The Time We Owned a Jaguar
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381960)
Rockingham, Australia
May 18, 2017 5:17am CST
One comment on my stretch Hummer post mentioned how nice it had been to ride in a Rolls Royce. I always think these are the epitome of understated elegance.
At one time in our life, we purchased a XJ6 Jaguar. The previous owner had gone bankrupt so it had been put up for auction. We were able to buy it for a song. We did quite a bit of restoration work on it and used it for a while.
It was interesting to notice how differently other drivers treated us when we were in the Jag. They would hang back and let us in if we were indicating we wanted to go into the left- or right-hand lane. This didn’t happen too often with a more ‘common’ car model. Once we went out to dinner and parked the Jag in a service station car-park. I guess because it was raining, the parking attendant beckoned us to park under cover where the petrol bowsers were.
My own behaviour was probably pretty interesting too as I always felt a bit embarrassed to be driving such a luxurious car. In those days, Jaguars were regarded as very ‘upper-class’ but it didn’t really sit well with me. If I could have worn a bag on my head it would have been okay.
The photo is of a Rover that we owned for a while. I haven’t scanned a photo of the Jag and can’t do it at the moment. Behind the car is our house before all the vegetation grew up.
29 people like this
30 responses
@cpefley (1941)
• San Jose, California
18 May 17
That is awesome. I remember that my grandma's dream car was a green Jag. I always wondered why she never bought one. She should have. She could have. Left too much money to all of us, is what she did lol.
Nice Rover by the way. Can't wait to see a picture of the Jag.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 May 17
Some older people were like that weren't they? They were never comfortable with spending money on themselves.
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
18 May 17
I love Jags to this day.
I always wanted an EType since I was 12 yrs old and saw one in a car showroom.
When my first hubby and I were dealing in cars, we owned several of them.
3 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
18 May 17
@Mike197602 It was a dream of my youth to have one Mike.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 May 17
I'm sure you have some great memories of those E types.
@teamfreak16 (43579)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
Funny how people treat you based upon what sort of car you are driving, isn't it?
3 people like this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
18 May 17
@teamfreak16 The one I got now is the nicest I have owned.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43579)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
@JudyEv - I always have gotten the opposite. I've never really owned a nice car.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 May 17
Thanks. We love our house. It is light and airy - too big I guess for just the two of us but we fill it with visitors pretty regularly so we don't feel we've been too extravagant.
@allen0187 (59704)
• Philippines
18 May 17
Looking forward to seeing the photo of your Jaguar. A previous boss of mine owned a fleet of Jaguars. The guy was stacked.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (59704)
• Philippines
20 May 17
@JudyEv perhaps fleet is an exaggeration but he had at least five Jaguars plus lots of other luxury cars.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 May 17
@allen0187 Five is near enough to a fleet. One of my old school colleagues has 7 Citroen 2CVs and 2 Maseratis. The wheel arches of the latter were lined with felt.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
18 May 17
classy car - never been in one though I have travelled in a Rolls-Royce at a wedding I attended
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
20 May 17
@JudyEv they are beautiful cars
1 person likes this
@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
19 May 17
I never felt comfortable driving sports cars and especially not luxury cars. I was fine just looking at other people cruising in their Jaguars or styling it in a Rolls Royce or riding around town in a gold cadillac. 
But it's not for me. I drove a Chevy Suburban for about a decade. I loved that car ... truck ... car ... whatever. I called it car. My husband said it was truck. The car was accidentally wrecked by my son. My son was fine but the car was laid to rest. I've never been happy with any car we've owned ever since. You would think: "It's just a car!" But somehow I had really gotten attached to that Suburban. Nice house.
But it's not for me. I drove a Chevy Suburban for about a decade. I loved that car ... truck ... car ... whatever. I called it car. My husband said it was truck. The car was accidentally wrecked by my son. My son was fine but the car was laid to rest. I've never been happy with any car we've owned ever since. You would think: "It's just a car!" But somehow I had really gotten attached to that Suburban. Nice house. 2 people like this
@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
20 May 17
@JudyEv - The car grew old while my children grew up. It was part of the family.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 May 17
We love our house too, thanks. But we need to tidy up the garden as we can no longer see down the paddock for all the shrubs and bushes.
@LadyDuck (502343)
• Italy
18 May 17
We had two Jaguar cars in our life. My husband bought the first one in 1973 and it was a XJ6, colour fern green. He sold the car because he was not satisfied and then he bought another when we moved in Monte-Carlo, I think it was in 1977 (XJS) and it was burgundy.
2 people like this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
18 May 17
Jaguar is such a rare and luxury car indeed! And people tend to look at it with high esteem (or its owner?).
3 people like this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 May 17
People do look up to it and Vince loved it but I was forever trying to explain to people that we weren't that rich and that we'd bought it cheaply. It was too flash for me. I didn't feel comfortable owning such a car. It's probably a bit silly but that's the way it was.
It was too flash for me. I didn't feel comfortable owning such a car. It's probably a bit silly but that's the way it was.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
18 May 17
What happened to the Jag?
3 people like this
@manasamanu (3797)
• Bangalore, India
19 May 17
I loved your house and the car too. It is beautifully planned.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 May 17
@manasamanu Thanks. We hope to be here a few years yet.
1 person likes this
@manasamanu (3797)
• Bangalore, India
20 May 17
@JudyEv Oh that's really bad but I hope you stay there as long as you want or need it.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
19 May 17
I know all of that vip treatment one gets when there is a sign of wealth or whatever is around. In my case it was not wealth but when we shifted to this semi rural town a few years ago no lady was seen in pants with the shirt tucked in. That was enough for me to be treated with awe (lol)
2 people like this
@Carmelanirel2 (8085)
• United States
18 May 17
We have never owned anything that luxurious, I think the best car we ever got was the 2007 Hyundai only because it was a newer model when we bought it than any other car we bought. lol
I can imagine how different it would feel, because though I never owned a really nice car, my neighbor's who travel a lot, once had me take them to the airport in their car and then take their car back home, so they didn't have to park their car at the airport. It was winter and the vehicle had seat warmers, so you know I took advantage of that..
2 people like this
@Carmelanirel2 (8085)
• United States
21 May 17
@JudyEv That's true, you wouldn't need the seat warmers. lol Yes, I enjoyed driving their car, because it was cold outside, yet I was toasty warm. 
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
18 May 17
A jag is one of my dream cars. I would love to cruise on one down to Florida.
But you know what? Its seems to poss people off no matter what "newer" car I get and I don`t know why. I am so happy for people when they get what they have worked so hard for.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 May 17
I didn't mind it so much on the open road but in town it got too much attention for my liking. It's a shame some people are so mean-spirited.
@optimisticbeauty (2170)
• India
18 May 17
You have a beautiful home.
Yes I agree. People show difference in behavior with people who have more money and status
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381960)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 May 17
It's a shame that this happens but it does. I'm glad you like our house. Thanks.
