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Send me an email at: ellyeddumes@palacefans.com .
1972 Jaguar XKE convertible. She only has 24, 000
original miles.
She is burgundy in color with a biscuit interior.
She is equipped with an automatic transmission, which I prefer. Today, with our compulsion for cell phones,
navigation, Starbucks and laptops, an automatic transmission makes perfect sense. If you want to enjoy a classic
ride, and still multitask (let’s face it, who doesn’t) – consider the value of the auto transmission. There
are virtually only a handful of car manufacturers that even offer a manual transmission today for this reason.
Let me also say that this isn’t my first XKE – far from it. However, I like the XKE V-12 for the following
reasons;
· More reliable
· Affordable
· Very smooth to drive
· Built on the 2+2 chassis, so she has more interior room. I’m 6’3” and I need the room. Again,
manually shifting this car would be a challenge.
· She still retains the elegant and iconic XKE styling
I also like unrestored cars. They are only original once. Therefore, I can drive them and not fret the small and
occasional blemish. Which isn’t to say that this car isn’t very nice – but she sports mostly original paint
(accident free but signs of older paint for sure). I love the patina.
My goal, when taking a car to a show, is to enter the “survivor” class. I like to see the original
craftsmanship – not a highly restored interpretation. I took a Delahaye to Pebble Beach, in 2012, she too was all
original. I also own a 1952 Nash Healey – again, all original.
I used to own a restoration shop – ironically enough, and did restore cars, however, primarily to sell.
As mentioned, this XKE is all original with only 24, 000 miles. She is stored in my showroom. I took her out this
weekend and, of course, she performed beautifully. I took my daughter with me – and she commented on how smooth
the car was. In fact, everyone that drives in this car says the same. There really is no smoother engine than the
V12.
I also like the 1972 because as it is devoid of the large bumper overrides (5 mph bumpers) that were mandated by
Uncle Sam from 1974 on. They were a bit chunky. The 1972 avoided them. My XKE also has the optional grill override
– which protects the grill when the bonnet is open. It is a but ungainly, but can be removed, of course.
I think this is a blue chip investment. As the Series I and II become insanely expensive, the V12 becomes the next
best buy. She will continue to appreciate, no doubt.
She has good power too. Very torquey. A pleasure on the highway and around town. I’ve had no issues with
overheating or poor starting. She does not smoke either and the transmission makes no whining sounds and shifts
perfectly (smoothly too). There are no odd noises coming from the drivetrain.
The brakes work very well (but they too are from 1972), and the gauges all appear to be operating correctly. The
bevy of toggle switches takes an engineering degree to figure out – and she DOES have Air Conditioning. The radio
is aftermarket with additional speakers in the rear deck area.
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