Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

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It's difficult to believe that it is nearly five years since the Jaguar F Type was unveiled to an expectant British and world audience.
There is little doubt that it is an example of automotive excellence universally praised by motoring writers and critics at the time.

Early prototypes were tested in my area, I believe, and several pre production examples, some camouflaged, others not, were seen be several people locally although I was not among the lucky observers.

Is it an icon in the same way as the E type grew to be?

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I didn't physically see an F Type until early 2016 and that was a coupe and I am ashamed to admit being underwhelmed. I thought it looked brutish, big and so similar to a Nissan GTR :

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Which is the better car - F Type or GTR? I don't know but I admire the ability of those people who have the means to buy either of them. Having said that many examples of both are the subject of PCP or leasing arrangements.

Jaguar F Types now depreciate in value from new and I cannot help but think that a Porsche is the current "must have". Have you checked the current values of Porsche 993's recently? Even the later and less desirable 996 is being dragged up in value.

In 1961 Jaguar introduced the E Type, a car even Enzo Ferrari admitted wishing he had designed.
The E Type led, the F Type does not.

What do you think?

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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[47Jag]

I got an invite to a Jaguar test day where the F-type was the main star. It drove very nicely but as a successor to the E-type it fails miserably. The first E-type I ever saw was in early 1962 and we were driving through Glen Coe when one passed us. It was a coupe and in the back lying on the load bay were a couple of kids waving to us. You couldn't do that with an F-type coupe. the boot is so small you would be lucky to get a shopping bag in there. I don't think they were a great sales success either as they were selling at a discount early in their sales life. They sound great though. there is a switch that puts the exhaust note into 'hoodlum mode'.

Art

[badhuis]

Agree about the brutal styling which does nothing for me and makes it look like a Nissan or whatever.
A Jaguar was never about aggressive, it had elegance, which is missing in the F-type.

On the other hand the first series XK8 is an elegant, even beautiful design, much more a worthy successor to the E-type. That elegance went overboard by the more aggressively styled series 2. Here is a series 1 XK8:


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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[lowdrag]

The TV borrowed my XKSS for a track test and came away amazed at how well, for its age, it performed against the project 7. Lovely car thought the new car was though, I find that most new stuff is too complicated for me.

IMGP5306 by Tony Brown, on Flickr

[MVPeters]

I don't see how the styling of the C, D, E & XK8 can ever be improved.
The number plate of VK15... is particularly unfortunate!
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Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

[47Jag]

GOOD ONE

Art

[badhuis]

[petelang]

I think it refers to "No Flipping good".....
Or the colloquial equivalent.
Peter

[peppiB]

Been parking my old Morris next to a car in our flats' car park for the past 2 years - and only this morning noticed it is an F type. To me, that shows the blandness of the thing. Had it been an E type, it would be drooled over every day

[UmTumTiddly]

There's nothing wrong with F-Types. They're hailed as the only Jaguar successor to the E-type. XK8s were Grand Tourers. The F is more brutal.I should know; I own one (from new)...a '16 3.0 V6S coupé (supercharged) and it's a wonderful and involving car. Several Porsche 911 owners have migrated to the F citing that the German Porker is bland (at least to look at!) and very hard in suspension.
The 'boot' in the coupé is not as tiny as some like to perceive (they probably haven't seen one in the metal) and their ccomments are without basis. It's not huge but two can pack their belongings for a two week continental tour with no problem (done it!). The convertible's boot is, however, small and next to useless for a continental-type tour of more than a few days.
Dynamically, the F is superb; it's British (sort of) but wouldn't exist without the financial involvement of the Indians. Nevertheless it exists in all it's wonderful glory and I love it.

[petelang]

Well UmTum, you haven't seen how much luggage my wife packs for just a weekend! Fills the boot of my XJ308 V8, I have to put my meagre belongings on the back seat!
Peter