V12 swapped for V8
If you were to go hunting for iconic sedans of the past century, Jaguar’s XJ6/XJ12 series would have to be up towards the top of the field.
Elegant, with a sensational ride, very capable handling and decent performance, they were to last far longer than intended in the market, in various forms.
In a feature on the series we note: “At its launch, Jaguar’s engineering boss William Heynes said the XJ6 had been designed for a seven-year production run. No-one could have predicted in September 1968 that it would effectively be built for 24 years – and it would be 18 years before a successor was released!”
The XJ6 was not originally intended to accept the company’s V12 and required substantial modification to make it fit. Over time, the XJ12 also became a target for modifiers, keen to replace the complex Jaguar engine with a simpler small block Chevrolet V8. That often turned out to be an effective swap.
This example is just such a car, claiming near enough to 320hp at the wheels and so significantly more lively than the original.
It seems the car underwent a major rebuild as part of the process and presumably a fair bit of money was thrown at the exercise. It retains it’s typical Jaguar interior.
The car is with the Healey Factory in Melbourne, priced at $60,000.