Series III Wood Trim

There have been many individual responses regarding the wood trim on Series III cars. They are all anecdotal in that they concern one example only. Here is the history of trim, as well as I can describe it. First, we have to recogn ise that Jaguar produced cars for different markets with different badging. Sec ond, the Daimler is the same car as the Jaguar, but with different badging and trim. Third, the US experience of Jaguars is not the universal one. In the UK the Daimler is the top-line xj. As far as I know, the Vanden Plas trim was reserved to Daimler only, the standard Daimler being the Sovereign. Now the top-line Jaguar in 1984 was named the Sovereign and was equipped with every item on the Daimler VDP EXCEPT the individually sculpted seats. The Sovereign and VDP models were available respectively with either the 4.2 or the 5.3 litre engines. Export models showed some variation. The US, and I believe Australia *please correct me, Aussie friends, if I am wrong*, received only the 4.2 litre Series III cars. The US models were only the xj6, and with the same engine, the Jaguar VDP. This car had exactly the same trim as the British Daimler VDP, except that of course the grille, trunk plinth and other badges were Jaguar, not Daimler. The identical car was available in Canada, but ONLY with the 12 cylinder engine , and it was available until December 1992, as it was in Germany. The equivalent to the British Jaguar Sovereign (the top-line UK Jaguar) was sold in Canada and elsewhere, but NOT the US, with the 4.2 litre engine beginning in 1984. I own an early 1984 Sovereign in Canadian specification. It is very similar to the VDP (burl walnut, doeskin leather, etc) except that it does not have the "individual" seat style (much less comfortable, anyway). The Jaguar in the UK never had the "individual" seats. These were reserved to the Daimler VDP and Double Six. All of this sounds very confusing, and it is. But.... about wood. The xj6 had straight grain walnut, the Sovereign and VDP had burl walnut. The xj6 had wood only on the dashboard until 1985 inclusive. In 1986 and 1987 the xj6 got the wood fillets on the doors and on the transmission panel. The Sovereign and the VDP had wood fillets on the doors always, and in 1986 got the burl walnut on the console transmission panel as well. It remained in this configuration until the last Series III car was produced in December of 1992. By the way, Nigel Thorley states that Jaguar Series III production ended in 1991 while Daimler Series III production continued through 1992. He is correct only for the UK market, since the Daimlers he speaks of as being produced in 1992, were, in fact, rebadged as JAGUAR VDPs for the export market (Canada and Germany)!!!!!!! This sort of detail can drive you to distraction. Now NO Series III car ever had the walnut picnic tables on the rear of the front seats. NONE. But presently, Vicarage is producing "new" Series III cars in which they will fit these picnic tables. More details. Until 1982, Jaguar used the perforated leather style in the xj6, and from 1983 to 1992 only the "smooth" leather which had to be of a slightly higher quality since no imperfection or marking in the hide could be tolerated. The 1983 cars and later also had a slightly different shape to the front seat cushions. The Daimler Double Six and VDP cars had electric controls for both seats, and this of course was extended to the export cars, so that, for example, a 1990 Jaguar VDP in Canada had electric controls on both seats. The cars sent to North America were always fully equipped. No options available at all. They all had climate control, sunroof *after 1980*, electric mirrors, s eats, cruise control, etc. Much more trivia in this old brain, if anyone is interested. Corrections to the above are welcome.

The model line -up is something like this. In the US: the xj6 Jaguar although this description is not xj6 VDP Jaguar complete. Was the 4.2 car sold in Germany, as it was in Switzerland, for example? In Canada: the xj6 Jaguar xj6 Sovereign xj12 VDP

In the UK: the xj6 Jaguar xj6 Sovereign xj12 Sovereign

the Daimler Sovereign Daimler Doub. Six Daimler VDP V12

in Australia: Jaguar xj6 xj6 Sovereign

Daimler Sovereign VDP

in Germany: the Jaguar vdp V12