I’m no fan of the XJ40, but when this one showed up, on an highway service area in France about three weeks ago, I perked up. For one thing, it was white – not a very common colour for these cars. And for another, it was a higher-trim one, because of the square composite headlamps. Then the clincher: woah, it’s a Daimler!
I hope it might be a rare Double-Six, as the last three seasons of the XJ40 did include a few V12-powered beasts, but no. This is the standard Daimler XJ40, sometimes called the Six. It seems to be an early-ish car (though with the post-1988 mirrors) with the peculiar but stock “lattice” 16-inch alloys and, oddly, whitewall tyres. There was someone in the back seat, so I did not try to photograph the interior, but found a decent brochure pic below (unfortunately from a Jag, not a Daimler). That person was probably using the picnic tables back there to have an actual picnic: the weather was dreadful and the rest area café was standing room-only. And in these times of pandemic, opting for the rear seat of one’s Daimler for a spot of roadside refreshment is a wise choice.
Jaguar XJ Sovereign interior, 1989 brochure
It’s pretty crazy that Jaguar made a Daimler version of the XJ40. If everything had gone according to plan, the old marque would have been ditched by about 1990, when the DS420 limo was slated to be nixed. This is not what happened. Despite a long series of missteps after 1945, Daimler still had enough brand equity that Jaguar kept the marque around for decades after they bought it in 1960. The last remnants of Daimler technology (i.e. the famous Turner V8s) had disappeared by 1970, so by that point there was really nothing to a Daimler but a fluted grille and badges.
Jaguar had pulled the brand out of the US in 1967, but then Daimler had never had much of a following there, unlike in the UK, where mayors, CEOs and other high flyers were still loyal to the brand. Continental Europe was a slightly different matter. By 1980, Jaguar felt that Daimler could be deleted from their LHD offerings without issue. But a funny thing happened: as soon as they did that, a small cottage industry took over to “Daimlerize” the XJ6s and XJ12s being sold new across the Continent, but especially in major export markets like West Germany, Belenux, Switzerland, France and Italy.
Jaguar XJ40 prototype, 1979
It turned out the snob appeal of Daimler was still quite potent in the go-go ‘80s; Jaguar soon realized their miscalculation. In 1985, the Daimler marque made a comeback on the European market and stayed on until Jaguar finally pulled the plug, over twenty years later. Coincidentally (or not), that was just one year prior to the introduction of the XJ40, i.e. the first all-new Jag saloon since 1968.
The XJ40, though it has its advocates on this site, was a bit of a disappointment sales-wise for its maker. It was gestating since the early ‘70s, yet came out with many faults – not an unexpected outcome, given how undercapitalized Jaguar had been throughout the whole British Leyland years. Still, the first all-new Jaguar’s numerous maladies, coming just after the company was privatized, forced Browns Lane into the arms of a deep-pocketed saviour, oval of shape and blue of colour. Ford kept the Daimler brand around, of course. They knew exactly what it was: Jaguar’s Mercury.
XJ40 European range (1987), from left to right: base-spec Jag, Jaguar Sovereign, Daimler
Daimler versions of the XJ40, which were badged as Vanden Plas in the US, were fully-optioned and flush with plush, to be sure. The cheapest Jaguar XJ40 cost about half the price. Even with the 4-litre straight-6, this Daimler’s retail price as new was almost equal to the Double-Six, which still used the old XJ12 body. About 10% of all XJ40s sold in Europe and the UK were Daimlers.
No wonder Jaguar brought it back: premium brands like that were exactly what Acura, Infiniti, Lexus and Maybach have tried to replicate artificially, but Daimler actually had a history – a very long and complex one, too – as well as royal connections. Throwing that away had been a rather stupid move, as long as there were still folks who cared.
But it’s still a fact that Jaguar did not use the Daimler marque very wisely. They could have made Daimler-specific models (aside from those gaudy DS240 limos, I mean) and pushed the marque towards bespoke super-luxury – kind of what they did, but with more gusto and customization. Instead, they badge-engineered the life out of it until nobody remembered what the fluted grille harked back to. Rolls-Royce were making the same mistake with Bentley in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but then came up with the Turbo R. It’s a great pity Jaguar never learned from that.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1986-94 Jaguar XJ6 (XJ40) – Beauty Is A Beast, by William Stopford
CC Outtake: 1987-94 Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign – An Appreciation, by William Stopford
CC Questions: So I’m Thinking About An XJ40…, by Keith Thelen
I forgot Daimler even stuck around so long because they seemed to be less like Mercury and more like a Ghia or Titanium. Looking at photos, I can scarcely tell the difference between the Jag and Daimler.
I do love these XJ40s though. I think they modernised the classic XJ style very well.
The Daimler definitely wasn’t “Jaguar’s Mercury”. Mercury was a true separate brand, with often distinct vehicles, and most importantly, sold at different dealers than Fords.
