as new” condition by the Vanden Plas factory.
Here is the Princess with the same number plate.
Wow – having been able to drive one of the royal family’s vehicles (even for a short distance) is quite a feat!
I’m curious – do you happen to know the purpose of the bulky hood-ornament type fixture on the featured XJ? At first I figured it might be a receiver for a small flag, but it seems bigger than it needs to be for that purpose, and most official vehicles’ flags are fender-mounted anyway. And then, like I wrote above, I thought it might be for an actual hood ornament… but now I’m not so sure. Just curious if you know.
It does have a bespoke rear door, instead of being a cheap “B-pillar plug” stretch.
But our host is right. Stuffing sound insulation and soft-touch materials into a minivan is a much better way to go.
Confirmed by Wikipedia. Two stretched XJs purchased by the British government in 2012.
Mi Gawd!
No polite words for this vehicle.
I am tempted to re-post the image of the man projecting vomiting that got me in trouble with management here a few years ago.
Is that Daimler the inspiration for the Seville?
On Google maps, the red building is the High Commission of Zambia, the yellow one has a South Korean flag above the door. The street is Palace Gate, because it hits Kensington Road (south of Hyde Park) at the main walkway to Kensington Palace. The crest isn’t the British royal’s, so it’s probably some Middle Eastern potentate’s car. They’re in London a lot.
Edit: if it’s owned by HMG, they may use it for foreign royal visitors.
My take would be to use the taller F-Pace as the basis for a stretch.
It’s Jaguar’s belated answer to the Malibu Maxx.
I thought there was something wrong with the driver’s window, but it’s just open an inch.
I think this conversion looks… really good!
Well ;
At least it doesn’t sag like some of the local customs I have seen .
I agree, it’s not a good looking car but in matters of taste, everyone else is wrong .
-Nate
I think it looks good. It’s an official government car, probably armoured and coach built. Not some cut and shut back street job.
I agree Paul. Sleek looking car.
Current luxury sedans are not designed with potential limousine conversion as a possible result. Ergo, anything in this vein is going to look this bad.
If you really want one with a hatchback, that CAN be arranged.
IMO it would’ve looked better if they’d fully committed to a 2-box shape, whether they built in a hatch or skipped a rear opening at all obliging the rear passengers to get out for a tire change (it wouldn’t do for Her Majesty to be in the car while it slipped off the jack in any case).
Someone in my area with a warped sense of humor made a Yugo stretch limo. Only saw it once, in the early ’90s.
Anyway, I didn’t even recognize this as a Jag from the side view.
I guess these cars are designed for ease of graceful access and disembarkation, and for the passenger to be seen on occasion. HMQ may not use these but some of the minor royals may do when the more special cars are taken by the senior ranks.
Yes, likely armoured and fitted with a well silenced but powerful version of the V8. I can’t tell you exactly which, as the reg does not appear on the DVLA vehicle checker…..
Roger Carr,
None of the number plates assigned to vehicles in use by the Royals or other high-ranking officials are available on the DVLA webpage, for security reasons. Also of note, both the Princess with this number plate, and the Jaguar with the same number plate, have been used on the road in the same time frame, so I’m thinking the authorities consider these cars bearing the same number plates are licensed in a permanent manner, as long as they are not sold. I’ve never noticed a Tax disc on any of the Royal limousines either, and I would assume they don’t pay road tax on these vehicles.
Many years ago I spoke with a chauffeur for the Crown, who said that sometimes a lowly maidservant would be sent into town [Windsor] on an emergency basis, to pick up an item at a shop when it was needed quickly, and they would be driven in one of these cars. This was preferred over having something delivered, as that delivery car could not be cleared quickly, for entry into the courtyard.
Ya know, I don’t really hate this one. It looks a little bloated, sure, but it’s not as eye-punchingly awful as some limos we’ve seen earlier. I wouldn’t be ashamed to see it in my driveway. Horrified, since it meant the Queen was dropping by unexpectedly and my house was a mess, but not ashamed.
I’d like to see a Genesis G90 limo. I think it’s the last non Mercedes that could pull it off. You’re move Superior…
I’d like to see some interior photos to determine what the payoff is for this awkwardness.
An original 2012 press release said:
“2012 Jaguar XJ semi-state limousines of the British Royal Family. Similar to the Prime-Ministers XJ Sentinel which is an armoured XJ carrying a 5.0l 346kw supercharged V8, with a lowered top speed of 195kmh. The two limousines carry the plates, NGN 1 and NGN 2 and have been adapted with fittings for a bonnet mascot and roof flag.”