Now fast forward a couple of years and after the demise of the 4WD club I was in and the Discovery relegated to a commuter thoughts turned to how we could rationalise the fleet. Selling the XJS was not really an option, at least to Diane, but disposing of the Discovery and Astra was somewhat more palatable and logical. After the distraction of the 2009 National Rally and unfortunately having to discount the idea of a $250k+ XKR, which caught our eyes, we decided that something a little more modest would be better suited to our everyday use. The question then was what, and well remember that lasting impression, it was no surprise then that the X-Type was becoming a front runner in either a 2.5 or 3.0 litre guise. Then as time went by and after reading quite a compelling article on value for money in the Jag Mag the S-Type started to get a look in. Well after a bit more research and keeping an eye on the prices around the traps the S-Type hit the front and we short listed a few to have a look at during a trip to Melbourne at the end of October.
It's quite strange how reality can dash expectations, as we were to find out on arriving in Melbourne. After spending the morning at the Healy Factory discussing wire wheels we headed off to have a look at the first car on the list. By the way, we can certainly recommend a visit to the Healy Factory to those aficionados of sports cars as they have a superb stable of cars for sale, predominantly Healys but with a range of other marques represented including an early Austin 7 Sports and MkII Jaguar when we were there.
Anyway I digress; we arrived at the first car yard on our list in South Melbourne, walked in and spied a few S-Types crammed in down the back of the "showroom" obviously not considered as prestigious as the Ferraris, Porches, Mercs, BMWs that littered the choice positions of the display. Well it didn't take long to see that the description listed on Carpoint didn't match what we were seeing and in our opinion didn't warrant the top dollar they were asking. What did I say about expectations, especially of a dealer of so-called prestige and luxury cars! The other examples weren't any better with one actually haemorrhaging a river of oil across the floor. At this stage no sales staff had bothered to approach us and given the condition of the cars we decided to leave with the chequebook still firmly closed.
The next on the list was the local Jaguar franchise and guess what, some nice cars in the yard including a beautiful late model XJ8 but no one was interested in lightening the chequebook. Well two out of two, was it the straw sticking out of clothes, the two heads or the little rental buzz box we were driving, who knows, so it was on to plan C. What plan C?
We were on the point of heading back to our digs when I remembered that I had seen an X-Type on CarSales a couple of days earlier from a dealer somewhere in South Melbourne, so a phone call later and directions programmed into the trusty Tom Tom we headed off. We found there was nothing pretentious about this dealer with all the cars housed in a large warehouse with plenty of room to inspect. When we walked through to find the salesman what appeared before us changed Project S-Type to Project X-Type. Even though there was a thin layer of dust over the car we could see that it was the best car we had seen all day and it seemed to strike a chord with both of us. With a very attentive salesman answering every question we gave the car a good going over followed by an offer to test drive, which we accepted. Unfortunately not being familiar with the environs of South Melbourne the test drive was limited to a few blockies but we were hooked. So we headed back and after a little horse-trading, as they say, the deal was done the chequebook was somewhat lighter and we were the proud owners of a black X-Type Sports.
Now to get it home! Not a problem, once we were back home it only took a few hours and the airfares back to Melbourne were booked for a fortnight later along with the return ferry trip. By the way the real reason we were in Melbourne in the first place, "The Show", was very enjoyable (ask Diane) and we had a good holiday to boot.
So a fortnight later saw us back in Port Melbourne ready to take delivery of our pride and joy and it looked even better second time round. Once all the formalities were completed, and we were presented with the keys we were off to Caroline Springs to see Diane's brother and family although it was a little daunting driving a car in Melbourne with no number plates or rego and only a folded piece of paper (temporary permit) stuck to the windscreen to satisfy the constabulary. The following afternoon we headed to the ferry still feeling a little conspicuous but glad to be going home and after a very smooth trip across the Strait we disembarked at Devonport and headed to Hobart.
As I have mentioned reality can shatter expectations but in this case we were not disappointed at all with the car. Performance was exceptional, ride is a little firm but understandable with low profile tyres and sports suspension, which translates to excellent handling, seating is very comfortable with plenty of adjustment and all this means a car that is a pleasure to own and drive, not to mention it looks the goods as well.
The first Club outing in the car was the Shannon's Toy run in late November, as it was too wet and windy for the XJS. The next, we decided after some deliberation, was to enter the car in d'Elegance at the 2010 State Concours to see how it would compare against the Club's best. This decision meant we had to balance what preparation could be done without being compromised by its use everyday. Fortunately it didn't create too much of a problem as the XJS was only too happy to get a little more road time. Preparation more or less went according to plan and our timing meant the car was not used only on the week leading up to the Concours.
We were apprehensive when we went to Launceston not knowing what to expect with a new car however much to our surprise we received a Gold Award in d'Elegance and an even bigger surprise when we were awarded the prestigious Trevor Delaney Memorial Trophy as Concours d'Elegance State Champion ahead of a very strong field of top cars. Winning this award, to us, shows that through a little hard work an everyday reasonably priced car can win a top award and hopefully it will encourage other members in the same situation to have a go as well. You never know unless you have a go!
In closing what we have is a good-looking, comfortable, car that performs well, is economical and is a pleasure to drive and we are looking forward to many enjoyable kilometres of driving ahead.
Specifications:
2002 X-Type Sports
Engine: 2.5 litres V6
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
All Wheel Drive
87000 Kms at Purchase
Tyres: Pirelli P Zero 225/45ZR17
Alloy rims: 17"x7.5
Build Date: 09/2001
First Registered: 03/2003
Colour: Metallic Black (Anthracite)
Interior: Black
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