Daimler had evolved to be was nothing more than a top trim level, like the examples you gave.
Even the Mercury Bobcat got its own taillights and a different hood to house it’s silly grille. I agree, Daimler always confused me when I’d come across pics of them, and similarly always assumed it was a trim level on a Jag.
I always wonder with cars like this did the owners have to correct people a lot with “it’s not a Jaguar!”? The Daimler name may have carried weight but I cannot imagine it fooled anyone
I will stick up for it. I lived with one for 2 years and can tell you the XJ40 was a fantastic car. Although it lacked the natural beauty of the Series 3 XJ, its driving characteristics were…sublime. One got the sensation of riding on a cloud, yet it felt sufficiently controlled. Driving a Jag was an occasion, a feeling that few cars today can provide. The only negative was it’s overly stiff steering.
Also, quality greatly improved over the years to the point that, by the 90s, they were somewhat reliable, making them easier to daily drive.
Thanks for explaining Daimler. It was always a bit of a mystery, now I get it.
I laughed when I read the line:
” quality greatly improved over the years to the point that, by the 90s, they were somewhat reliable”
How to damn with faint praise indeed.
Perhaps certain vehicles deserve certain description over some particular characters.
The last two years of XJ40 seems to be the best in terms of quality. Also these had airbag(s) which makes them more useful for daily transport (IMO).
Compared to its successor (X300), I would prefer a XJ40 – with the rectangular lamps. The X300 had the sculpted round headlamps again and triangular rear lamps but it is a bit too much retro for me. They were trying too hard.
I thought hard of replacing my X Wagon for a late XJ40 but that X is too damn practical!
Interesting that you would say you preferred the Daimler because of its rectangular headlamps. Back when it was new, I would probably have said the same thing. Here in America, when car manufacturers were allowed to offer rectangular as well as circular headlights, rectangular was seen as modern…maybe even upscale. Today, with many cars looking so similar, the round headlights on a car make it look pleasantly different, or vintage, both of which the car in these photos does quite well.
And I consider it unfortunate that the headlights and taillights are both slabby looking rectangles.
Presumably a lack of money stopped Jaguar making unique Daimler models. Given the difficulty of imagining a modern Jaguar, imagining a modern Daimler is harder yet. About the only obvious variant might have been a two-door coupe. Talking against that is the idea Daimler were supposed to be saloons, and Jaguar covered that ground already.
Daimler/Jaguar are a case of a distinction without a difference. I still think the Daimler is a pleasing and harmless oddity, much like the T-Series Bentleys were just a bit classier than Rolls Royces.
All of Lizzie Saxe-Coburg’s mob used to snob along in Daimlers since 1902, which made sense given the common Germanity (if overlooking a war or two), but it all crashed out in the early ’50’s when Nora Docker yet again had one too many G &T’s and ordered Sir hubby (chair of Daimler) to have one made on the company’s dime that unfortunately looked a bit like a melting gold harp full of dead zebras. To continue to parade One’s royalness in a brand now more associated with a stolen tarts’s boudoir became impossible. And once the family appointed to rule by God himself no longer gave the wave from or to them, the royally loyal hordes abandoned Daimler too. Jaguar, a car quite certainly NOT on the Appropriate List for the enclosure at Ascot, had no chance of turning the old marque into a posher addendum of its own range: given the slightly declasse new-money position of their stuff, this was akin to putting a Greek urn on a Tudor reproduction semi. Thus it declined to a badge, which in another long English tradition, eventually fell off too.
It isn’t entirely surprising to hear of various Continental snobs wanting a German name on their British car, as they may not have got the memo that that badge was dead, as some of them don’t even speak English, you know.
Still, despite the banishment of Daimler and assumption of the Rolls Royal so long ago, there’s no denying that Liz is back these days where she began, if in the obverse.
You see, instead of moving about (mysteriously, her wonders to perform) in an English car with a German name, she now does so in a German car with an English one.
Loving your turn of phrase : but I dare think HM really prefers her Rangie being a country girl at heart. Phil of course pranged his….
Should I be concerned that I understood most of that ? 🙂
Yes, and you should see a doctor. I do.
justy baum, I just have to tell you, your writing is simply magnificent. I’m in awe of your way with words and humour. Your comments are always a bright moment on otherwise dull days and I salute you! (Like I would if Liz & Phil cavalcaded past in a Daimler – DS420, landaulette naturally).
Cheers, squire! All part of the service.
I had always been (mildly) curious exactly what about the Daimler XJ40 was so different from the US XJ Vanden Plas, now you’ve finally explained it in the most obvious way possible, i.e. they were one and the same. So thank you for that.
When in good shape, these look pretty good now. When not, well… But back then when new they were pretty much panned by everyone bar the British Press which saw them as the second coming. Or third, IDK. And Jaguar themselves acknowledged as such when they returned to form one generation later.
