1977 Jaguar-Daimler Sovereign 4.2-Litre Coupe
Daimler Sovereign was a name applied by British manufacturer Jaguar Cars to a sequence of luxury automobiles built by it but carrying the Daimler badge between 1966 and 1983.
The Daimler Sovereigns were based on contemporary Jaguar bodyshells, chassis and engines in an example of badgi engineering. Jaguar Cars took over The Daimler Company in 1960 and the 1966 Sovereign was the second Daimler to be based on a Jaguar. The first was the2.5 litre V8 with an engine designed by Edward Turner. Unlike the Daimler 2½ litre, the Sovereign had a Jaguar engine, marking the end for the Turner designed engines.
Jaguar/Daimler refreshed its six-cylinder XJ6 saloon and Daimler Sovereign range in 1973 with the introduction of the XJ6 and Daimler SovereignI. The new cars featured a sleeker new bodyshell which had a slimmer front grille, new front air intake below the bumper, new lights and a revised interior. At first the short and long wheel base versions were available, however all cars carried the long wheel base after 1975 and were, once again, powered by the 4.2 litre XJ unit.
While most Sovereign come with leather seat facings and Ambla secondary trim, some left the factory with cloth seats as an option. Not only is cloth trim a rare option to find, but many owners find it less desirable than leather these days. It’s certainly going to be harder to source good used cloth trim than leather, and harder for an upholsterer to effect a convincing repair to damaged trim.
The Daimler coupes had a few minor differences from their Jaguar counterparts, apart from the badging and fluted chrome. The Daimler coupes had their door cappings covered with black vinyl, rather than the matching colour to the rest of the interior.
Be honest, most of us have fancied a Jag at some point – whether through the Sweeney, or Minder, or maybe even because your boss had one in your first job. We’ve all looked and thought “maybe” – and at the money there’s no excuse as to why you can’t buy one if you’re canny.
The best bargains can be found in V12 flavour, although the cost-conscious might want to spend out on a 3.4-litre instead. These are worth less than the 4.2, without the complication inherent in the V12 engine. The best buy to sell on again is without doubt the XJ-C coupe, as there will always be a market for this beguiling and beautiful two-door model.
