ANCH

Back in the 1980s (I've been in Germany since 1980) I used to drive a Citroen CX Pallas. A German customer (I'm a translator) saw that and asked me why I drove a French car and had I ever been given a job by a French company. Without thinking, I answered it was because I couldn't afford a Jaguar. He stopped asking after that.  

And the first Jag arrived in the early 90s - a beautiful XJ6, Series III from 1983. white with a black vinyl roof. 4.2 litre Sovereign. That one ran like a dream and lasted us over seven years and we finally sold it because it had some engine ailment that no one here felt like diagnosing. Very sad. 

The second was a few years later - one of the first XJ6 diesels. It was virtually impossible to tell it was a diesel - so quiet and smooth. The three-litre engine provided all the power we needed as a family of five at home and on many trips to the UK.

The next was an XF Sportbrake (older series, all steel). Only a 4-cylinder, also diesel (diesel is really cheap in Germany). But hopelessly underpowered. No fun at all. Sold that quickly.

Then we found an XF Portfolio. Dark grey with a !Removed! brown interior (Cappuccino?? Espresso??) but very nicely equipped. Only a four-cylinder but perfectly OK. Since this one had aluminium panelling it was much nicer to drive than the tin Sportbrake. 

And then...my wife was just idly cruising around the internet when she discovered something and said, that looks different. Come and have a look. I could hardly believe it - an XJ L Autobiography with ALL the whistles and bells, 1600 km on the clock and the telltale glass screen around the radiator emblem that tells you it really does have all the nice bits. Going for a third of the original price. Black, with London Tan inside. The best thing was, the day we visited the dealer (in Dortmund) was the last day of Jaguar's 0.5% special financing offer. We had four hours to make a decision. After lunch at an Italian restaurant, during which I had to dredge up all the potential benefits (while carefully skirting round things like petrol consumption, insurance, bank balance, you know, all the usual bits) we went for it. Our three children (all now parents themselves) felt, for some reason, that mum and dad had finally cracked - why do two people need a car with two screens in the rear, four sets of headphones, four massage seats....? I don't know. But we've got plenty of time to think up some answers as we cruise along the autobahns (looking forward to the day when corona allows us to travel freely...).