Those whitewalls though…Thankfully not original equipment.
Hmm. I was just thinking that I actually liked the whitewalls on this car. Normally anything European wearing whitewalls would be a no-go, but for some reason they struck me as ok on this big long low blingmobile.
As a matter of fact this thing looked so good to me that I actually spent about 3 minutes running a Hemmings search for XJ40s. Then I was thankfully reclaimed by sanity.
Maybe it’s me but I don’t really associate Jaguar or most British cars with “European” cars in style and flair, I actually feel there’s more of an American fashion sense in them, just smaller. They’re not the form follows function Bauhous blackwall thing of German makes, or the delicate seductive beauty of the Italian makes. US and UK were occasionally capable of both those things, of course but often had vinyl tops, lots of chrome (Jaguar had ample chrome usage even in the black trim Eurosport 80s), wire wheels(albeit real ones) when everyone else went alloys, wood interior accents and many more details that escape me. Whitewalls aren’t exactly a bridge too far, they look far more appropriate on this Daimler than they would on a Mercedes W126 or BMW E32
The problem with the XJ40 is that it precisely tried to be a German car built by the British. Just look at the dashboard and the squared off exterior styling, it’s so blatant and bulky, any delicateness of form is gone. Then they larded on the grille and some generous chrome bits, especially the chrome door handles and mirrors. They went back to what worked after this for a couple of decades but now have gone back again to Euro-bland, and are paying the price, there isn’t much point to Jaguar since the “Jaguar-ness” is (mostly) gone, never mind how they actually drive, people need to want to get inside them first. There ARE appealing Jaguars still today but they could just as easily wear the badge of half a dozen other makes and nobody would bat an eye (especially the electric one).
The last German cars that to me visually worked with (thin stripe) whitewalls were built around the early-mid ’70s, W108/109 and the C1 Audi 100 a bit later. An older body style with chrome and/or hubcaps seem to be more or less a requirement for the look to work, certainly not a BBS-mesh inspired knockoff like this, but to each their own I suppose.
Well, we do agree on one thing. Jaguar’s styling has once again lost the plot. I actually find just about any current Mazda more inspiring than any of the new Jaguars I’ve seen. It is unfortunate.
Ah yes the royals connection saved the badge interestingly when Lizzie and Phil toured NZ they often rode in Fords, not Fords regular Kiwis drove of course, that would have been too much things like Zodiac convertibles and Fairlane/ Galaxie convertibles while the entourage rode in sedans Daimlers and Humbers usually.
I’m sure the Bentley Turbo R offers a driving experience not found in the Rolls Royce of the era but I don’t think I’d call their differentiation well done until within the last 20 years. As a meager middle class child of the 90s without hands on experience with themI couldn’t tell what the purpose of Bentley was, as they clearly shared bodies. Bentley didn’t gain a purpose for existence in my eyes until the Continental GT debuted.
It’s funny how the Daimler was so upper crust but received as much visual differentiation as the lowest end brand engineered cars like a Pontiac T1000
The sequence of automobile is decisive. Such carryover models have meanings to one generation but may not to a younger generation.
It might be obvious to an older generation, but asking an 18yo in 2021 about the meaning of Chrysler, GMC or Buick, well, it is not easy to explain to the blank eyes
Until the Continental and Phantom of 2002/3, Rolls and Bentley were one business, sharing chassis and later whole bodies since the 1930s. The Continental was the first “VW Bentley”, the Phantom the first “BMW Rolls”.
From the early 1980s, Rolls had been differentiating Bentley from R-R models more clearly, ultimately with the 1998 Silver Seraph and Arnage models using different BMW engines (V12 or turbo V8) in the same body.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/1987-bentley-mulsanne-turbo-r-in-case-a-rolls-royce-is-too-common-for-you/
Can we discuss the smoked clear tail light lense?
How many of those happened before about 2002?
Audi was doing that back in the mid 1980’s. VW followed a few years later. The Lotus Elan had them (perhaps tinted slightly less) which were repurposed Alpine GTA units.
1979
The tinted clear outer lens by itself
Citroen BX, around 1990?
Where the English mothership sailed, so sailed New Zealand, so we got Daimlers new here until the very end with the Super Eight. Glorious name, almost as pompously upper crusty as ‘Double Six’. I got all the XJ40 brochures as a kid and pored over the difference between the Jags and the Dames. The differences I can remember were the Daimler version of the XJ40 had different door trims with different armrest/handles/speakers, more heavily contoured rear seats (with the option of two rear buckets instead of a bench), smoked taillights, and marquetry in the wood on the doors and dash panel. Considerably thicker carpet too I think. The Daimler name had a lot of cachet here, so although never common, people still knew that a Daimler was something a tad special and a rung above a mere Jaguar.