by: Martin Buckley The last real Jaguar Jaded by the uniformity of modern cars XJ - a world beater Low-slung four-door sportscar Wafty, effortless and unflustered

Has Jaguar ever produced a more elegant saloon that the old Series 3 XJ? For many people this svelte classic was the last real Jaguar and, since its demise in 1993, the company have struggled to produce anything that looks quite as good without descending into the realms of pastiche.

To the consternation of the current Browns Lane regime, perhaps, the Series 3 continues to define what many people think of as a Jaguar with that slim, airy roofline and beautiful lines around the headlights that only intensive hand finishing can produce in steel.

It may even have crossed your mind, when one of the dwindling numbers of surviving cars drifts past, that it might be nice to own a Series 3 XJ before they become extinct. Such day dreams probably evaporate when you think about rust, oil patches on the drive and getting on first name terms with an AA man. After all the youngest example is now 11 years old And surely they can't stop, handle or go as quickly as even a relatively ordinary modern car?