What could have been
A RECENT visit to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust in Gaydon for the XJ-S prototype featured in this issue was a reminder just how much history there is within the walls of its modern-looking Collections Centre. Filled with important examples from Jaguar’s long history, the museum offers a fascinating insight into how its cars have developed.
Yet the models I always find most interesting are the prototypes since they hint at a path not taken. And of the many of these that Heritage own, the one I always find myself wandering over to is the red XJ40 coupe.
Built in late 1993, it was the work of Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations, a behindthe-scenes skunkworks based at Browns Lane. Although its day job was to initially produce the Daimler DS420 limousine followed by low volume models such the XJ40 Majestic and Insignia range, it also built a series of welldeveloped prototypes.
Despite being based on an XJ40, the red coupe was actually an SVO-led study for a potential X300 two-door since the new saloon used the same architecture as its predecessor. With preproduction examples of the X300 in short supply, SVO took a current XJ12 instead and shortened the chassis by 18in. The rear wings were then extended forwards while the front doors were lengthened by welding in sections from another pair. Mechanically the car was standard although a new propshaft was fabricated and the exhaust shortened.
Having driven the car in 2013 there are three things that have always struck me about it. Firstly, it’s very pretty with close to perfect proportions while the XJ40’s famously angular lines give the car a satisfyingly chunky and masculine appearance.
Secondly, whereas prototypes are usually rough hacks, from the beautifully applied paint to the soft cream leather with red piping, the coupe looks and feels like a genuine production model. “That was how we did things at SVO,” said the department’s former head, Frank Marsden, proudly when I told him this in 2013. It’s even road legal having been registered in December 1994.
IMAGINING SUCH A CAR MAKES ME GO A LITTLE WEAK AT THE KNEES
Finally and most importantly, it represents arguably one of Ja
