1975 Daimler Sovereign Coupe

The Daimler version of this coupé differs only in trim details to the Jag, although it’s a rarer beast, which obviously adds to the appeal.

Performance from the straight-six, 4.2-litre XK engine is strong, with a top speed in excess of 120mph and a 0-60mph time of well under ten seconds.

It’s much more than a straight-line dragster though; the sophisticated all-independent suspension provides limpet-like road holding and surprisingly nimble handling for such a large car. It’s also as comfortable as the saloon upon which it’s based.

This one is a striking looking beast in Signal Red, an unusual colour for an XJ6, although we have seen a Series One saloon in a similar shade.

It’s not a car for wall flowers in this shade – you won’t have trouble finding it in Sainsbury’s car park, amongst the sea of silver, German anon-o-boxes. Most Daimlers are in much more retiring shades, but this one announces its arrival with a fanfare and a marching band. We love it.

Looking at the paperwork it appears that the car left Coventry painted yellow, although we had to look hard to find any hint of that colour remaining. The paint finish is generally very nice, although we noticed some lumpiness on the bottom of the front valance, which we’d want to investigate. There’s some orange peel on the paint finish on the upright panel of the bootlid.

The bonnet alignment could do with looking at too, as the gaps between it and the front wings are uneven at the moment. There are also some small marks on the door shuts and between the joint between the sill and the rear panel on the passenger side.

The original hue can just about be seen towards the front of the bottom of the passenger door shut – we can see why the restorer decided on a colour change.

The chrome is all excellent, and the overall impression looking at the outside of the big coupé is very good. Incidentally, you need to like a vinyl roof if you want an XJ Coupé – Jag couldn’t afford to have a new roof pressing made, so they cut and shut saloon versions. The vinyl covers the join.

The front black seats are in nice condition, with thick, rich leather of a kind you don’t see in modern car interiors. The interior is generally in fine condition, with that new headlining , and a rare option – an electric sunroof, which the seller tells us works as it should.

The rear seat has some wear and tear, and there are some small marks in the vinyl on the dash top, visible through the windscreen. It looks as though the woodwork has its original finish, which has aged pretty well, but isn’t as shiny as it once would have been, but overall the interior is a lovely place to be. A good dose of hide food would improve the seats further, we reckon.

There’s a hole cut out of the glovebox interior, through which that rather uninspiring original colour can be seen.

Inside the boot, the spare wheel well looks a little crusty at the very bottom, which could do with catching now before it gets any worse.

The engine bay is generally lovely – excellent paint and the glorious 4.2-litre XK straight six looking splendid. Everything looks as it should, with the slight exception of a manual choke conversion. This is to be warmly welcomed, as the mechanical auto-choke on these cars is, frankly, rubbish.

The coupé’s underside looks sound, with evidence of recent shock absorbers and a shiny stainless steel exhaust system too. The only areas we’d want to sort out are the very edges of some of the panels, the rear wheel arches for instance, which have lost their paint finish and are exposed to the elements.

There are some old MoT certificates with the car, old tax discs, as well as several historic invoices, highlights of which include:

1998. Various new engine parts, big ends, main bearings, oil pump – £381.

2013. Various new parts, including differential and steering rack – £1197.

Four new hub caps – £98.

2017. New carpets – £186.

2017. New headlining – £72.

2017. Various new parts including thermostat and temperature sender unit – £51.

2017. SU carburettor overhaul – £335.

2017. New door locks – £51.14.

2017. Various new parts, including wiper blades and brake components – £167.

2018. Brake caliper pistons – £60.

The seller says:

‘My brother is a solicitor and he recently bought the car to keep it as an investment. However, soon afterwards he came across and managed to buy a Jaguar E-type project. So he decided to sell the Daimler.

‘He bought the coupé from a gentleman in Essex who’d had it since 2017 – he bought the car from a Jaguar enthusiast who restored it over the course of several years. The car has had following work.

* Engine out and full respray.

* New steering rack.

* Stainless Steel exhaust.

* Fully detailed engine bay.

‘The car has been owned by enthusiasts and regularly maintained and MoT’d. Since the car has been in our possession we have fully serviced it, including a gearbox oil change.

‘Overall car is in great condition – the floor panels, wheel arches, boot floor, sills and roof are all solid, with no rust or welding required. Also, all the bushes and mounts, suspension, brakes and calipers were done during the restoration.

‘Even the original battery cover and fan are still intact and on the car. Also there is a rare feature, which is an electric sunroof. Most of the early cars don’t have this.

‘Modification wise the car is fitted with manual choke as many people do, to avoid cold start problems with the original auto-choke.

‘I don’t have a Heritage Certificate to confirm the numbers, however the car has a correct period 4.2-litre early engine.

‘I noticed the car was running a bit rich when I delivered it to the auction house, so if someone buys it I would say it may need a carb tune up – the car has had new carburettors so it shouldn’t be a problem.’

Using the term rare when talking about a Daimler XJ can often be inaccurate, but in this case it’s true. Most XJ Coupés (around 80 percent) were Jags, so the Daimler versions are thin on the ground. On top of that, this one, unlike most, is in a bright colour.

It also has a low recorded mileage and these three factors make this a great opportunity to acquire a striking XJ Coupé that you can jump in and enjoy straight away.

Our estimate for this car is £20,000 - £25,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.