Background
This may look like a Jaguar XJ6, and it is a family member, but this car is actually one of the rarest ever fitted with a Daimler badge.
In the early 1970s, Jaguar was a company on the rebound. After a decade of remarkable success with the E-Type and the original XJ6, it faced increasing pressure to prove it could still build cars that not only thrilled drivers but also offered refinement and sophistication at the highest level.
The XJ6, launched in 1968, had already redefined what a luxury saloon could be — offering superb ride comfort, excellent handling and stylish design at a price that seriously undercut its rivals. But Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons had grander plans. He wanted to put Jaguar at the pinnacle of luxury motoring — and the tool to do it was a brand new V12 engine.
That engine, a 5.3-litre all-alloy masterpiece, had been in development since the 1960s. Jaguar’s engineering team, led by Walter Hassan and Harry Mundy, had initially envisaged it for racing — specifically, to power Jaguar’s next assault on Le Mans. But when that programme was shelved, the V12 was reimagined for road use. It was no simple engine.
Designed for smoothness and effortless torque rather than out-and-out power, the V12 was a showcase of engineering ambition. With overhead camshafts, a silky power delivery and a whisper-quiet idle, it was a clear shot across the bows of the best that Mercedes-Benz and BMW could offer.
The V12 made its debut in the Jaguar E-Type Series 3 in 1971, but it was the saloon version — the XJ12 — that truly demonstrated its capabilities. The XJ12 was effectively a re-engined XJ6, but that simple description doesn’t do it justice. The V12 transformed the car. With 272bhp and mountains of torque, it could surge to 60mph in under eight seconds and cruise effortlessly at high speeds.
The refinement was extraordinary. The engine’s near-silent operation, especially at idle, was unlike anything else in the price bracket. Jaguar had created what was, for a time, the fastest production four-door saloon in the world.
But for buyers wanting something even more exclusive, Jaguar had a solution — the Daimler Double Six. Reviving a historic name from the 1920s, the Double Six was effectively a rebadged and more luxurious XJ12, aimed at those who wanted the engineering of a Jaguar but the image of a Daimler.
Trimmed to an even higher standard than the Jaguar version, with more lavish use of wood and leather, the Double Six stood at the top of Britain’s automotive tree. It was, in effect, the Rolls-Royce for people who actually liked to drive.
The Double Six offered a unique blend of quiet performance and discreet opulence. It wasn’t brash or ostentatious — instead, it whispered its credentials. A Daimler buyer wanted to be cosseted in a cabin of Connolly leather and burr walnut while gliding along at triple-digit speeds with the engine barely ticking over.
And the suspension, steering and brakes were all tuned to complement that sensation of wafting luxury, even while the car’s outright performance was more than a match for most contemporary GTs.
In 1973, the range expanded further with the introduction of the Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas — a long-wheelbase version with even more room and even greater levels of comfort. But arguably the most striking version of all came a little later: the Daimler Double Six Coupé.
The coupé was based on the two-door version of the XJ saloon — a car officially known as the XJ-C. Introduced in 1975 and built in small numbers until 1978, the Double Six Coupé was the rarest and most glamorous of the breed.
With its pillarless side profile, elegant proportions and standard-fit vinyl roof (a curious but period-correct styling decision), the car looked every inch the high-society grand tourer. It was also extremely rare: fewer than 500 examples were built, making it one of the most exclusive cars ever to wear the Daimler badge.
As a whole, the 1970s Daimler Double Six range represented the very best of British motoring in that era. It was a combination of Jaguar’s world-class engineering — especially the mighty V12 — with the quiet dignity and luxury of the Daimler name.
And while the Jaguar XJ12 may have been the car that introduced the V12 to the masses, it was the Double Six — and particularly the handsome and seldom-seen coupé — that truly sat at the top of the tree.
Today, these cars stand as reminders of an ambitious period when Jaguar dared to challenge the best in the world — and effectively beat them at their own game.
