Jaguar Land Rover Classic drive: my top five cars

4. 1965 Jaguar Mk II 3.8

The driving experience of a classic car is one of the major appeals of ownership, but so too is other people's appreciation of it. The Jaguar MkII's popularity is clear from the reception it received. Everywhere we drove, people were craning their necks to get a better view of it. When we parked up, a group of cyclists taking part in the local time trial actually turned back to come and have a chat with us about the car. That’s how fond people are of it.

This example has had some minor upgrades to demonstrate what the SVO classic restoration team can do; there are electric windows and seats from a Jaguar XJ40. It still drives like an old Jaguar, though, with an extremely long throw to the gearlever, as well as that wonderful straight-six engine. You keep changing down a cog to listen to that exhaust note as you accelerate.

3. 1971 Range Rover Classic - suffix ‘A’

This unrestored two-door classic is an early Range Rover - known in Land Rover circles as suffix ‘a’ cars, because there’s an ‘a’ at the end of the chassis number. It’s incredibly spartan; a world away from today’s cars. It was aimed at surveyors and land owners who needed a more refined off-road vehicle to cope with the advent of the motorway network yet still needed the hose-out interior utility of a Land Rover.

To cater for that brief, this Range Rover has vinyl on the floor, no stereo or power-steering; not even a heated rear screen. All-round coil springs with long-travel suspension means it has a peerless ride off-road, dismissing bumps and uneven surfaces in a manner similar to a Rolls-Royce. Then there is the power - or, more importantly, the torque – of that 3.5-litre V8 engine, which enables you to easily make progress.

If you ignore the lack of electronic gadgets, you realise that the Range Rover’s unique selling point of being a more refined off-road vehicle is as present in this early car as it is in the very latest offering.  

2. 1966 Jaguar E-Type ‘Coombs’

Not only did John Coombs own one of the early Jaguar E-Types, he sold them and raced them as well. Because of that racing know-how, customers would often drop off their new car with Coombs to get engine and suspension upgrades. This distinctive roman purple coupé is a 4.2-litre car. As standard, the 4.2-litre put out 265bhp; however, technical data is scarce surrounding the Coombs upgrades and the classic team didn't have the heart to perform a complete engine strip-down to investigate. Early Autocar reports from when the Jaguar E-Type was launched suggested that race-spec 3.8-litre engines could put out significantly more than that 4.2-litre figure. After stretching this car a little, I would guess that 300bhp is a more likely number.

The Coombs E-Type is possibly the best version of ‘E’ you can drive, as all the upgrades give it the feel of something much more modern; even the brakes feel really strong. A remarkable feat for a car that is more than 50 years old. The suspension, even with the tweeks, is nice and compliant. Then there is that sonorous straight-six. It’s a real delight to drive. 

It’s a drive that is likely to be exclusive to the classic experience, as this is the only Coombs-prepared car known in existence. If you are an E-Type connoisseur, it might be worth the admission price alone.

1. 1949 Land Rover Series I

“This is going to sound counterintuitive, but when we go over the crest, you must take your feet off all the pedals. Don’t touch the brakes.” These were the words of wisdom from my instructor as we prepared to head down a particularly steep hill; the sort that has a number of very solid-looking trees at the bottom of it and reminds you that this steering column in front of you is actually one solid shaft and one that is attached directly to the front axle. If we happen to hit any of those trees at speed, that column is only going one direction: my chest. Of course I want to use the brakes.

So here we are, in a near-70-year-old Land Rover, its 1.6-litre side-valve engine sputtering away because it’s running a bit rich and needs the occasional throttle blip to clear its throat to prevent it from choking on too much petrol. The instructor, reading the trepidation on my face, is hoping his words have sunk in. And, sitting there, I wonder if it's too late to engage reverse.