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A photograph can tell a thousand stories, and this can be especially true at auction. Want to complain about that scratch you didn’t know was there? “Sorry Sir, it was clearly in the image on the internet...

There are always creative people in a car company who want to try and do things that are off the radar, possibly off the wall but certainly off the product plan. And I think that’s always been the case at Jaguar. When I started there in 1978, the styling department worked out of a building called Experimental (which was where the X in the XK name originated from). In the early Fifties this changed into the Competition Shop which two decades later became the studio.

It’s not going to be a universally popular opinion, but I’m afraid I love a bit of banger racing. Indeed, I probably have it to thank for my love of old cars. Back when I was a kid, in the mid 1980s, a Sunday afternoon out at High Edge Raceway in Buxton was a rare and intoxicating treat.

There’s an interloper currently in my garage. But it’s not a neighbour’s cat or the chest freezer my wife has wanted in there for some time but rather an Aston Martin. As the new editor of Aston Martin Driver, I’ve been given the keys to Kelsey Publishing’s DB7 3.2 and since it’s parked next to my 2000 Jaguar XK8 4.0 X100, I can’t help but compare the two.

Not only did former engineering director Bob Knight have the reputation for being very clever but also a chain smoker and someone who worked all hours, all of which I experienced first-hand. When I joined Jaguar in the late-Seventies not only was he the managing director of the company but on the basis of how Jaguar’s founder Sir William Lyons had always operated, he’d also taken charge of what he called styling despite having no experience.

I make no secret of the fact that I’m a complete nerd when it comes to obscure cars and motoring might have- beens, but on a recent visit to London I was stopped in my tracks by a car I’d not seen in months, if not years. The car in question was a 1999 Daewoo Leganza, so why are you reading about it in Jaguar World, you might ask? Well, the answer is this.

With Jaguar producing some of the most beautiful cars in the world, it takes real courage to change them and few have been done so for the better. It’s for this reason why I’ve always been fascinated by modified Jaguars, especially those done in period, covering plenty in Jaguar World over the years.

Commissioned to photograph an Audi TT for another magazine, Paul compares the four-seat coupe with his own Similar to how Liverpool Football Club and my son’s under 16 team do roughly the same thing while also being totally different, the same could be said of the Jaguar XK8 and first generation of Audi TT. Although both are four-seat coupes, one is a big, purposeful and V8-engined GT and the other smaller with much of its DNA sourced from elsewhere.

Recent weather incidents have made the Sovereign an obvious choice for a seaside getaway. Of course it had to happen. My Range Rover’s air conditioning had to fail just before the most intense heat wave on record in Britain. And so once again I found myself using my Sovereign as daily transport. After all, you need aircon in weather like that. And that meant that when I needed a car for date night with my good lady, the Jaguar was at the front of the queue.

You can send the hate mail to the usual address, but I’ll come right out with it and admit that despite being an XJ-S fan I’ve often found the V12 cars rather underwhelming in standard form. The late 6.0-litre is a formidable beast but given its complexity and additional capacity I’ve frequently found myself wondering if the 5.3-litre offers a great leap over the late six-cylinder cars. Until now, that is.

Established as a true British icon, the Jaguar Mk2 unlocked the potential of its Mk1 predecessor and turned it from a modest success into a major one. Here’s what you need to know when buying one. Words: Paul Guinness Photography: Jeff Ruggles ABSOLUTE CLASSICThe iconic Jaguar Mk2 is an archetypal classic that still carries plenty of cachet. Here’s what you need to know when buying one.

The Jaguar XK8 X100 might be the most affordable here, but it’s still one of the best. Cheap thrillsWith summer finally here, there’s never been a better time to buy a convertible. We look at five of Jaguar’s finest from the last four decades that are also affordable There’s a certain irony that the cheapest car on our list is the one that, thanks to its soft, swooping lines and oval grille, looks the most like the famous E-type. But then, that was always the point of the car.

In standard specification, a Jaguar Mk VIIM would require some degree of mechanical sympathy and patience to drive, but this one has several updates, so is it any better? Overstepping the mark Words & photography Rob Hawkins Modified Mk VIIM Perfectly upgraded for everyday use With its 3.

While it only sold for a couple of years new, these days the pillarless Jaguar XJC is one of the most desirable XJs as a classic. Here’s what you need to know to get a good one. Words: Sam Skelton Photography: Matt Woods PILLAR OF SOCIETY BUYING GUIDE: JAGUAR XJCThe quiet elegance of the two-door XJ, the car which urban rumour says was William Lyons’ own favourite Jaguar. The XJC was always an integral part of the Jaguar XJ plan.

Coventry’s game changer holds steady in the sub £20k market, having bounced back from a lockdown plateau. MARKET TRENDS JAGUAR XJ6 SI-SIII (1968-1987)The XJ6 galvanised Jaguar’s strategy for more than five decades – and while the full name plate may have died with the X350 series, it left a legacy of affordable three-box luxury for enthusiasts to enjoy.