By David Barlowe

My wife (Leslie) and I had enjoyed our 1979 MGB for several years. The MGB had been modified with a 2.8 GM V6 engine and an automatic transmission and was very dependable. The MGB had taken us on several week long trips to the Outer Banks of N.C. with 900 trouble free miles each time and several times to the Chattanooga British Car Show with other club members. As much fun as all these trips were they were not without some problems. We got wet several times when a quick rain came up and we couldn’t get off the road in time to get the top up. At speeds above 60 in wasn’t possible to understand what was being said or be able to hear the radio. When the outside temperature got hot, so did the temperature in the car. We finally agreed that it would be nice to have a car with air conditioning and a top that would go up and down with the touch of a button.

We began with looking at a Miata. They had everything that we wanted, except the room needed to take anything with us on the inside of the car. There is no room behind the seats for all of the necessary things required to travel (food, drink and a coat). The same was true for the BMW Z3.

A car dealer had recently opened nearby that had several convertibles on the lot, most with prices on the windshield that were more than I wanted to pay. When I told Leslie that they had a Jaguar her comment was “We can’t afford a Jaguar!” My response was “Look at the price on the windshield”. Now I must admit that I know that used Jags can be cheap because of the maintenance costs, but I couldn’t resist looking.

The Jaguar was a 2000 XK8 with about 67,000 miles and was clean and appeared to be in good condition. The Fax Report showed that the car was sold in Georgia, went to Virginia, and then back to N.C., but had no reports for the past 8 years. After a long test drive we both wanted the Jag and we went back to the dealer to work out a deal.

The negotiations began like all of the car lot deals start. We were in a small office with a door that I expected to close and lock at any time so that I could not escape until a deal had been made. In a final attempt to get the price just a little lower, I stood and said that I needed to go home and think about it. As I turned to the door, a little voice behind me said, ”We’ll take it”. I couldn’t argue much since I wanted the Jag as much as she did and she knew that I would complain that I should have bought it when it was gone.

Over the years of our marriage, I have owned several collector cars. Leslie and I would go to car shows, but I knew that she really did not enjoy looking at “another old car”. It has been a nice change to have a car that she enjoys. Very often when she goes somewhere she takes the Jaguar, frequently putting the top down before she leaves and even nicer, is when we go somewhere and she wants to drive.