We all have cars we’ve owned and loved but can’t always remember why we sold them. This is the latest in my #wheelswednesday series of posts about some of the interesting cars I’ve owned. In this case, it’s a Jaguar XJ6 Series 3.
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
“The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive” —Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar
Like many photographers I have always been fascinated by Leica cameras. Years ago when I wanted to simplify the number of cameras I owned; It was more than 25 at the time, a number that it has seemingly climbed to again. I sold many of them and used some of the cash to buy a Leica M6 TTL with Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens and a SF-20 speedlight, all of which, especially the lens, have appreciated significantly since that time. In recent years I have become fascinated by the CCD-sensor used in the Leica M8 and M9 but even a bargain grade (from KEH) camera body is expensive. The reality is that I can purchase a (well used) Hasselblad 500CM with 80mm Carl Zeiss f/2.8 lens and A12 back for less! And so I vacillate.
The Camera
Enter the Digilux that was Leica’s first digital camera and originally launched in 2002. Back in the day, I was loaned its successor the Digilux 2. This was a digital camera sold by Leica but was manufactured in Japan by Matsushita, who sold a variant of the camera as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1. The Digilux 2, more than the previous model, had the look and proportions that were “reminiscent of a rangefinder camera.” The 8.8 x 6.6mm image sensor was a 5.24-megapixel CCD, a fact that appeals to many of today’s photographers because of its so-called ability to produce a “film-like” look. That’s may be one reason why used version of the camera are selling for $500-700 today. The Panasonic version sells for somewhat less and has the same Leica-branded lens.
The Digilux2 has a 28-90mm (equivalent) f/2.0 Leica Vario Summicron lens with a near-focus of 11.8-inchess (30 cm.) The lens features manual zoom, aperture and focus rings and shutter speeds could be manually adjusted via a dial atop the camera. In addition to an electronic viewfinder, the Digilux 2 had 2.5-inch color, transreflective thin-film transistor LCD display. The camera had a built-in flash and weighs just 22-ounces (630 grams) without its battery.
How I Made this photograph: I photographed my Jaguar XJ6 Series 3 at an abandoned gas station near Meade, Colorado after Mary and I attended a car show in the town. Jaguar calls its color Cirrus Grey but it is plainly light brown. I only had a chance to make one exposure before some old codger, who you can see in the background, came around asking “what the heck we thought we were doing.” I explained I was taking a picture of my car and he decided we were allowed to do that and then get out of there. The camera used was a Leica Digilux 2 with the Leica Vario Summicron lens set at 37mm (equivalent.) The Program mode exposure—I only had time for one exposure because of the codger—was 1/2000 sec at f/2 and ISO 200.
The Car
The Jaguar XJ was considered part of a series of full-size luxury cars—although I never thought of my particular car as “luxury”—that was produced by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars from 1968 to 2019. It went through four generations and the original model was the last Jaguar sedan designed under the leadership of Sir William Lyons, the company’s founder.
The 1986 Jaguar XJ6 was facelifted in April 1979 and is known as the Series III, incorporating a subtle exterior redesign by Pininfarina. Changes from Series II included thicker rubber bumpers with decorative chrome on the top edge, flush door handles, one-piece front door glass without a separate quarter wing window, a grille with only vertical vanes, backup lights that were moved from the trunk to the larger rear light clusters, and the car featured a revised roof line with narrower door frames and increased glass area. The European versions had a slightly different headlight configuration and not surprisingly different bumpers but to tell the truth the American bumpers on my car were not as horrible as what some British cars of that era had to contend with.
In addition, the car’s C-pillar was subtly modified with a more prominent “Hofmeister kink” at its base. This was an automotive design feature consisting of a rearward/forward angle near the base of the rearmost pillar. It is named for Wilhelm Hofmeister, who was BMW’s design chief from 1955 to 1970. For the first time, sunroof and cruise control options were offered and my car has both, although in typical Jaguar fashion driving the car at speeds past 30 mph with the sunroof open was LOUD. Unlike other Jaguar ownership experiences I’ve had, I have nothing but fond memories of this elegant car, so much so that. despite its quirks, I would love to have another one today! In fact, I’m getting all misty and nostalgic just thinking about the car as I write this.
For some additonal insight into the car and what it has to do with my father, please check out this Labor Day post on my car photography website, where you can see another, more manipulated version of this same image.
If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to buy Joe a cup of Earl Grey tea ($2.50), click here